Kilkivan, Gympie's Frontier Town

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On the Wide Bay Highway to Gympie's northwest is a town that offers so much more than what it can seem at first glance. The Gympie Region's frontier town, Kilkivan, Queensland is a seemingly humble place that has lasted the test of time. Upon a recent visit, it appeared fairly well-kept and prosperous, although quiet enough. It is known as a frontier town because it has a frontier feel to it similar to such towns in the west of America and was the furthest town from Gympie that was actually part of the 1867 gold rush. Kilkivan also was where gold was discovered prior to the Gympie gold rush, hence, it played an important part in the gold rush itself. With plenty of charm and its very own unique atmosphere, Kilkivan offers a touring experience suitable for those interested in local history, camping, hiking, scenic country driving/riding, and farming.

The Great Horse Ride
As recently as April 10, 2025, Kilikan hosted its most popular event out of the few events to occur due to its small population, known as the Great Horse Ride. As seen at the event's official Facebook page it will be celebrating its fortieth anniversary next year . The event itself is based on a multitude of people riding horses through and near the town and is aimed at celebrating all things equine, with many activities also aimed at non-riders.



Walking Trails
The South Burnett region's popular rail trail stretches from Kilkivan to Kingaroy following the old railway line between the towns. The section starting at Kiikivan is not paved like the section between Kingaroy and Murgon and is known as being for a more adventurous rider/hiker. Kilkivan is also part of the Bicentennial National Trail a 5000-kilometre set of walking paths combined as one route from Healesville, Victoria, to Cooktown, Queensland.

Gold Rush History
Gympie is famous for the gold rush that saved Queensland, but nearby Kilkivan has important history preceding the gold rush, as seen at the Gympie tourism official website with old mines aside from just gold, including the copper smelter of Mt Clara . This closed mine and smelter is heritage-listed and located in the Kilkivan area. While gold history is more based on the large nearby Gympie, there are important 'pieces of the historical puzzle' that can be found around Kilkivan and its museum.





To properly display Kilkivan's remarkable place in Australian history as the Gympie gold rush's frontier town, there is a museum with opening hours found here on its official Facebook page located on Bligh Street, Kilkivan. It is officially known as the Kilkivan Shire Museum or the Kilkivan and District Museum. Also see the page about Kilkivan's subtle but important collection of Queensland/Australian history at the official tourist visit Sunshine Coast website.

Getting to Kilkivan
Kilkivan's main street, Bligh Street, is partly on the Wide Bay Highway , which is the main road to Kilkivan. This highway connects from the Bruce Highway approximately ten kilomentres north of Gympie at Bells Bridge to Goomeri and the Burnett Highway in the west. With no real public transport available to the town, visiting Kilkivan is more suited to access with a personal vehicle.

It should be noted that with over 500 permanent residents, Kikivan does have a fair bit to do and is not necessarily about stopping off for a few minutes. It is a service town with a bowls club, antique shop, cafe, petrol station, several stations for emergency services (e.g., fire and police), and a small primary school. It is not necessarily built around the tourist trade, but tourism is a strong factor in the local economy. For basing a stay there and seeing local national parks and various other smaller attractions, Kilkivan has an unmanned information centre beside its museum on Bligh Street and a motel beside its centrally located pub . A small yet significant Gympie region destination, Kilkivan's unique history and geography will delight any visitor to its few wide and spacious streets, as well as its surrounding national parks, and many other quirky points of interest.

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Further Links
The Gympie Regional Council
The Kilkivan Wikipedia page
The South Burnett Rail Trail from the South Burnett Regional Council.
Official tourism page of the South Burnett .
Official tourism page of the Gympie Region .
WeekendNotes' Brisbane to South Burnett Road Trip Article , which features a longer stop-off in Kilkivan.
The Kilkivan General Store's Official Instagram page .

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