A Brief History

Originally home to the Mandandanji Aboriginal people and visited twice by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, Roma was settled after Sir Thomas Mitchell reported glowingly on the country in 1846. Looking down from nearby Mount Abundance, Mitchell wrote, “I … beheld the finest country I had ever seen in a primeval state – a champaign region, spotted with wood, stretching as far as human vision or even the telescope would reach.” Allan McPherson established Mount Abundance Station the following year.

About Us

Roma Town was established in 1867, and is a truly unique part of the world. As a sizeable country town with a population of approximately 7,000 it has all the services and facilities necessary for modern living.

Located in an area known as the Maranoa, the surrounding district is rich in resources and because of its strategic position, Roma is commonly referred to as The Capital of the Western Downs."

Over the years Roma has evolved into a community that is vibrant and thriving and secured the role of being the largest regional centre in South West Queensland.

It boasts an incredible sense of space and light, vistas of rolling crop and grazing lands, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, a sense of history, a sense of identity and a sense of community.

Tourism is a key growth industry in Roma and the awarding winning "Big Rig Tourist Facility" testifies to that fact.

Roma’s economy is buoyant thanks to a rich diversity of important industries and the "multiplier effect" they create in the service sector. Primary production features in the form of beef cattle and wheat and the oil and gas industry has a strong presence with major international companies operating fields within the greater Roma region. Roma has a flourishing timber industry and a reputation for award winning boutique wines to mention a few.

Roma is certainly a place to create a unique experience.