ROMA, QLD TRAVEL
“Thomas Mitchell described the countryside around Roma as ‘the finest country I have ever seen…’”
When Thomas Mitchell explored the area in May 1846, he described the countryside around Roma as “the finest country I have ever seen – a champaign (sic) region of open country … an abundance of good pasturage, stretching as far as human vision or even the telescope could reach.” Twenty years later, when it was little more than a settlement with three pubs, the town was named Roma after Lady Diamantina Bowen (nee di Roma), the wife of Sir George Bowen, the Governor of Queensland at the time.
Roma is the administrative centre and service hub of the Maranoa Region which spans more than 58,000sq km. Agricultural production is worth approximately $620 million annually, with livestock grazing the predominant land use, followed by dryland cropping. The town sits on the western fringe of the vast Surat Basin and was the site of Australia's first oil and natural gas discovery in 1900. Since then, more reserves have been discovered and are currently being developed by the Santos GLNG joint venture. Forestry is also an important contributor to the regional economy, supported by a number of timber processing facilities.
Roma has a resident population of around 7000, about eight per cent of whom identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Amenities include a swimming pool, golf course, bowling green,
