KILLARNEY

Most would guess that Killarney is named due to Irish heritage which is true. Killarney is about 35 km from Warwick, 115 km from Toowoomba, 125 km from Ipswich and 160 km from Brisbane by road. It is also only about 8 km from the Queensland/New South Wales state border. The town is known for it's natural beauty and close proximity to Main Range National Park which is home to the stunning Queen Mary Falls.

The exact history of the name is unkown. However it is known that there was a Killarney Station which was an outstation for the Canning Downs pastoral run. This was located about 8 km down the Condamine River from where the town is presently located. The scenery is also thought to be similar to that of Killarney, Ireland.

While part of Canning Downs which was established in 1840 by the Leslie brothers, forestry and primary production were the foundation for the development of the town. Cedar cutting was the first major industry of Killarney and began in the 1850s. By 1867/1868 Killarney Inn was established. In 1878 the South Killarney town site was first surveyed. However the town was already host to a number of shops and services by this stage. These included a police station, general store, school and a blacksmith. Many of the early Queensland settlers chose land in Killarney to settle, as far back as 1863. In the decade of the 1880s Killarney was stated as "one of the most flourishing towns in Southern Queensland".

There was a reason that the 1880s led people to describe the town as flourishing. It was this decade that welcomed the opening of a Presbyterian and Anglican church, Queensland National Bank branch, school of arts and in 1885 the most important addition to the town - the railway line. The railway line was built to the north side of the river. Due to the north side location, businesses began to migrate away from the south side town location and towards the railway station. The railway line lasted until 1964 before it was closed.

The 1930s, 1940s and 1950s continued to see growth and success for the town with the opening of a swimming pool, medical practices and bush nursing hospitals along with a memorial hospital. However 1968 brought about a devastating setback for the town in the form of a violent tornado. This resulted in the destruction of many crucial buildings including the old municipal powerhouse. Many buildings did survive though including the Co-op building, butter factory, MacKenzie's Emporium (which is now St. Vincent de Paul), the former Commercial Bank, the Post Office and the Killarney Hotel. The former National bank building also survived the tornado but the building was moved to a Brisbane suburb in 1977. The foundation stone of the bank vault can still be seen on the vacant block of the bank's original location today.

The Killarney Co-operative is home to many of the town's businesses. It is part operated from the original Milward's General Store. The co-op was established in 1913 under the name of Killarney Dairy Company and the Co-operative was then later formed in 1922. It still remains owned by the community today. As of 2008, the Co-operative was host to shoes, gifts, electrical, banking, agricultural supplies, gardening, delicatessen, a supermarket and coffee shop.

Willow Street is host to several key building of the town including the Killarney Post Office which was built in 1905. The School of Arts (today the CWA building) was built in 1888 and is on stilts over Gravel Creek which tells the story of how tight the town was for room in the main street. The Killarney Hotel on Willow Street is the third hotel on this site.

Agriculture, transport and recently tourism make up the major parts of the local economy. Killarney attracts many visitors to town through the natural of the area including the five waterfalls that surround the town. The waterfalls are Teviout Falls, Queen Mary Falls, Dagg's Falls, Brown's Falls and Upper Brown's Falls. During wet periods there are also another two waterfalls which are Black Fella Falls and Jack Brunton's Falls. These can be seen gushing down the cliffs that surround Killarney at the bottom of the Cambanoora Gorge. The annual agricultural show, many horse related events, rodeos and the annual Killarney Country Music Festival also attracts many visitors as well as the annual Border Ranges Trail Ride.