5 best museums to visit in Southern Queensland Country

There’s plenty of ways to discover the history and culture of a town, but none are as immersive as wandering through its local museum.

Take a walk down memory lane and see first hand historical farming equipment, local inventions and learn about the hardships endured by a rabbit plague or out-of-control cactus (aka the prickly pear).

Prepare to turn the pages of Southern Queensland Country’s history book with this guide.

1. Miles Historical Village Museum, Western Downs

Image: @chrissweetapplephotography

Ever wondered what it was like to live in the late 1800s?

Head to Miles Historical Village Museum and take a walk through a replica village streetscape depicting Queensland’s rural history during this era – complete with 34 buildings, including a school, a bank, and a village store.

Beyond the streetscape, the village is also dedicated to servicemen and women from Miles and the wider region who served at war with information panels and mini-stories to take you on a journey from the Boer War to the Vietnam War.

2. Texas Rabbit Works, Goondiwindi Region

Did you know the rabbit industry was bigger than mining and agriculture in Texas in the 1930s?

What was once the Riverside Freezing Works in 1928, is now one of the region’s top tourist attractions, with interactive displays sharing the history of the rabbit industry during the depression.

The recently renovated museum brings stories to life through the eyes of the local people and shares the history of this era to the next generation.

With enhanced panels for child-learning and mounted touch screens with audio handsets for adults, the museum allows the whole family to listen to stories and learn about the history at your own pace.

Don’t leave without getting your photo and Instagrammable moment in front of the painted mural wall.

3. Kingaroy Heritage Museum, South Burnett

While Kingaroy might be most famous for peanuts, the historical buildings that line the town’s streets are worth travelling for too.

Head to the Heritage Precinct to find the Kingaroy Heritage Museum along with the Visitor Information Centre and art gallery.

See exhibits of agricultural machinery invented by local peanut farmers in the early 1920s – like the bicycle-powered peanut thresher built in the 1920s.

Beyond a history lesson in peanut farming, the precinct provides a look back at the influence of architecture in the 1920s, from art deco buildings to traditional Queenslander designs.

4. Cobb+Co Museum, Toowoomba

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Cobb+Co Museum holds as much historical importance to Toowoomba, as the collection on display within its walls.

While the original museum from the early 1980s was ravaged by fire, its collection of stagecoaches were thankfully saved from ruin.

Those 47 stagecoaches are still on display today, along with a calendar of events and exhibitions from Blacksmith workshops to art and cultural displays.

5. Chinchilla Historical Museum, Western Downs

Chinchilla may have a juicy history when it comes to watermelon production, but a visit to the Chinchilla Historical Museum will reveal its heritage and history dating back to the Jurassic era.

From prehistoric fossil woods to the Green Plague, learn more about the town as you stroll through its historical buildings.

Make sure you plan ahead and visit when the Chinchilla Mini Rail is running to explore the perimeter of the museum aboard the locomotives.