Tarawera

About Tarawera

Tarawera is a vast, sparsely settled rural locality in the Goondiwindi Region of southern Queensland, located approximately 350 kilometres south-west of Brisbane near the New South Wales border. The locality covers an enormous 517.9 square kilometres of predominantly agricultural land, with the Meandarra Talwood Road (State Route 74) running through it from north to south as the primary transport corridor. With a 2021 Census population of just 69 people — predominantly male, reflecting the working rural character of the area — Tarawera is one of Queensland's most thinly populated localities.

The land use in Tarawera is a mixture of dryland cropping and grazing on native vegetation, which is typical of the Goondiwindi region's rich agricultural plains. The predominant age group in the community is 50–59 years, suggesting an established farming population. The nearest service town is Goondiwindi, which provides access to shops, schools, medical services, and the wider highway network. Tarawera suits those committed to large-scale broadacre farming or a deeply rural lifestyle far from metropolitan services.

Tarawera falls under postcode 4494 and is governed by the Goondiwindi Council (Local Government Area). For federal elections, residents vote in the electorate of Maranoa, while state elections fall under the Southern Downs electorate.

Nearby Suburbs

• Bungunya, QLD 4494
• North Bungunya, QLD 4494
• North Talwood, QLD 4496
• South Talwood, QLD 4496
• Daymar, QLD 4497
• Weengallon, QLD 4497