The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of eleven major regions of Queensland. The region was named after the then Governor of New South Wales, Ralph Darling by Allan Cunningham, an early Australian explorer. The region has developed a strong agricultural industry with mining and manufacturing also dominant. Farming is so productive due to a large deposit of rich black soils. Coal seam gas extraction is currently experiencing significant growth.