South Burnett Tourism > Towns > Proston and Lake Boondooma
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Proston and Lake Boondooma: The Wild West
Where is Proston and Lake Boondooma?
Proston is located approximately 260 kilometres north-west of Brisbane at the southern end of Wondai Shire.

It can be reached by:
  • taking the Proston turn-off located on the Bunya Highway 3km north of Wondai and then following the road through Hivesville, or
  • by taking the Durong-Chinchilla turnoff located 10km south of Wondai near Tingoora (also on the Bunya Highway) and following the signs.

Lake Boondooma is located approximately 15km further south of Proston township on a clearly signposted road.

 

How big are Proston and Lake Boondooma?
Proston is a small country town and has a permanent population of around 500 residents.

Other localities in the area include Durong (approximately 200 residents in the district with a school, general store, petrol outlet and bowling club in Durong village) and Boondooma (around 100 residents in the district).

Lake Boondooma itself has no resident population but the Lake Boondooma Tourist Park has permanent on-site managers and the Lake's population can swell to several thousand during holiday periods as campers and caravanners converge on the area.

 

What is Proston like?
Proston is a small, friendly country town that - until recent times - was a victim of rural decline.

It was founded in 1910 by English settlers and quickly prospered as the centre of a vigorous dairying and beef area. The town was connected to Murgon by rail in 1923 and the construction of a Butter Factory in 1934 led to even more growth . But the closure of the railway line and Butter Factory in the 1970s threw the area into a long period of slow decline.

The recent development of Lake Boondooma, however, has revived the town's fortunes (it's the closest town to the Lake) and Proston is steadily undergoing beautification by Wondai Shire Council.

The area around Proston is hilly grassland grazing country, most of it cleared from the original brigalow scrub that once covered the immediate vicinity. The hilliness of the terrain provides striking panoramic views of the area at several points along the main road.

Proston has a hotel, convenience store, cafe, post office and police, ambulance and fire brigade services. It also has tennis, golf and bowling clubs, a swimming pool and library. Attractions in the township include the bizarre Sidcup Castle and "This & That" Museum. The historic Boondooma Homestead complex is located relatively close by. The town's major annual event is the Proston Show and Campdraft, held over three days each March.

 

What is Lake Boondooma like?
Lake Boondooma is a 1900 hectare inland lake created in the 1980s when Boondooma Dam was built across the Boyne River to supply the needs of the Tarong Power Station 97km to the south.

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 Barambah, north of Murgon).

Lake Boondooma was originally controlled by SunWater, but management rights for the Dam's camping and recreational facilities were transferred to Wondai Shire Council in March 2001. In December 2001 the Council unveiled the new Lake Boondooma Tourist Park on the foreshores of the lake.

This $1 million-plus development now offers inexpensive but first rate caravan, camping, bunkhouse and cabin accommodation on the Lake's foreshores along with tennis courts, modern amenities blocks, a central kiosk and extensive landscaped picnic and BBQ areas.

The striking new Park has quickly become a popular destination for inland waterway enthusiasts and an annual Boondooma Fishing Competition (held each February) and a Freshwater Catch & Release Tournament (held each November) draw competitors from right across south-east Queensland.

Manar Tourist Park - located on the Boyne River not far from Lake Boondooma - is another very popular destination for visitors, offering a wide range of on-site camping facilities as well as special "adventure tracks" for 4WD enthusiasts.

 

Useful Proston and Lake Boondooma links

Fishing at Lake Boondooma

Above: Lake Boondooma is a very popular spot with fishermen and is regularly stocked with fingerlings to ensure great catches all year round. On-site accommodation is inexpensive and first-rate.

 
Picnic near Proston

Above: The pretty countryside around Proston offers many opportunities for picnics. There are also wonderful panoramic views at many points along the road into the town.

 
Boondooma Dam Lookout

Above: The Boondooma Dam Lookout provides sweeping views of Lake Boondooma and the area beyond. Lake Boondooma is one of the two great lakes of the South Burnett (photo courtesy of SunWater).

Discover the Magic of the South Burnett

Wine and Food, Great Lakes, Bunya Mounains... Discover The Wonderful Towns Of The South Burnett
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Get more information from any of our South Burnett Visitor Information Centres:

NANANGO (07) 4171-0100  ·  KINGAROY (07) 4162-6272  ·  WONDAI (07) 4168-5652  ·  MURGON (07) 4168-3864

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