Murgon is
a mid-sized township and has a permanent population of around
2600
residents. A further 1900 residents are spread throughout the Shire.
Murgon is also the most ethnically diverse town in the South Burnett (the
aboriginal community of
Cherbourg is located less than 6km away).
The Bjelke-Petersen Dam and Lake Barambah have no resident
population. But the Yallakool Tourist Park has permanent on-site managers
and the Dam's population can swell to several thousand during holiday periods
as campers and caravanners converge on the area.
Photo: The wine areas of Moffatdale and Redgate are
home to some of Queensland's largest vineyards as well as many picturesque
B&B's and farmstays. Several of these overlook Lake Barambah (photo
courtesy of Clive Lowe).
Murgon
is a very relaxed, friendly country town that has all the amenities of a
much larger centre.
It has its own hotels, motel, caravan park, restaurants and cafes as well
as a golf club, bowling club and RSL (the latter completely refurbished in
late 2001 at a cost of $2.2 million). It also has a supermarket and convenience
stores, many retail and craft outlets, a
24-hour petrol station and
many garages, a heated swimming pool and
The Pulse, a very large
conference, convention and sporting centre.
Murgon's CBD - which has undergone extensive beautification in recent years
- is also the location of the Murgon Visitor Information Centre (the
Centre provides easy off-street parking and amenities for tourists).
The nearby winery areas of Redgate and Moffatdale are home
to a numerous commercial wineries and a number of modern B&Bs and farmstays.
The area around Murgon is largely rolling grassland grazing country interspersed
with small stands of eucalypt forests. The terrain is slightly hilly and
this affords good views from nearby Jack Smith Environmental Park
and Boat Mountain Conservation Park, both a short drive from the town
centre.
Major annual events include the Murgon Show (held in March each year),
the
Shakin' Grape Wine
Festival (held each October) and the Christmas Carnival (each
December).
Photo: The Boat Mountain Environmental Park offers great views
over the area. It also has family-oriented bush trails which provide a glimpse
into the area's original ecology (photo courtesy of Clive Lowe).
Lake Barambah
is a
2150+ hectare inland lake (the 18th largest in Queensland) and
was created in the early 1980s when the Bjelke-Petersen Dam was built across
Barkers Creek to supply water to the upper areas of the South Burnett.
It offers world-class
water-skiing,
boating,
fishing and
water sports facilities and is one of the two great lakes of the South
Burnett (the other is Lake Boondooma, 65km west of Murgon via Proston).
The Bjelke-Petersen Dam and Lake Barambah were originally controlled by SunWater
but management rights for the for the Dam's camping and recreational facilities
were transferred to Murgon Shire Council in the 1990s. The Council now operates
the modern
Yallakool Tourist Park
on the foreshores of the lake.
This multi-million development provides inexpensive, high quality
caravan, camping, bunkhouse and cabin accommodation
on the Lake's foreshores along with tennis courts, a children's playground,
inground swimming pool, modern amenities blocks, a central kiosk, extensive
landscaped picnic and BBQ areas; and numerous boat ramps.
Yallakool has become a popular destination for inland waterway enthusiasts
and major annual events staged there include the Yamaha Bass Pro
Challenge (held each February), the Australian Water Ski
Championships (also each February), the Yallakool Monster Easter
Markets (every Easter), the Bjelke-Petersen Dam Fishing Classic
(every October) and the Golden Lure Competition (each November).
Photo: Boating is very popular on Lake Barambah, and the dam has
many easily-accessible boat ramps. Fishing and boating supplies can be obtained
there too (photo courtesy of Clive Lowe).
Murgon is located approximately 260km north-west
of Brisbane; 91km south-west of Gympie; and 151km south-west
of Maryborough.