Kynuna was established in the 1860s and in its early days boasted three hotels. It was a staging post for Cobb and Co Coaches. Today Kynuna has just one hotel, the famous Blue Heeler Hotel which was built in 1889.
Kynuna is most famous for its links with Banjo Paterson and the ‘Waltzing Matilda’ poem. Folklore has it that Bob MacPherson (owner of Dagworth Station) told Banjo the story of the suicide of Samuel Hoffmeister beside the Combo Waterhole, 13 kilometres upstream of the Diamantina River, in September 1894. Hoffmeister had reportedly been one of the striking shearers involved in the burning down of the Dagworth Woolshed. This story, together with other stories which Paterson had heard, inspired him to write ‘Waltzing Matilda’, at Dagworth. Christina MacPherson, Paterson’s then fiancee, adapted a popular Scottish tune ‘Craiglea’ to become the original music for ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
Combo Waterhole Conservation Park is located 16 kilometres east of Kynuna. It is a very picturesque place and the overshot dams built by Chinese labourers in 1883 are technical masterpieces. The Combo Waterhole is linked to the national folk song Waltzing Matilda and a monument can be found at the entrance to the park. Walk the 2.5 kilometre return circuit to the waterhole along the Diamantina River and have a picnic “under the shade of a Coolibah tree”. Camping is prohibited and dry weather entry only.
Quick Facts
Kynuna is a small Queensland Rural Location within the local government area of McKinlay, it is located approximately 1299kms from the capital Brisbane covering an area of 8452.229 square kilometres. Kynuna has a recorded population of 55 residents and is within the Australian Eastern Standard Time zone Australia/Brisbane.
If you are planning a visit to Kynuna we’ve put together some of the things nearby that you can see or do while you are here. These include, places to stay, tours and attractions, some upcoming events and places where you can grab a meal. Go ahead, try one of the buttons above. Every destination has something worth seeing so start exploring… If you know Kynuna and think we’ve missed something, let us know and we’ll share it here.