South Burnett and Wide Bay West

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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