 About the area: The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills covered by pastures of many different vegetables, legumes and other crops including cotton, wheat, barley and sorghum. Between the farmlands there are long stretches of crisscrossing roads, bushy ridges, winding creeks and many herds of cattle.
The region is popular with tourists because of its many natural and heritage attractions, including the Goomburra State Forest, Cunningham's Gap, Spicer's Gap and the Queen Mary Falls near Killarney in the Main Range National Park. The Cobb & Co Museum at Toowoomba has displays of horse drawn vehicles and material on the history of the Darling Downs.
Part of the Darling Downs is the rocky district in the south known as the Granite Belt. The cool high country of the granite belt stretches south into the New England Tablelands of New South Wales. The area gains its name from the predominantly granite rocks that distinguish it and is also known for its spectacular flowers and fruit orchards.
The Granite Belt is further distinguished by its elevation, which makes it the coolest part of Queensland. This, and its relatively low rainfall, has made it attractive for viticulture. The area is a popular tourist destination, particularly as a short break destination for the peoples of Southeast Queensland/Northern New South Wales. The boom in wine tourism has been a key driver and while winter is popular, the region benefits from being a cool contrast to coastal humidity in the summer.
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Maryvale |
Mt Cordeaux |
How to Get There: by road north from Sydney via Pacific Highway to Newcastle, then the New England Highway via the New England region of New Soth Wales.
From Brisbane to Toowoomba via Ipswich Road, or to Warwick and Stanthorpe via Cunningham Highway.
Best Time To Go: The region can be visited all year around, though it can be quite cold at nights in winter. Autumn is perhaps the best time, with its display of gold foliage, maturing wines, ripening fresh produce and a variety of seasonal events.
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Natural Wonders
Natural Attractions
Waterfalls
Historic Places
- Toowoomba: Post Office (1878); Court House (1870s); Strand Theatre; St Stephens Church (1884); St Lukes (1891); St Patricks Roman Catholic Church (1889); Vacy Hall (1880s), Fernside (1870s), Tawa, Smithfield Homestead; Clifford House (1860); Cobb & Co. Museum; 'Gabbinbar'; 'Clifford House'; 'Tyson Manor'; St Matthews Church, Drayton (1887)
- Dalby: St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (1921); Thomas Jack Park; Pioneer Park Museum
- Gatton: Gatton College (1897); Gatton and District Historical Society Museum; Gormans Gap Road (The Marked Tree Line, an old wagon route since 1840s)
- Millmerran: All Saints Anglican Church, Yandilla (1880, the second-oldest church in Queensland; pioneer graveyard); Millmerran Historical Society Museum (Yandilla Station's 'Water Baby' steam launch)
- Ipswich: Ipswich Girls Grammar School (1892); St Marys Roman Catholic Church; 'Ginn Cottage' (1858); Court House (1859); Mary Tregear Hotel (c.1865); 'Claremont' (1858); St Paul's Anglican Church (1858-59); 'Gooloowan' (1862-64); former Burley Griffin-designed Incinerator (1936); 'Garowie' (1887); Ipswich Grammar School (1863)
- Stanthorpe: Post Office (1901); Stanthorpe and District Historical Society Museum (includes a shearer's hut (1842); the North Marylands School Residence (1891); Stanthorpe Shire Council Chambers; 'Ballandean Station' homestead (1840s)
- Wallangarra: World War II tank traps and Brisbane Line marker
- Texas: Texas Historical Museum (located in the old Police house, 1890)
- Boonah: Templin Historical Museum; Commercial Hotel
- Drayton: The Royal Bull's Head Inn (c.1847)
- Grandchester: Railway Station complex (c.1865); Grandchester Environmental Park; Scenic Rim National Park
- Helidon: former Bank of NSW
- Hodgson Creek: 'Eton Vale' homestead ruins (1840-41)
- Jimbour: 'Jimbour Station' homestead (from 1874)
- Jondaryan: St Anne's Church (1859); 'Jondaryan' Woolshed
- Karara: St Augustine's Church of England, Leyburn (24 km north, 1871)
- Rosewood: 'Glendalough' (1910); St Brigid's Roman Catholic Church (1910)
- Westbrook: 'Westbrook' homestead (8 km west, c.1867)
- Yangan: Yangan Masonic Temple (1913)
Misc. Attractions
- Toowoomba: Redwood Park; Jubilee Park; Queens Park; Botanical Gardens; Leegray Azalea Nursery; Webb Park; Cawdor Area Aboriginal ceremonial ground stone arrangements
- Gatton: Rocky Sceub Creek Aboriginal rock shelter and engravings
- Inglewood: Coolmunda Dam (20 km east)
- Clifton: Steele Rudd memorial, it was at the hamlet of Nobby that the famous short story writer Steele Rudd lived from 1909-1917. Rudd was the author of 'On Our Selection' and the creator of the famous 'Dad and Dave' characters.
- Stanthorpe: orchards, vineyards and wineries; gem fossicking (for smokey quartz, topaz, zircon, garnet and the occasional sapphires, mostly around Spring Creek, Severnlea River and Quart Pot Creek. Permit required); Girraween National Park Aboriginal sites (stone axe and grinding stone quarries, bora ring)
- Wallangarra: the border tree, marked by Surveyor Roberts in 1865 to indicate the state border
Wine regions
Journeys
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