Murgon - Places to See

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Murgon - Places to See

The Queensland Dairy Industry Museum
Open seven days a week (contact 07 4169 5001) it is located on the Gayndah road at the edge of Murgon. Displays include a three-bail dairy, laboratory displays and equipment used for making cheese and butter.

Cherbourg Aboriginal Community
Undoubtedly the town's highlight is the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community. Located 4.8 km from Murgon and clearly signposted, it was established in 1904 when Aborigines from 21 different groups were forced to live together, including the remnants of the decimated Aborigines of Fraser Island. Somehow, over the years, these widely differing groups have managed to work together so that now the town, with a population of 1600 and a school which has a student population of nearly 300, is a huge success.

Cherbourg's most famous son was the remarkable Harold Blair (1924-76) who, as a singer, music teacher and human rights supporter, did much to draw attention to the unfulfilled potential of many Aborigines. He established the Harold Blair Aboriginal Childrens' Project which took children from missions and reserves and provided them with holidays in Melbourne. He was widely respected both as a singer and as a fighter for the rights of Aborigines.

Cherbourg is a community of remarkable self-sufficiency with a successful dairy farm, an active town council, and, most interestingly, an Emu farm. There are conducted tours which take approximately 30-45 minutes and explain everything you need to know about emus. The great appeal of the emu is that it can be used for its skin and its feathers, its eggs can be carved, its oil can be extracted, its meat - a delicious red meat which is like beef but has less than one per cent fat - is a delicacy, and the animals are an obvious tourist attraction, contact (07) 4168 2655.

The community also produces boomerangs, spears and Aboriginal art, all of which are for sale.

Goomeri
19 km east of Murgon is the small township of Goomeri which was established in 1902 as a result of the arrival of the railway line. About 12 km out of the town are the beautiful Kinbombi Falls with a 200-step walk to the pool at the bottom. There are pleasant picnic facilities as well as barbeques and toilets.

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