Explore Nanango

Nanango ~ Queensland

Nanango is a charming country town, located in the South Burnett region, 190 kilometres north-west of Brisbane. It was first settled in 1848 and is the fourth oldest town in Queensland.

Nanango has some great street art, interesting history and one of the largest markets in South East Queensland.

When we visited, we wandered around the town centre, admired the many murals, visited the Energy Centre, raced around the go-kart track, discovered some interesting heritage buildings, and wandered around the market.

Nanago has several bakeries, hotels, a supermarket and other interesting shops to browse in. Several chainsaw sculptures and more than 20 murals around the town centre reflect the town’s connections with timber felling, farming, and mining. Local Artist Will Nelson originally painted the murals and incorporated many of the local residents.

At the Nanango Showgrounds is a lovely brightly coloured bird mural on one of the buildings. Also at the front of the Showgrounds is a life-sized statue of a bull, created by local artist David White, using more than 2.5 kilometres of barbed wire.

On the Burnett Highway in Nanango is the South Burnett Energy and Visitor Information Centre. Inside there are interesting interactive displays and information about power & energy.   

You can also pedal a bicycle to see just how much energy is needed to generate power, if you generate enough power you will release a gumball from the machine.

There are also two engines on display that supplied power to the Nanango Butter Factory in the 1930s and 40s. The engines are among a very few of their kind. One of these engines is in full working order.

Next, we visited South Burnett Go-Karts, which is 3 kilometres out of Nanango on the D’Aguillar Highway. They are open on Fridays from 12 noon to 5.00 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

This is great fun for all ages and the staff will get you kitted out and on the track so you can race around as quickly as you can. You will also get a printout of your track times at the end of the session.

Near the go-kart track is Tipperary Flat, a roadside rest stop that has some interesting tributes to Nanango’s History, Gold Mining and early Pioneer Days.

There are not a lot of heritage buildings in Nanango as there was a large fire in 1940, which destroyed a lot of buildings.

However, on the corner of Drayton and Henry Streets, was Nobby’s Corner Store which was built in 1914 and managed to survive the 1940 fire. It is now a women's clothing and accessories shop.

The Fitzroy Hotel was built in 1913 and is a great example of what a Queensland country hotel was like at this time.

Ringsfield Historic House on Alfred Street is a lovely Queenslander that was designed by architect Robin Dods in 1908.

On the grounds is Nanango's oldest surviving building, the State School which was built in 1866 and the town's original Presbyterian Church.

The Nanango Country Markets, are held on the first Saturday of every month from 6.00 am to 12 noon at the Showgrounds.

This market is one of the biggest in South East Queensland and has fresh produce, plants, arts, and crafts and second-hand treasures.  There are also plenty of tasty food, snacks and live music.