JANDOWAE
Jandowae is a very small town encounted when traveling the Dalby and Mundubbera route. So yes, this is a quiet town on a quiet highway. Jandowae was once on a spur railway line that clearly helped its early development. Jandowae is a very friendly place, and a visitor is certainly made welcome.
The first settlers arrived in the area in the 1860s and the first documented European birth was in 1866. The town was at first called Jindowie, from the local word for a waterhole. Later, a man called John or Jack Dowiae established a camp and rest area for travellers called the John Dowiae camp. This led to some early settlers using the name Jondowiae. With the coming of the railway in 1914, the name was changed again to Jandowae, to avoid confusion with nearby Jondaryan.
Jandowae is one of Queensland's largest wheat growing areas. The area also produces many other crops and other recently, a native flowers industry, exporting to Asia, has been developed in the area.
In 2001, in order to stem a decline in population and economic activity and encourage new residents and industry to Jandowae, Wambo Shire Council ran a very successful "dollar block" promotion that quite literally put the town on the map.
There are some interesting aspects to the town.
The Jandowae hotels, all three of them are old 100 year Queensland classic type pubs.
The Jandowae Museum is represented by the Athlone Cottage.
The Jandowae War Memorial
is located at the front of the RSL building.
There is another acknowledgement on the main street.
The Catholic Church
and United
are modern and the Anglican
old wooden structures.
There is a lot to like about the but given the place is a long way from anything else a deliberate visit would have to be considered.