[1] The town is located 215 kilometres (134 mi) north of the Queensland's capital city, Brisbane.

[5] 40.0 square kilometres (15.4 sq mi) of the locality and the town is within Gympie Region with only 4.1 square kilometres (1.6 sq mi) in the north-east in the Fraser Coast Region.

Kanyan is derived from the Kabi language word kanigan meaning daughter.

The Kingaroy to Theebine railway, opened in December 1904, was used for agriculture and commercial freight as well as transporting passengers and was one of the first branch lines built in Queensland.

[10] Formerly Kilkivan Junction, it was re-named by the Railways Department as Theebine on 23 May 1910, using a Waka language word, dhil-bvain indicating the lung fish, Ceratodus Forsteri.

[17] A stump-capping ceremony was held for the United Presbyterian and Methodist Church on Saturday 3 February 1940.

[28][29] In 2015, it had an enrolment of 5 students with 1 teacher and 2 non-teaching staff (1 equivalent full-time).