BOONAH

Boonah is a rural town located about 50km from Ipswich, 85 km from Warwick and 90 km from Brisbane by road. The town is placed in the scenic Fassifern Valley which is surrounded by hills. Boonah is the commercial centre for surrounding towns since it is the largest urban area in the district. The west and south are populated by Cunninghams Gap and mountain ranges. The area was called a 'beautiful vale' by explorers in the 19th century and has also been called 'Switzerland without the snow'.

Boonah was first referred to as Blumbegrville which was named after stores opened by the Blumberg brothers in 1882, as well as Dugandan. The name was later changed to Boonah when the railway station was opened in 1887. The name is thought to be taken from an Aboriginal word which describes a brigalow-type acacia or the bloodwood tree.

Boonah was formed in 1844 near the boundary that separated the two pastoral runs of Coochin Coochin and Dugandan. The 1870s brought about closer-settlement farm selections in the Boonah area. Templin, a German settlement, is a prominant example. It is located about 3 km north-west of Boonah and is now a historical village that is preserved by the Fassifern District Historical Society.

The importance of Boonah to the region and state really began to show by the late 1880s. Three churches were established and the offices of the Goolman local government were moved to Boonah from Flinders. 1887 brought the railway line to Ipswich and the name of Boonah. By 1900 (the year of federation), there was a hospital in Boonah, two more churches and a Salvation Army chapel. 1901 marked the opening of the Fassifern Butter Factory which ran until 1974. The land use in the area has changed throughout the years. Starting out with the clearing of scrub for maize crops, then pigs and dairy cows which were later replaced by irrigated potatoes and other horticulture. Fodder was also a major crop, especially during the dairy period.

The Teviot picture theatre (opened in 1941) is incorporated into the cultural centre development and was named after the Teviot Brook, which Boonah is on. A Catholic primary school was opened in 1957 following a steady increase of Boonah's population up until the 1960s. The secondary department that was added to the State Primary School in 1878 was later replaced by a new State High School in 1965.

1893 marked the opening of a school of arts and a larger, second one was opened in 1912. In 1984 the school of arts was redeveloped into a library and cultural centre with the incorporation of RSL land. The town of Boonah also has the following facilities/businesses:

- Public swimming pool
- Golf course
- Retirement village
- Bowls club
- Three hotels
- Sports centre
- Council art gallery
- Showground (houses the Boonah Show which was first held by the Fassifern and Duganden Pastoral Association back in 1898).
- Supermarket
- Mitre 10 hardware
- Real estate agent
- Professional services

Boonah is surrounded by beautiful lakes and rugged mountains which are perfect for horse riding, scenic drives, mountaineering, bushwalking gliding, sky diving and water sports. The area is host to many great picnic spots, country accommodation, camping areas and several National Parks. At only an hour's drive from Brisbane and 90 min drive from the Gold Coast it is a perfect country escape for wanting a break from city life.