Discovered in 1847 by J.C burnett, the Bundaberg area was first settled by the Steuart Brothers in 1867. Our eearliest settlers werw pastoralists and timbergetters and the Port which, at the time was located on the river in the city reach, was a busy coastal steamer outlet for the immediate hinterland.
Sugar production commenced in the early 1860's when the Government of the day was granting land assignments for the production of sugar and coffee. At this time though, timbergetting was still the major past-time with the opening of a small sawmill in 1870, the town of Bundaberg began to grow.
The earlier sugar and coffe regulations had failed to firmly establish these crops.
The 1868 Crow Lands Alienation Act gave the landholders far greater freedom over their lands and so demand feeding from this new industry. A natural progression from the production of raw sugar was the distillation of some of this to rum.
The rapid expansion of the sugar industry led to a chronic labour shortage and so began the district's long association with the Kanakas - island folk from the South Pacific who were transported to the area to work in the fields and the mills.
A memorial to the Kanakas stands near the beach at Mon Repos in the form of a wall - much of this was costructed by these people as they cleared the land for sugar cane planting. During the 1880's and 1890's years of drought had raised the question of irrigating the sugar crops. By this time, the Bundaberg Foundry had been established to service the repair and construction needs of the burgeoning sugar industry.
Following the good years for the industry in the early 1900's, the Bundaberg Sugar company who had been rapidly expanding by buying land with cane assignments, were tested with fire and water.
The Millaquin Refinery fell victim to a fire in 1927 and the Rum Distillery in 1936 while the fairymead Mill was awash in the flood of 1942. Tee city is proud of the famous people who were born or have grown up here. One of these was aviator bert hinkler (1892- 1933) who designed and constructed his first glider in 1911 and flew his second glider on Mon Repos Beach in 1912.
He flew an epic solo flight from London to Bundaberg in 1928 in 15 1/2 days.

Gladys moncrieff (1892-1976) was the Queen of Musical Comedy in Australia.
Her many skills saw her appear in light opera, concerts and other professionmal engagements worldwide. Country music singer Evelyn bury is a bubdaberg celebrity.
The City has alsa been home to a number of sporting heroes such as cricketer Don Tallon, swimmers Michelle Pearson and Tracey Olivier, rugby league star mal Meninga, middle-distance runner Simon Doyle, athlete Les Kurokouski and rugby league and criket star, Dean Temple - to name just a few.