Kin Kin lies between Pomona to the south, and Gympie to the north, in South East Queensland. The town is a hub for recreational activities related to nearby Lake Cootharaba and the Great Sandy National Park. Kin Kin is in the Noosa Biosphere, Queensland's first UNESCO Biosphere. In the west of Kin Kin is Woondum National Park and Woondum Forest Reserve. The hills and mountains in this area are covered by eucalypt forest and rainforest.
History
There has long been debate over the origin of the name Kin Kin. It is most widely believed to mean "plenty black ants" after the small black ants very common in the area. This is reflected in the local school newsletter "Kin Kin ANTics" and the large ant sculpture outside the Kin Kin General store, home of Black Ant Gourmet. Some sources suggest the name comes from the Aboriginalkauin kauin meaning red soil. Timber-getters moved into the area in the late 1870s. Until the mid-1970s Kin Kin was predominantly a smallcrop and dairy farming community, from then on land and farm usage started to change and there was a decline in production farms. Early deforestation and clearing of land led to small produce and dairy farming from the early 1900s. The banana industry boomed in the years after World War 1, but experienced a significant decline in the 1930s as prices fell. Beans and Zucchini were major crops for many years, but smallcropping declined from the 1980s and is now undertaken on a limited basis. The butter factory was closed in 1937 but the sawmill still survives. Deregulation of the milk industry led to the exit of all but a handful of family dairy farms. The last farms had closed by 2012. Nowadays many original farms have been subdivided into small hobby farms, some growing fruit trees, and many carrying horses or beef cattle. Today Kin Kin boasts health retreats, accommodation, small businesses, artists and bush foods. The family of William D. Francis one of Queensland's pioneering botanists owned land in the area, and many native trees first identified by him are found in the area. From 1980 the "Great Kin Kin Horse Race" and associated Carnival was held annually on a hilly 3 km course over the southern end of the Wahpunga Range, starting and finishing at the showgrounds behind the Country Life Hotel. After peaking in popularity in the late 80s and early 90s, the race was eventually discontinued, with the last Carnival being held in 2004. The horse ride has been revived as an annual social ride covering 25 km on the Noosa Trail Network from the Kin Kin Showgrounds to Tablelands Lookout near Cooran and back. On 14 August 1971, a tornado passed through the town killing three people. Another tornado hit on28 February 1985, destroying the Butter Factory and causing widespread property damage. On 4 November 1994 a severe storm produced large hail and a tornado which damaged or completely destroyed several buildings. In 2007, a plan to develop a $400 million eco-tourism resort east of Kin Kin was rejected by the Government of Queensland on the grounds that the development was not part of the regional planning document. Although currently and historically within the Shire of Noosa, between 2008 and 2013 the Shire of Noosa until 2014 when the shire was re-instated following a vote by the residents. In early April 2009 the town was hit by severe flooding from Kin Kin Creek, a tributary of the Noosa River. At the Kin Kin had a population of 694.
Children from Kin Kin attend a school in Kin Kin village up to grade 6. Secondary school students attend Noosa District State High School: grades 7—8 attend the Pomona campus, and grades 9—12 attend the Cooroy campus.
Amenities
The Shire of Noosa operates a mobile library service on a weekly schedule at the Kin Kin school. There are public toilets and a playground in the park next to the Memorial School of Arts Hall, and public toilets, a barbecue, and shelter at Wahpunga School Park. The Kin Kin Tennis Courts are located behind the Memorial School of Arts Hall. There is a skate park and public camping available on the oval behind the Country Life Hotel. The Kin Kin Arboretum is located 2.5 km south of the village.
