Crows Nest
Postcode: 4355
Crows Nest is a genuinely unusual Australian rural town, built around a large and attractive village green. Located 179 km north-west of Brisbane, 45 km from Toowoomba, and 527 m above sea-level, it lies in attractive undulating country and services the surrounding beef and dairy cattle industries.
In the centre of the village green is the statue of Jimmy Crow, after whom the town was named, and nearby is the tree which was his ‘nest’. The inscription on the Crows Nest tree offers an explanation of how Crows Nest got its name: ‘In the early days when teamsters visited this area Jimmy Crow, an Aboriginal named by early settlers, used a hollow tree as his gunyah. He was relied on for information and directions. This place was used as a camping place by teamsters and travellers and became known as Jimmy Crow’s Nest hence the name ‘Crows Nest’.
In the centre of the village green is the statue of Jimmy Crow, after whom the town was named, and nearby is the tree which was his ‘nest’. The inscription on the Crow s Nest tree offers an explanation of how Crows Nest got its name: ‘In the early days when teamsters visited this area Jimmy Crow, an Aboriginal named by early settlers, used a hollow tree as his gunyah. He was relied on for information and directions. This place was used as a camping place by teamsters and travellers and became known as Jimmy Crow’s Nest hence the name ‘Crows Nest’.
At the northern end of the town, on the New England Highway, is the Carbethon Folk Museum. It is an excellent and comprehensive folk museum. The displays include a number of interesting buildings (an old wireless shop, a slab hut, an old Baptist Church) and a collection of over 9000 pieces of interesting memorabilia, including a covered wagon which stands outside. It is open Thursdays and Sundays from 1.00pm – 5.00pm and from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on public holidays.