April 1, 2026
The Bjelke-Petersen family hosted the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s March meet’n’greet at possibly the best-known property in the Kingaroy area, ‘Bethany’.
The working cattle property is a part of Queensland’s history, with its links to the late Sir Joh and Lady Bjelke-Petersen.
However, it also a popular accommodation venue in its own right and has its own function centre, “The Old Hangar”.
The family’s historic five-bedroom homestead can be booked, as well as a Studio apartment and the four free-standing Bethany Cottages, sited on a ridge overlooking a view of Kingaroy.
In April 2024, the family re-opened an old aircraft hangar on the property as a wedding area.
This building dates back to when Sir Joh and his sister Agnete were running a crop-dusting business from the family’s airstrip.
Rachel Bjelke-Petersen said she and her husband Christian (Sir Joh’s grandson) had developed The Old Hangar as part of a vision to share a part of the heritage and history of ‘Bethany’ with the community.
Their children are now the fifth generation of Bjelke-Petersens to call ‘Bethany’ home.
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A second guest speaker on the night was Bec Cross, from Bunya Beef Grazing, whose family have been farming in the South Burnett for even longer than the Bjelke-Petersens.
She started selling beef packs to customers in 2020 after recognising the demand from customers to buy direct from the farm.
Bunya Beef Grazing now delivers to more than 40 locations across south-east Queensland, selling 10kg and 20kg vacuum-sealed mixed beef packs.
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Other Topics
- The KCCI will be hosting a Golf Day at the Kingaroy Golf Club on July 26 to raise money for the SMILE program which is tackling mental health issues in local businesses.
- Gus Napier, from the South Burnett Support Alliance which co-ordinates the free Wednesday night meals at the Kingaroy Salvation Army Hall, said the group was now supplying 120 take-away meals every week plus 50 eat-in meals. He said there was a “deep need” for people to step up to volunteer with the group.
- The next KCCI meet’n’greet will be hosted by Tarong West windfarm developers RES 0n May 5 (venue TBA).
