Roma is a city in the outback of Queensland , Australia . Roma is located about 500 kilometers west of the capital Brisbane and 350 kilometers west of Toowoomba . Roma has about 6,800 inhabitants and is the seat of the Local Administrative Area (LGA) Maranoa Regional Council . Roma was founded in 1867 and named after Lady Diamantina Roma Bowen. She was the wife of the then Governor of Queensland.
Roma is the center of a rich agricultural district. Wheat, oranges and wine are grown and processed on a large scale. Another important industry in Roma and the surrounding area is cattle breeding. The largest cattle yard in Australia is in Roma, with more than 350,000 cattle sold each year. There are also several large wood plantations and sawmills.
Natural gas was discovered near Roma at the beginning of the 20th century. Today the natural gas is delivered to Brisbane through a pipeline. There are also plans for a power plant to be built on site to provide electricity to southeast Queensland.
