southburnett.com.au - What's On In The South Burnett

Australia Day

Today is Australia Day, a national public holiday (which will be taken tomorrow because Australia Day falls on a Sunday this year). Australia Day marks the date in 1788 when Captain Arthur Philip raised the British flag at Port Jackson near the present-day site of Sydney and became Governor of the new British colony of New South Wales. Australia Day used to be called Foundation Day until the name was changed in 1946, but since then it's grown to become one of our key national celebrations. It's also traditionally the day when our nation hands out Australia Day Awards to outstanding citizens who've made significant contributions to the country and/or their communities. Here's your guide to what's happening around our region today:

Australia Day Breakfast - Nanango

The Nanango Tourism and Development Association, the South Burnett Regional Council and the Nanango Show Society will be jointly hosting a free Australia Day Community Breakfast at the Nanango Showgrounds in Cairns Street from 7:00am this morning, followed by a morning of fun entertainment and treats for kids. A flag raising ceremony and the presentation of Australia Day award winners from the Nanango area will be held at around 9:00am (compered by Cr Roz Frohloff) and there will also be bush poets, the traditional dog high jumps, a tug-o-war, an Aussie singalong with the Screaming Banshgees and a great morning tea of damper and golden syrup at around 10:30am, followed by watermelon until noon. Coffee, tea and cold drinks will be available all morning, too, and everyone is welcome!

Australia Day At Boondooma Homestead

Historic Boondooma Homestead on the Durong-Mundubbera Road at Boondooma will be hosting an Australia Day celebration from 5:00pm this evening. Activities will kick off with a flag-raising ceremony and this will be followed by a BBQ dinner. A bus will be running from Murgon on the day (picking up at Wondai, Hivesville and Proston) but you'll need to pre-book a seat by phoning the Proston Country Bus Service on (07) 4168-9296, who'll advise you of the timetable.

Australia Day Breakfast - Blackbutt

The Blackbutt Avocado Festival committee, Blackbutt Benarkin Heritage and Tourism Association, Blackbutt Benarkin Aged Care, Taromeo Rural Fire Brigade and the South Burnett Regional Council will be jointly hosting the Timbertowns' Australia Day celebrations at the Blackbutt Memorial Hall in Bowman Road from 8:00am to around 11:00am this morning. Activities will kick off with a free sausage sizzle from 8:00am to 10:00am (or until the food runs out) followed by a range of free family activities including a jumping castle; best dressed hat competition; gumboot, rolling pin and avocado tossing competitions for heaps of prizes, plus live music. Everyone is welcome!

Australia Day Breakfast - Wondai

A free Australia Day Community Breakfast will be held at the Wondai Town Hall in Mackenzie Street, Wondai from 7:00am to 9:00am this morning. Apart from a great brekkie prepared by the Wondai Lions Club there'll also be live entertainment from the Wondai Town & District Band, an Australia Day Affirmation Ceremony and a Flag Raising Ceremony.

Australia Day At The Dairy Museum - Murgon

Murgon will be celebrating Australia Day with a community breakfast and family fun morning at the Queensland Dairy & Heritage Museum in Gesslers Road, Murgon. The BBQ breakfast will be held from 7:00am to 8:00am, and this will be followed by a recognition of Murgon's Australia Day Award winners at 8:30am, then by live musical entertainment, a Flag Raising Ceremony and a great morning tea to round things out. Everyone is welcome! More details? Contact the Museum on (07) 4169-5001.

Australia Day Afternoon Tea - Proston

The Proston Scouts will be hosting a free Australia Day afternoon tea with tea, coffee, damper and lamingtons at the troop's den in Rodney Street, Proston from 2:00pm to around 4:00pm today. Cold drinks will be on sale, too, and there'll also be a family friendly cricket game along with a sign on for Scouts membership. Everyone is welcome!

Australia Day Community Breakfast - Hivesville

Hivesville will be celebrating Australia Day with a community BBQ breakfast at Anzac Park (opposite the Hivesville Hotel). The breakfast is being hosted by the Hivesville Progress Association and will get underway around 7:00am.

Australia Day Celebrations - Kingaroy

Kingaroy's Australia's Day celebrations will be held at the Kingaroy Showgrounds in Youngman Street this morning, kicking off with a free sausage sizzle prepared by the Kingaroy Lions at 7:00am, along with scones and damper from Kingaroy Quota and the QCWA. This will be followed with a range of family fun activities including face painting and a jumping castle for children; bush poetry; and a Cooee Competition. At 9:00am, a Flag Raising Ceremony will be performed by the 135 Army Cadet unit, and this will be followed by a citizenship ceremony, an affirmation and the National Anthem along with performances from Julee-Anne Bell and other musical entertainment. The announcement of Kingaroy's Australia Day Award winners will be followed by the traditional pie and lamington eating competitions, along with an all new thong throwing competition, finishing with a multi raffle draw at about 10:50am. During the morning guests will also be able to see some of the speedway cars which will be racing in the Kings Royal Australia Day Weekend races. Everyone is welcome!

Australia Day Sausage Sizzle - Kumbia

Kumbia will be celebrating Australia Day with a sausage sizzle at Kumbia Hall in Bell Street from 5:00pm this afternoon (featuring Lenihan's sausages, the best in the region) along with free family-friendly activities including a jumping castle. Everyone is welcome!

South Burnett Speedway - Kingaroy

The third day of the three-day Kings Royal, the biggest annual event on the South Burnett Speedway calendar, will be held at Kingaroy Showgrounds tonight. Racing will get underway at 4:00pm and this year a bumper field of top drivers have nominated. Tonight's program will feature the finals of the IBRP Kings Royal Modified Sedans, along with heats and finals of Junior Sedans and heats and finals for the womens-only Queens Royal event. Admission is $25 for adults, $15 for students (with ID) and aged or disability pensioners and $65 for a family of two adults and up to three students (children 12 and under are free). Three day passes are also available at discounted rates, and there'll be canteen facilities operating onsite and camping available, too. The full event program can be downloaded here (5.3Mb PDF)

Australia Day BBQ - Maidenwell

The Maidenwell Hotel on the Kingaroy-Cooyar Road at Maidenwell will be hosting an Australia Day BBQ from noon today featuring hot food, cold beer and lots of games and prizes. Everyone is welcome! More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4164-6133.

Australia Day Family Fun Day - Yarraman

The Royal Hotel on the D'Aguilar Highway at Yarraman will be hosting a Family Fun Day from 11:00am to around 4:00pm to celebrate Australia Day. There'll be a jumping castle, face painting and lots of fun events including a Mullet Competition, a Muscle Man Challenge and an Iron Woman Challenge, along with a Yarraman RSL sausage sizzle and heaps of great prizes to be won. Admission is free - just pay as you go - and everyone is welcome! More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4163-8219.

Australia Day At The Cooyar Hotel

The Cooyar Hotel on the New England Highway in Cooyar will be celebrating Australia Day from 3:00pm until late this evening with fun games and music. During the afternoon guests can take part in thong tossing and a tug-o-war, or enjoy the thrills and spills of cane toad races and yabby races while children amuse themselves on a jumping castle. The hotel's Outback Bar will fire up the barbecues at 6:00pm for a dinki-di Aussie dinner, and Ripcord will take to the stage at 6:30pm to deliver live music until late. There's also free camping nearby if you want to stay over. Everyone is welcome! More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4692-6185.

Australia Day At The Palace - Nanango

The Palace Hotel and Kitchen in Drayton Street, Nanango will be holding an Australia Day Fun Day with a "Builders, Bogans & Shazzas" theme from noon until late today. The get-together is a fundraiser for firies and will feature a jumping castle for children, a BBQ lunch and snacks, live music from Matt Schlam and lots of games and activities. Everyone's welcome and there's no admission fee - just pay as you go. More details? Phone Beau at the hotel on (07) 4163-1287.

Australia Day At The Fitzroy - Nanango

The Fitzroy Hotel in Fitzroy Street, Nanango will be celebrating Australia Day with a range of fun, dinki-di activities including a "Best Mullet" competition; "Best Dress" competition; plus pie-eating, thong throwing and toad races. There'll also be a mechanical bucking bull on the premises; a jumping castle, face painting and fairy floss for children; live music from Amber Goldsmith; a sausage sizzle fundraiser for the South Nanango Rural Fire Brigade; plus Australia Day food and snacks available as well. Doors open at 10:00am and the fun will continue until late. More details? Phone to hotel on (07) 4163-1506.

Australia Day At The Golden Spurs - Proston

The Golden Spurs Hotel at the corner of Blake and Rodney Streets in Proston will be celebrating Australia Day with live music from Full Sircle between 12:00 noon and 4:00pm, followed by the South Burnett's most popular Indigenous band Muddy Flats from 5:00pm until late. There'll also be a BBQ running, fun Australia Day activities and lots of cold beer. A free bus will also be running from the Lake Boondooma Tourist Park, and you can book a seat on it by phoning (07) 4168-9069.

Australia Day At The Com.Pub - Kingaroy

The Commercial Hotel at the corner of Glendon and Haly Streets in Kingaroy will be marking Australia Day with an Aussie style long lunch - a running buffet with a choice of tasty salads and mouth watering faves from the grill - that will start around 11:00am and run until around 3:00pm in the covered beer garden. You can book a table to be sure of a seat by phoning the hotel on (07) 4162-1380.

Australia Day At The Carrollee - Kingaroy

The Carrollee Hotel in King Street, Kingaroy will be celebrating Australia Day in the beer garden from noon today with live music from popular local duo Tucker & Chop; children's face painting from 11:30am to 1:00pm; children's green and gold hair braiding from noon to 2:00pm; and pie and Vegemite eating contests from 2:00pm to 2:45pm. There'll also be a jumping castle for children running from noon to 3:00pm. Everyone is welcome and there's no admission. More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4162-1055.

Bunya Mountains Markets

The monthly Bunya Mountains Markets will be running at Dandabah in the Bunya Mountains today. The markets feature up to 30 stands selling quality, locally-produced fresh produce, arts and crafts and they'll be operating from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Local cafes like Poppies On The Hill and The Bunya Mountains Cafe will be offering special Market Day menus and morning teas, lunches and afternoon teas, and walking trail maps will be available from both cafes, the Bunya Mountains General Store and market stalls if you'd like to take a walk through the adjoining National Park. More details? Phone (07) 4668-3126.

Kumbia Museum

The Kumbia and District Historical Society's museum, located in the Federation Heritage Centre behind Kumbia Hall in Bell Street, will be open from 1:30pm to 3:30pm this afternoon. The museum contains an excellent photographic display of local history and is well worth a visit. More details? Phone Josie on (07) 4164-4384 or Gayle on (07) 4164-4175.

Australia Day At The Grand - Wooroolin

The Grand Hotel at Wooroolin will be holding an Australia Day BBQ Dinner from 5:30pm until late this evening. For $45 per head, you can have your choice of T-bone, rump or rib steak plus 6 king prawns; $30 per head for a grilled chicken breast; $25 per head for two grilled sausages or a steak burger; or $5 per head for a kids-size sausage or rissole along with all-you-can eat garden salad, Caesar salad, coleslaw, onions, wedges and bread rolls, plus traditional, mango or chocolate pavlova for dessert. There'll also be live entertainment, but bookings are essential: (07) 4164-2261.

Australia Day Spit Roast - Wondai

The Wondai Hotel in Haly Street, Wondai will; be holding an Australia Day Spit Roast from noon to 2:00pm (for lunch) today, and again from 6:00pm to 8:00pm for dinner, followed by Ozzi Musik in the evening. Everyone is welcome! More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4168-5274

Australia Day Buffet - Wondai

Dimities Cottage in Haly Street, Wondai (opposite the Wondai Art Gallery) will be hosting an Australia Day Buffet Lunch from noon to 2:00pm today. For $20 per adult ($10 for children) guests at this BYO event can get to enjoy an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord, but bookings are essential if you want to be sure of a seat: (07) 4168-5744.

Hivesville Country Markets

The Hivesville Country Markets will be held at the Hivesville Sports Grounds from 7:00am to around 1:00pm today. These family friendly monthly markets are held on the 4th Sunday of every month and feature a variety of stalls including fresh local farm produce, plants, crafts and lots of food. There'll also be mini auctions running throughout the morning and there's plenty of free parking in the grounds. New stallholders are very welcome too, and you can obtain more details by phoning 0474-491-698.

Australia Day With Clowry - Murgon

The Royal Hotel at the corner of Lamb and Gore Streets, Murgon will be celebrating Australia Day with entertainment by popular local performer Clowry Kennell from noon today, along with toad races. More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4168-1799.

Prawn On The Lawn - Moffatdale

Dusty Hill at Waterview Drive in Moffatdale will be celebrating Australia Day with Prawn On The Lawn from 4:00pm until midnight tonight. Dusty Hill close for picking and vintage every February, and Australia Day will be its last trading day until February 28. Prawn On The Lawn will feature fresh King Prawns from Stradbroke Island, live music from several bands and an all-you-can-eat buffet of King Prawns, sauces, Goomeri Bakery breads, canapes and sliders from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Tickets - which include free overnight camping - are $87.41 per head and can be booked online through EventBrite

Australia Day Long Weekend - Kilkivan

The Kilkivan Bush Camping and Caravan Park at 577 Rossmore Road in Kilkivan will be hosting the third day of their Australia Day Weekend today, kicking off with an Aussie Olympics featuring traditional Aussie sports like thong tossing, and will also include a colour run. This will be followed by a pool party featuring a giant slide and then a sausage sizzle lunch. This evening, the Red Betty Band will be performing until late. The long weekend runs from January 24-27 and you can find out more (and book in) by phoning the park on (07) 5484-1340.

Australia Day BBQ Lunch - Wondai

The Cecil Hotel in Mackenzie Street, Wondai will be marking Australia Day with a BBQ lunch from noon today, along with raffles to help raise money for the firies. Everyone is welcome. More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4168-5460.