A town administered by the local government area of Gympie Region in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Kilkivan is situated 224 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, 111 kilometres southwest of Maryborough, 50.5 kilometres west of Gympie and 42.2 kilometres east of Murgon. Prior to European settlement in the 1840s, the area was inhabited by the Gubbi Gubbi tribe of Australian Aborigines. It was named after the Kilkivan pastoral land owned by John Daniel MacTaggart, which he in turn named after his father’s farm in Kintyre, Scotland. The first gold discovery in Queensland occurred in Kilkivan in 1852, which caused a gold rush in the 1860s. Soon, Kilkivan became a town that was supported by a mix of mining, timber-getting and farming i...
A town administered by the local government area of Gympie Region in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Kilkivan is situated 224 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, 111 kilometres southwest of Maryborough, 50.5 kilometres west of Gympie and 42.2 kilometres east of Murgon. Prior to European settlement in the 1840s, the area was inhabited by the Gubbi Gubbi tribe of Australian
A town administered by the local government area of Gympie Region in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Kilkivan is situated 224 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, 111 kilometres southwest of Maryborough, 50.5 kilometres west of Gympie and 42.2 kilometres east of Murgon. Prior to European settlement in the 1840s, the area was inhabited by the Gubbi Gubbi tribe of Australian Aborigines. It was named after the Kilkivan pastoral land owned by John Daniel MacTaggart, which he in turn named after his father’s farm in Kintyre, Scotland. The first gold discovery in Queensland occurred in Kilkivan in 1852, which caused a gold rush in the 1860s. Soon, Kilkivan became a town that was supported by a mix of mining, timber-getting and farming industries.
Today, the town’s major industries include beef, dairying and forestry, with a bit of tourism due to a number of its attractions. The main street houses the tourist information centre and the Kilkivan and District Museum, where visitors can learn about the early pioneers of the region through extensive displays. The town also has parks, antique stores, restored historical buildings, a historical walk and a bed and breakfast and cafe called The Left Bank, which is the site of the town’s original bank. Because of its historical links to the old coach and stock routes, Kilkivan is among the handful of towns included in the Bicentennial National Trail.