 The town is located on the Dawson River and the Leichhardt Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane, from Rockhampton and from Toowoomba.Prussian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt passed through the district in 1844, carving his initials and date on a coolibah tree that now stands in the centre of town.Leichhardt's carving is no longer visible following an alleged attempt to remove bark growing over the initials that removed the initials as well.