Taroom – history tells only half the story
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The tell-tale sign that you’ve arrived in Taroom is the Steel Wings windmill at the northern entry to town. Manufactured around the turn of the 20th Century, the windmill is a rare commodity, being only one of two known windmills of its type still in working order.
The landmark says a lot about the town. Taroom is steeped in early European history and built on primary industries – first sheep, now cattle and grain.
The region opened up to settlers in the 1840’s with the northern exploits of early explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. The good doctor took a liking to the place while camped by the Dawson River, carving his initials and year date – LL 1844 – into the bark of a Coolabah tree. The initials long since gone – in somewhat controversial circumstances – the tree still stands pride of place in the main street, which is as it happens, the Leichhardt Highway.
A pleasant walk up the hill takes you to Gilbert’s Lookout, named after Leichhardt’s companion who met a violent end here.
Across town in Yaldwyn Street, Leichhardt Park is the site of Leichhardt’s memorial. The park is dedicated to the region’s native flora with weeping bottle brush, flaxleaf paperbark, lemon scented gum, swamp mahogany and bloodwood found throughout the grounds. The exception is a single Aleppo Pine, seeded from Lone Pine on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
The Taroom Museum, located at 17 Kelman Street, is open by request and well worth the visit, as it’s home to historic machinery, buildings and now the incredible Iman artefact, the Star of Taroom. Admission is $5 per adult and $1 per child. Please call 0409 663 701 to gain access to the Museum.
Taroom is an RV Friendly Town.
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Events
However, history only tells half the story of the energetic town. Brimming with recreational facilities, Taroom’s busy annual calendar highlights the horse and horsemanship with many events, including:
- Taroom Races – September and December
- Golden Horseshoe Campdraft
- Taroom Professional Rodeo
- Polocrosse Club Carnival – July date tbc
- Dawson River Festival – 24-26 September 2021
QUICK FACTS
Taroom is a great base for exploring:
- 15 km to the Chain Lagoons
- 55 km to Isla Gorge National Park
- 82 km to Flagstaff Hill and the historical flagged stone road
- 18 km to Lake Murphy Conservation Park
- 54 km to Glebe Weir
- 120 km to Expedition National Park
- Top fishing spots are right at the doorstop with Dawson River on the edge of town and nearby Glebe Weir and Palm Tree Creek
- Palm Tree Creek is unique and world-renowned for its petrified palms
- Taroom Country Races are held twice each year with the Taroom Cup on the fourth Saturday of September and the New Years Races on the 4th Saturday in December
- The Taroom & District Historical Society museum opens by appointment. Contact the Taroom Visitor Information Centre for details. Site address is 10 Yaldwyn Street, Taroom P: 07 4628 6113
- The name Taroom is thought to derive from ‘tarum’, meaning pomegranate in the language of the local Iman people.
Where can I go fishing near Taroom?
- Dawson River
- Wide Bend, Juandah Creek
- Glebe Weir
- Chain Lagoons
- View the best fishing spots in the Banana Shire
Where can I STAY in Taroom?
There is free camping at Chain Lagoons (north of Taroom) and you can also camp for a small fee at Glebe Weir.
To find more accommodation in Banana Shire, check out our Accommodation Guide.
Other camping options in the Banana Shire.
Close-by attractions
- Chain Lagoons
- Lake Murphy
- Isla Gorge National Park
- Expedition National Park
- Glebe Weir (closed until 26 June for facilities upgrade)
- Nathan Gorge
