The town of Gayndah is about four hours north-west of Brisbane, in Queensland's North Burnett region.

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Its population of about 2,000 people has barely fluctuated in the past few decades and it is one of those places where everyone knows everyone.

The area around the town is a true experience of rural Australia and is only a couple of hours from regional cities like Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.

Gayndah is quiet and unrushed, but there is a lot more to this old town than meets the eye.

1. Gayndah is more than 160 years old

Gayndah is the oldest town in Queensland, officially gazetted in 1852. ( ABC Wide Bay: Jess Lodge )

Gayndah was the first town in Queensland to be formally gazetted, in 1852.

While Brisbane and Ipswich are older, they are defined as cities, not towns.

The town has preserved a lot of its history and has a number of heritage-listed sites including the town hall, built in 1934, and its original court house which was built in 1928.

Mellors Drapery and Haberdashery, built in 1922, still uses a money handling system from the 1920s and it is the last shop in Queensland to still use a 'flying fox' change dispenser.

2. Produces a huge amount of Queensland's citrus

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Gayndah is the self-proclaimed citrus capital of Queensland, although this is disputed by the neighbouring town of Mundubbera, which also makes a claim for the title.

Mandarins, mainly Imperials and Murcotts, are the main citrus fruit grown in the region with smaller growing areas of oranges, lemons, limes, lemonades and grapefruit.

The town is home to the Big Orange where you will also find the town's mascot, Gay Dan the Orange Man.

3. Hosts the biennial Gayndah Orange Festival

Gayndah takes its citrus very seriously and celebrates the fruit with a week-long orange festival every two years.

Thousands fill the main street for a street parade, markets, and citrus eating, throwing and packing competitions.

The Orange Festival is held during April–May and has been running for 60 years.

4. The street signs are vertical

Gayndah's council has changed the town's street signs from horizontal to vertical after ongoing issues with vandalism. ( ABC Wide Bay )

When driving through Gayndah, people may notice that the street corners are marked a little differently than in other towns and cities.

It is thought to be the only town in Queensland with vertically-orientated street signs.

The local council changed the signs about 20 years ago after having a lot of trouble with vandalism and people bending the signs.

And they say the new signs work as there is not a bent sign in sight.

5. Home to the legend of the Gayndah bear

You may have heard of the abominable snowman, the yowie, the Loch Ness monster … but have you ever heard of the Gayndah bear?

The story goes that back in the 1950s a circus was travelling through the town when it crashed on the nearby Binjour Range and many animals escaped including an elephant, monkey and at least one bear.

Sightings of a bear were reported many years after, with some believing a pair of bears bred and their offspring lived nearby.

About 18 years ago the Gayndah bear made headlines around the world when there was another alleged sighting of a bear-like creature and a $10,000 reward was offered to seek out its den.

However many sceptics doubt the animals would still be around and say it was a set up by locals for publicity.

Julian Nott stalks the Gayndah Bear in February 2000. ( Supplied: Strange Nation )

6. You can buy lemonades here — the fruit not the drink

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On roadside fruit stands throughout Gayndah you can find a fruit many people have not heard of.

While some people grew up with lemonade trees in their backyards, many people have never tasted a lemonade fruit.

You do not see them in big supermarkets and growers say this is because people are turned off as they look too much like a lemon.

In fact, they are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin.

The fruit is much sweeter and softer than a lemon and can be peeled like a mandarin.

7. Has a 159-year-old murder mystery

On the outskirts of Gayndah stands a stone monument embossed with the name Anna Katherina Krieger, who was murdered in 1859.

She was 22 years old and her killer was never found.

"It's a sad story and it's one that's intrigued us always," Gayndah and District Historical Society president, Cynthia Berthelsen said.