Celebrate 175 Years At Nanango!

June 9, 2023

Nanango’s big year of celebrations to mark the town’s 175th birthday will come to a peak on Saturday with a day of special events scheduled at Nanango Showgrounds.

Special guest will be State Governor Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM who will be officially opening the day (see schedule, below).

There’ll be a parade, music, market stalls, amusement rides and much, much more.

The winners of the Beard Growing competition – a nod to colonial facial hair fashions – will also be announced.

Europeans first staked out pastoral holdings in the area around Nanango in the 1840s.

However, the town dates its foundation to 1848 when a colourful character, Jacob Goode, built the Burnett Inn – the first commercial building in Nanango – beside a popular crossroads and waterhole.

The township, still part of New South Wales until 1859, grew up around the pub, and it’s based on this that Nanango claims to be the fourth oldest town in Queensland.

The building, which became known as Goodes Inn, was demolished in 1911 although some relics remained on display until relatively recently at a local private museum.

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What’s Happening On Saturday

The updated official schedule of what’s going to be happening at Nanango Showgrounds:

All Day:

• Noon-5:00pm – Free King Brown damper

• Noon-5:00pm – Viv’s Animal Farm

• Noon-8:00pm – Market stalls

• Noon-8:00pm – Face painting (free from 3:00pm-7:00pm)

Special Events:

• Noon-1:30pm – Line Dancing (in the hall)

• Noon-12:45pm – Nanango Community Choir

• 1:15pm – Queensland Governor Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM arrives

• 1:45pm – Cutting of the 175th Anniversary cake

• 1:45pm-2:45pm – Salvation Army Brass Band

• 1:45pm-2:30pm – La Crème Dance Academy (in the hall)

• 2:00pm – Mustering for the parade begins

• 2:40pm – Official opening by the Governor

• 3:00pm – Parade around the showground

• 4:00pm – Winners of the parade and the Longest Beard competition announced

• 3:00pm-7:00pm – Amusement rides ($5 each)

• 3:00pm-7:00pm – Kids’ competitions

• 4:00pm-7:00pm – Live music by Greg Hunt, Jeff Joseph, Connie Sempf and Nathan Hartley

• 7:00pm – Fireworks

  Nanango