The Gayndah Orange Festival | Mandarins.com.au

The Gayndah Orange Festival is a biennial celebration of the citrus industry in Queensland’s North Burnett region, held in Gayndah since 1957. Despite the name, the festival covers the full citrus range grown in the region: oranges, mandarins, lemons, and grapefruit. Mandarins are a substantial part of what the North Burnett produces, and they feature prominently in the festival’s events and roadside stalls.

What the festival is

The Gayndah Orange Festival is the main annual event in Gayndah, a town in the North Burnett Local Government Area, approximately four hours north-west of Brisbane. It draws visitors from across Queensland and beyond, and temporarily doubles the population of the town during festival weekend.

The festival is community-run, organised by a local committee, and funded partly through stall fees, sponsorship, and event ticketing. It has operated since 1957 with only brief interruptions, including a postponement during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Gayndah describes itself as the citrus capital of Queensland. The town sits in a river valley on the Burnett Highway and is Queensland’s oldest town. The surrounding district grows oranges, mandarins, lemons, and grapefruit on family orchards that in some cases date back to the early 20th century.

When it runs

The festival is held biennially (every second year) in late April to early May, timed to coincide with the start of the North Burnett citrus harvest season.

The 2023 festival ran from 28 to 30 April, a three-day event anchored by a procession parade on the main day. Check the North Burnett Regional Council and local tourism websites for the current confirmed date, as the festival alternates years and exact dates shift.

The timing means the festival falls at the very start of mandarin season. Roadside stalls selling fresh citrus spring up along the Burnett Highway in the weeks around the festival, moving from empty to full of fruit rapidly as the harvest begins.

History since 1957

The festival began in 1957, according to multiple sources including Queensland Country Life, Good Fruit and Vegetables, and the commercial listing materials for the Big Orange property. The founding purpose was to promote the district’s citrus industry and create an event that drew visitors to a rural town.

Festival president Dael Giddins described the event as having “a rich tradition in the town” and as “a wonderful way to celebrate the agricultural season that helps the region thrive.”

A former festival president, Kerri Slack, who was involved for close to three decades, put it plainly: “It’s important every second year for this town, it really brightens everybody up and buildings get painted that don’t get painted for another couple of years and especially with the pickers coming into town, the money just starts flowing in.”

The festival has continued to evolve. The 2023 edition adopted the theme “Citrus Super Powers”, with floats decorated as citrus superheroes. The procession parade returned to the town centre in 2023 after having been held at the showgrounds for several years.

What’s on

The festival program typically includes:

Procession parade. The parade through the town centre is the centrepiece of the festival, featuring citrus-themed floats built by local groups, families, and businesses. In recent years, the North Burnett farming community has been saluted as “heroes” in the parade.

Markets and stalls. Food stalls, craft stalls, and produce stands operate across the festival precinct. Fresh citrus is available throughout, and some stalls sell freshly squeezed juice from North Burnett oranges and mandarins.

Mandarin eating competitions and activities. The festival includes mandarin eating competitions, orange throwing events, and other citrus-themed activities for children and adults.

Festival ball. A ball or formal event is held to open the festival week, drawing attendees from across the region.

Fruit displays. Commercial and home growers display their best fruit. The displays give visitors a direct view of what the region produces and the quality standards achieved.

The Big Orange. Gayndah’s most recognisable landmark, a large fibreglass orange structure on the Burnett Highway, serves as a café and tourist stop. The interior houses a display of historic photographs and memorabilia related to the citrus industry. The Big Orange is open during the festival period and represents the town’s citrus identity to passing travellers.

Why it covers mandarins as much as oranges

The North Burnett’s citrus industry was originally built on oranges, but mandarin production has grown substantially over the past two decades. The region’s mandarin season runs from April through September, covering varieties including Daisy (early season), Honey Murcott, Royal Honey Murcott, and low-seed Murcott.

Queensland mandarin exports to Asia have increased significantly. The chair of Citrus Australia’s Queensland Regional Advisory Committee noted that up to 50 per cent of the North Burnett’s mandarin production now goes to export markets, primarily China and Thailand, up from about a third previously. Matt Benham, whose great-grandfather Walter planted an orange tree on the Burnett River in 1924, produces grapefruit, lemons, mandarins, and oranges for both Australian and export markets. He has said that Queensland has become a “powerhouse” of mandarin production.

Ken Roth, another Gayndah grower, suffered major flood losses in 2011 and 2013, losing approximately 8,000 mandarin trees including Murcott, Imperial, and Nova varieties. From the flood aftermath, he propagated a seedless genetic anomaly he found in one surviving tree, naming it the Mojo mandarin. By 2019, 100 tonnes of Mojo mandarins had been commercially exported.

These stories reflect the North Burnett’s character as a working industry rather than a tourist area. The festival represents a working agricultural community, not a themed attraction. The citrus on the roadside stalls comes directly from the orchards visible from the highway.

Visiting from Brisbane

Gayndah is approximately four hours drive from Brisbane, taking the Bruce Highway north to Gympie and then the Burnett Highway west through Murgon and Cherbourg, or via the Cunningham Highway to Kingaroy and then north.

The drive passes through the Burnett and South Burnett regions, which are wine and agricultural country. Mundubbera, half an hour west of Gayndah along the Burnett Highway, is another citrus town in the same production district. During citrus season (April to September), roadside stalls in both towns sell fresh fruit directly from growers.

Accommodation in Gayndah itself is limited. During the festival, nearby towns including Mundubbera, Ban Ban Springs, and Biggenden have additional options. The festival committee recommends booking early as rooms fill quickly in the weeks before the event.

Local growers represented

The North Burnett Local Government Area is home to a concentrated group of citrus-growing families, many with multigenerational connections to the land. Growers in the region produce for both Australian domestic supply and export to Asian markets.

During the festival, many growers are at peak harvest, which means some struggle to attend despite the event being in their honour. The festival explicitly acknowledges this with signs and programming that recognise farmers’ contribution, reflecting the town’s understanding that the event exists because of the industry behind it.

The roadside stands that appear along the Burnett Highway in the weeks around the festival are supplied directly by local orchards. Buying from these stands supports the growers directly and gives visitors access to fruit at or near peak quality, picked within the previous day or two.

Practical information

When: Biennial, late April to early May. Check the North Burnett Regional Council website for the current year’s dates.
Location: Gayndah town centre, North Burnett Local Government Area, Queensland.
Getting there: Approximately four hours north-west of Brisbane by road.
Accommodation: Book early. Options in Gayndah, Mundubbera, Ban Ban Springs, and Biggenden.
Season: The festival coincides with the start of mandarin and orange season. Roadside citrus stalls operate throughout April to September in the region.