Chinchilla
Chinchilla is a genus consisting of two species of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha, native to the Andes Mountains in South America.
They live in colonies called "herds" at high elevations up to 4,270 m (14,000 ft). Historically, chinchillas lived in an area that included parts of Bolivia, Peru and Chile, but today, colonies in the wild are known only in Chile. Along with their relatives, viscachas, they make up the family Chinchillidae. They are also related to the chinchilla rat.
Getting to Chinchilla
Chinchilla is an easy 300 km (a four-hour drive) from Brisbane, straight along the Warrego Highway, and two hours from Toowoomba. The bus stop is on the Warrego Highway, a short walk across the railway bridge to Heeney St (the main street of Chinchilla).
Worth seeing
Chinchilla Historical Museum, Villiers St,. Wed-Sun 9AM-4PM. Memorabilia and some well preserved historical buildings, such as the first settler’s cottage and the old jail. There is also a steam sawmill from the 1990s, and an impressive display of vintage machinery, much of it still working. The Fred Newman Petrified Wood Collection is regarded as one of the largest of its kind to be found anywhere.
Things to do
Chinchilla Melon Festival. mid-February. Held every second year in odd-numbered years. Tourist Drives. Collect your ‘Tourist Drive’ brochure from the Visitor Information Centre. There are seven drives available with different themes. Interpretive signs highlight historical and cultural features on some of these drives. Charley’s Creek Riverside Park, The western end of Middle St.
Where to eat
There are plenty of bakeries and cafes in Chinchilla, most located on Heeney St, although some are in the complex on Middle St. There are also various eateries in some of the fuel stations on the Warrego Highway. Café Arabica, Middle St (in the shopping complex). Chinchilla RSL Memorial Club, 61 Heeney St,. MKs, Heeney St. Salty’s Seafood, Heeney St. Simply Indulgent, Heeney St.
Getting around Chinchilla the local way
- Get inChinchilla has an air strip, and a modern airport terminal, but it is only used by charter planes, crop sprayers, business or private users, and other services such as the Royal Flying Doctor.
- Go nextThe Bunya Mountains National Park is a beautiful day trip or next stop, although the winding road up the mountain really isn’t suitable for caravans.
From Wikivoyage: Chinchilla, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.