A mural depicting the three rivers is painted on the back of the Duaringa Historical & Tourism Information Centre, facing the Capricorn Highway.

The Queensland Government proclaimed the town reserve on 30 October 1878, an area of 4 square miles (10 km2) which was resumed from the Nundubbermere pastoral run.

[11] The second and most popular theory is that the town's name is derived from the aboriginal words 'D'warra D'nanjie', meaning a meeting place on the swamp oaks.

[14] However, in the following week's edition of The Capricornian, the newspaper retracted their previous report which stated the Dawson Seven-mile township would be called Thorntown, instead of Colo.

In late February, 1875, a series of urgent telegrams[21][22] began being received in Rockhampton reporting that the whole area was underwater and that many people in Boolburra were stranded on rooftops, in trees and on any high ground they could find.

[20] Upon receiving the news, the superintendent of the railways Robert Ballard[23] set men to work to build punts to rescue people.

Several people did lose their lives, including a German man and his three children, though his wife and their baby were found alive on top of a pile of railway sleepers.

The people of Rockhampton began donating items to the Boolburra flood victims including blankets, clothing, loaves of bread, meat and rations.

[11] The existing council chambers on the corner of William and Elizabeth Street was officially opened by Minister for Local Government Wallace Rae on 28 November 1970.

Central Highlands Regional Council continues to maintain and make improvements to the rural road network in the Boolburra area.

[36] The area also incorporates an amenities block, an artificial waterfall, barbeque facilities, a children's playground, picnic tables and an Anzac cenotaph.

In 2013, the owner of the building was pictured sitting on the theatre's roof in a photo which was part of a series taken by local Rockhampton radio station ABC Capricornia.

[48] The QCWA Hall in Edward Street[49] was officially opened on 26 November 1932,[50] six years after a local branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association was established in the town.

[51] As the local branch of the QCWA faced dwindling membership and difficulty meeting the expenses associated with maintaining the hall, it was decided to put the venue up for sale in 2014.

[56] In the mid 1990s, the building underwent some minor refurbishments to allow the business to provide additional newsagency-like services and products rather than just postal needs.

Fraser also said that he felt honoured at opening a building that had been almost completely constructed through voluntary local effort which was a wonderful example of community self-help.

It was opened on 3 June 1879 with 17-year-old Mary Ann Simpson as head teacher whose sole education experience consisted of being a monitor at Port Curtis Road State School near Rockhampton for a short period.

As her teaching skills grew, Simpson was later transferred to a bigger school and was replaced in 1883 by Kate D'Arcy who had received training in Ireland.

Australian rugby league player Allan Langer was a special guest at the 1996 Duaringa Races, which was a fundraising event for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.

Duaringa's Uniting Church in Edward Street at the northern entrance to the township is no longer used for regular services, although it is still used for an occasional funeral or wedding.

Another noteworthy soldier from Duaringa was Corporal Vincent (Bill) Anderson who became known for capturing an anti-tank gun with only a spade and a rifle during World War II.

[84] The gallantry of Anderson and other Queenslanders was acknowledged in communication dispatches for good work, including advancing two miles into enemy territory, where they remained for four hours before returning with a number of German prisoners.

[87] During its existence, the camp consisted of a campsite, motor pool, mess kitchen, bathhouse, recreational building, administration office, water tanks, latrines and a watch tower.

The assistant station master, 23-year-old David Dunnett, who was on duty at the time of the collision, was charged with unlawfully killing the driver of the coal train and a date was set for a trial at the Rockhampton Supreme Court, which was due to begin on 3 March 1969.

On the eve of a manslaughter trial, 48-year-old station master Royce Joseph Stickens murdered his 41-year-old wife Audrey and two young children before committing suicide.

The body of Royce Stickens was found with an automatic rifle beside it, indicating that a murder-suicide had taken place, possibly connected to the fatal railway accident.

On the day the original plans were unveiled to the public, the development co-ordinator for the village told local media that the satellite city was the brainchild of South Korean spiritual leader, Reverend Jong-Il Kim who had the intention of promoting international goodwill.

[96] In August 2001, it was reported that problems with land entitlements in Duaringa and political upheaval in Korea had prevented the satellite city from going ahead.

However, a delegation of Chinese business executives including China Delong Group general manager Zhang Yongde were planning to visit Duaringa on 11 September 2001 to inspect land and infrastructure.

They had indicated to Duaringa Shire Council that they were interested in a possible major development for the town, and had requested copies of the original proposal put forward by the South Koreans in 1996 which had failed to get off the ground.