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South Burnett and Wide Bay West

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The South Burnett area of our Darling Downs South West region starts from Cooyar in the south up to Goomeri in the north, west to Kumbia and east to Nanango. We’ve compiled some information below to help you decide where you might like to teach in this part of the region.​

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Murgon​

Tranquil bushland, clear starry nights, a relaxed pace and friendly community. This is what you’ll find in the historic town of Murgon. This beautiful part of Queensland has all the amenities of a much larger town, including restaurants, cafes, golf club, bowling club, supermarkets, retail and craft outlets and a heated swimming pool. Murgon is perfectly positioned within driving distance of Boat Mountain Conservation Park, Lake Barambah and Lake Boodoomba. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy on weekends and school holidays such as camping, caravanning, water skiing, boating, fishing and water sports, bush walking and bird watching and scenic drives through rolling grazing country, interspersed with the eucalypt forests that you’ll find in the local area.

There are 2 schools in Murgon, in addition to other schools in proximity. Murgon State School supports students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Staff are empowered and invested, parents and the community are valued and informed, and students feel supported through their learning journey. The school places a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills and learning and wellbeing, using ongoing comprehensive assessment to identify, target, monitor and improve student performance as well as curriculum and teaching.

Murgon State High School​ is set on an attractively landscaped property which includes a 42-hectare farm. Staff are passionate about supporting students in finding an appropriate educational pathway, whether that is through higher education, vocational training or straight into employment. The school boasts 3 scientific laboratories, an industry standard Trade Training Centre, 4 computer laboratories, electronic music studio and practice room, 7 modern general teaching rooms, fully renovated arts space and well-resourced library. All areas of the school are equipped with the latest teaching technology, including broadband wireless technology.


Murgon ​fun fact

The median strip in the main street is named in honour of Flo Bjelke-Petersen, famous for her pumpkin scone recipe (and wife of a former state premier).

Kingaroy

If you’re looking for the peace and quiet of the countryside, within a couple hours’ drive of the Sunshine Coast, look no further than Kingaroy. Surrounded by vivid red soil farmlands and low rolling hills, Kingaroy is the largest town in the South Burnett which means it can provide you with all the services and shopping facilities that you need, including supermarkets and convenience stores, restaurants, fast food outlets, petrol stations and much more. Its vibrant sporting, cultural and social life will have you feeling at home with an art gallery, craft outlets, golf club, parklands, lookouts, live entertainment, down-to-earth locals and much, much more. It’s within easy reach of vineyards, a lavender farm and the picture-perfect views of the Bunya Mountains.

There are plenty of opportunities for teachers in Kingaroy, with Kingaroy State School and Kingaroy State High School​ located in Kingaroy CBD and 10 others within driving distance.

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 Kingaroy photo gallery

Nanango

Nanango is a moderately large country town located approximately a 2 and a half hours’ drive from both Noosa and the Brisbane CBD. If you enjoy an active lifestyle, it is a great place to take the next step of your teaching career. The town has several museums, an art gallery, craft outlets, live entertainment venues, a range of sporting facilities (including active bike, darts, golf, bowling and archery clubs and a racetrack), 13 well-maintained parklands and is home to several annual events. It’s also within driving distance from the picturesque views of the Bunya Mountains, Coomba Falls, lavender farms, vineyards and more. As the second-largest town in the South Burnett, you’ll also find the modern conveniences you need to feel at home in Nanango. 

There are 2 local schools in Nanango, Nanango State School and Nanango State High School, with 8 other schools ‘just down the road’.


Nanango fun fact

The impressive chainsaw sculptures and murals in the CBD reflect the town’s connections with mining, farming and timber-felling.

 Nanango photo gallery

Proston

The small, friendly country town of Proston is situated approximately 60km from Kingaroy and 2 and a half hours inland of the Sunshine Coast. Take a drive around the local area and you’ll find striking panoramic views of the hilly grassland grazing country. The nearby Lake Boondooma is popular with local anglers, campers, bird-watchers and water-sports enthusiasts all year round. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to start or take the next step in your teaching career, add Proston to your list.

The local school, Proston State School, supports students from Prep to Year 10 who live in town as well as surrounding farming and grazing areas. The school keeps their swimming pool, tennis courts, netball courts, exercise and play equipment, and ovals neat and well-presented. Students have access to desktop and laptop computers allowing you to integrate ICT into your classroom. As a teacher at the school, there are a range of opportunities for you to engage with students through camps, sporting and athletic events and activities, the Kitchen Garden Project (primary-aged students) and the Rural Studies Program (secondary students).

 Proston photo gallery

Goomeri

Goomeri is an inviting country town surrounded by beef cattle and dairy farms, located 3 hours from Brisbane. It has a relaxed atmosphere and friendly locals who enjoy warm summers and cool winters. Many of its buildings were built in the 1920s and some are preserved as living museums, giving the town all the charm of that bygone era. Goomeri has a range of cafes, restaurants, grocery shops, petrol stations, golf and bowling clubs, a swimming pool and newsagency as well as 2 pretty parks. Only an hour and a half away from Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay and Inskip—gateway to K’gari (formerly Fraser Island), there is much to see and do when you teach in Goomeri.

Goomeri State School is a Prep to Year 10 school that is committed to academic excellence. This is evident by the targets and expectations placed on students individually and as a whole class. All students have individually negotiated literacy, numeracy, SOSE and science targets to achieve each year. Each class has more detailed targets. They do this through small class sizes, specialist science, technology and language teachers, modern technology, excellent resources and facilities, and a range of projects, camps, class excursions and community partnerships.


Goomeri fun fact

Goomeri is home to the Pumpkin Festival, which draws tens of thousands of people from across south-east Queensland and is the only one of its kind in Australia. It started in the 1990s during a drought when the locals were looking for ways to improve the town’s morale and economy. The festival is the fruit (or should that be vegetable?) of the town’s labour to achieve this and both the festival and the pumpkins have grown ever since.
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 Goomeri photo gallery

Esk

In the heart of the Somerset region is the picture-Esk town of Esk. Stroll down the main street which is dotted with alfresco dining cafes and restaurants, gift and antique shops that have the majestic Mount Glen Rock as a backdrop. With the fresh country air and peace and quiet that you’ll find in these parts, it comes as no surprise that when you live and teach in Esk, you will get to see koalas, wallabies and many different species of birds, including rainbow parrots, black cockatoos and king parrots… often in your own backyard! To unwind after a big week, take a picnic and a good book with you to Lakeview Park which has breathtaking views of Wivenhoe Dam and beyond. Alternatively, grab your horse, hiking boots or bike and explore sections of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, a 160km long, disused rail corridor from Fernvale to Yarraman. Or head to Wivenhoe or Somerset Dam for boating, camping, water sports or fishing. The choice is yours when you teach in Esk.

Surrounded by trees, Esk State School is everything you’d expect of a rural school and is an integral part of the Esk township. Staff are strongly invested, forward focussed, dedicated professionals who work hard to maintain their own learning. They are passionate about teaching their students, are skilled at catering for diverse learners using inclusive practices and actively seek to collaborate with parents to expand opportunities and contribute directly to greater student success. If this sounds like a good fit for you, put Esk on your radar for the next step in your teaching journey.


Esk fun fact

The town was named after the River Esk, which runs from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland to the Solway Firth in England.

 Esk photo gallery

Blackbutt

At the top of the Blackbutt Range, approximately 140km north-east of Brisbane, is the country town of Blackbutt. Surrounded by tall eucalypt and hoop pine forests in the east and avocado, olive, macadamia and cattle farms in the west, it’s little wonder the town is often referred to as the Timber town. Its position means that it has a low-humidity mountain climate of cool summers and brisk winters and is a great place for folks looking for a tree-change. Locals enjoy a vibrant cultural and social lifestyle, with monthly exhibitions hosted at the art gallery by the local art group and country music socials most months of the year. They also have access to a variety of local grocery stores, medical facilities, cafes and restaurants as well as a golf club, art gallery and library. The local area is popular with bushwalkers and campers, all hoping to spot the local wildlife, while amateur and professional astronomers flock to the town for the stunning views of the stars in the night sky.

The local school, Blackbutt State School, has a highly trained team who support students from Prep to Year 6 from the surrounding area. Teachers have a routine focus on student results and over 5-week cycles, monitor individual learning progress to adjust the support for each student. The school uses a case conference approach and a solutions-focussed mindset and works collectively with parents and carers to improve each student’s outcomes.

With 3 schools in proximity to Blackbutt, there are a range of opportunities for teachers in this area.


Blackbutt fun fact

Wildflowers bloom all year around in Blackbutt.

Cherbourg

Cherbourg is a small Aboriginal community located approximately 170km north-west of Brisbane. It is located in Wakka Wakka tribal boundaries, near the border of Gubbi Gubbi territory. The town welcomes teachers to its community and has its own convenience store, hospital, TAFE campus, aged care hostel, arts and crafts centre, and community radio station. On your weekends, have a picnic or BBQ at the landscaped picnic areas that adjoin the tourist centre, which provide stunning views across nearby Lake Barambah. Alternatively, its proximity to Murgon, Wondai, Kilkivan and Goomeri provide a range of activities you can do and places you can explore in your downtime.

Cherbourg State School aims to create a ‘family-like’ atmosphere, recognising the need for parents and teachers to work together in partnership to support children’s holistic development in a mutually supportive and caring environment. This provides teachers with opportunity to get to know their students by exploring the diverse cultural practices, lifestyle choices, home languages, backgrounds and traditions of each child’s family structure and provides opportunities for families to share their knowledge and skills. The school has reverse cycle air conditioners fitted in all classrooms and many fitted with sound field systems. The school has 7 classroom blocks, a library, dining hall, tuckshop, covered games area, adventure playgrounds and purpose-built pre-prep education facility, including a large play area and yarning circle.

Cherbourg fun fact

Until 1986, the town was used as a settlement for Aboriginal people under a policy of segregation pursued by the Queensland Government of the time. Since then, Cherbourg has grown, with ventures in agriculture, beef cattle, dairying and joinery becoming successful ventures. Learn more about the town’s history on the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council’s website.

Toogoolawah

There’s something about Toogoolawah that will make you nostalgic. Perhaps it’s because for more than 100 years, residents of Toogoolawah have gathered on a Saturday night in the historic picture theatre, Alexandra Hall to see the latest blockbusters. Or maybe it’s the old railway station museum, that the town is home to the historic Nestle condensed milk packing shed or the sense of camaraderie that comes with living in a close-knit community, a throwback of days gone by. Regardless, teachers will feel right at home in Toogoolawah. This quaint Somerset community is perfectly positioned, with Kingaroy, the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich, Gatton and Toowoomba all within an hour to an hour and a half drive away.

Toogoolawah State School is an extensively well-resourced school with the latest technology innovations to support classroom learning. The school itself features beautifully maintained grounds. Its staff are committed to improving student achievement outcomes, engaging in professional development with a focus on the alignment of curriculum and assessment.

Toogoolawah State High School is passionate about providing relevant and engaging learning pathways for all students, while maintaining a strong focus on academic achievement leading to tertiary entrance or the workplace. Staff maintain high expectations of student behaviour and learning achievement and provide a breadth of offerings across maths, English, science, HPE, technology and the arts.


Somerset Dam

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Last updated 31 May 2023