Gallangowan Forest Reserve

The Gallangowan Forest reserve was once part of the Manumbar run and was designated as a reserve in 1933.
[Landscapes of change: a history of the South Burnett (1997), Dr Tony Matthews Phd.]

According to Dulcie Logan in the book “Where two rivers run: a history of the Kilkivan Shire”,

“Gallangowan Forestry Reserve has a fire tower that was, when it was built, the highest in Queensland – 134 feet. It gives a view for miles around. At the top is a circular map in the cabin giving degrees latitude and longitude. The Reserve is also supplied with fire-fighting equipment. Water is supplied from a well and pumped into two 20 000 gallon tanks on a nearby hill to give pressure. The nursery uses a large amount of water. The population of the Reserve has fluctuated over the years, according to the workforce required at the time. It was probably at its zenith when Mr V Williams was in charge of the reserve in the sixties. It is 50km from Goomeri and about the same distance from Murgon and Nanango. Its isolation has been broken down by better roads, and the provision of a school bus service so that local children can attend secondary school in Goomeri. The settlement has its own primary school which also caters for children on nearby properties.”

Taken from Where Two rivers run: a history of the Kilkivan Shire (1988), Dulcie Logan, Kilkivan: Kilkivan Shire Council.
Visit here to download a free digitised copy of “Where two rivers run”.

There is footage from a news broadcast that is dated July 1970 of a tour of Gallangowan Forest Station. We have no information of who is in the footage and it is silent as film and sound were recorded separately and the sound has been lost.

Originally a news broadcast on Wide Bay Television. This film was originally produced by WBQ 8 and was reproduced as 7 Extract from the Archives project. The project was supported by an innovation grant from the Library Board of Queensland.
© 2020 Seven Network and Gympie Regional Libraries

Today, Gallangowan is still a Forest Reserve but the station and school are no longer in operation.
According to the Queensland State Archives…
Gallangowan State School No 563 was opened on 8 July 1940 via Kinbombi and had a prospective attendance of 31 pupils. The School was opened to service the children of the local graziers and forestry workers. The first head teacher was William Hector Leslie.
The school closed in 1996 due to falling enrolments.
[Taken from: https://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/agencies/A63]

In August 2020 Gympie Councillor, Bruce Deveraux visited the area that was once a busy Forestry Station. We thank him for use of the photographs.