Tinaroo, Tinaroo Falls, Tinaroo Falls Dam and Lake Tinaroo are all names applied to the small settlement which has sprung up on the shores of the huge artificial lake centrally located on the Atherton Tablelands.
The town takes its name from a creek where John Atherton found tin and gold in 1878. Atherton is credited with naming the creek Tinaroo.
Tinaroo Dam was started in 1953 and completed in 1958. It is now one of the three largest water storages in Queensland. It dams the Barron River to supply water for local tobacco farming and to supplement the water moving through the Barron Gorge Hydro-Electricity Station.
Lake Tinaroo is popular with campers, anglers, skiers, sailors and nature enthusiasts.
