Gympie Region Heritage Trails

24/05/2021

20/04/2021

Happy 100th birthday Memorial Park.

Did you know Memorial Park was opened by Gympie’s popular war hero, Major-General Sir William Glasgow.

There was a procession, carnival, concert and several days of celebrations. Pioneer aviator Bert Hinkler, whose grandparents lived in Gympie (his mother was raised in Gympie), flew low over Memorial Park on Saturday, 23 April 1921 before landing at the Gympie Showgrounds on the Southside.

His Avro Baby aeroplane was towed to Memorial Park and displayed there for several days. Our libraries have created a free ebook for your enjoyment.
Simply head to https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/web/library/the-past-in-print

26/02/2021

Are you interested in old buildings? Do you live somewhere that might be considered of heritage significance? Go to www.gympie.qld.gov.au/haveyoursay to have your say on the Draft Heritage Places study.

This important document aims to review and consolidate existing information, as well as fill the gap in sites of historical significance across the region.

06/12/2017

To celebrate this Christmas period, Gympie Region Heritage Trails would like to invite you to share in one of the most truly stunning parts of the region on our very own Cooloola Coast. More specifically, we would like celebrate how picturesque this part of the world is by highlighting the Double Island Point Lighthouse.

The D.I.P. Lightstation was erected in 1884 under the architectural guidance of the Colonial Architect’s Office. Originally serving as a navigational aid, it has been in continuous operation since this time. It was the 18th lighthouse built by the Queensland Government and is a good example of a round, timber framed, galvanized iron clad lighthouse unique to Queensland incorporating Queensland resources.

In 1882, Portmaster Commander George Poynter Heath reported to Parliament the need for a Double Island Point light to help guide vessels into the Wide Bay and to navigate the inlets and coastline of the area. In January 1883 he visited Double Island Point and recommended that a 3rd Order light be constructed at the top of the headland. The plans were accepted and tenders were called in June 1883 for the construction of the Double Island Point lighthouse and ancillary cottages.
The lighthouse first exhibited on the 11 September, 1884. It was originally fitted with a 3rd Order lens and an oil wick burner. In 1923 the illuminant was altered to a kerosene burner, and 1933 saw the operation converted to electricity. The light was automated in 1991 and the light keeper consequently became the caretaker. The tower is the only remaining construction from 1884. The cottages date to 1933 with various other buildings constructed at different times.

21/11/2017

The Elgin Vale Sawmill was erected in 1908 and subsequently reconstructed in 1944. Originally utilised as a softwood steam driven sawmill, the earliest development on the site was built by Ross and Company in 1908. This operation eventually ceased and relocated to Goomeri. In March 1926, TH (Harry) Spencer negotiated and received approval to build another sawmill at Elgin Vale. During 1926-27 Spencer moved all his machinery and building material from his mill at Sefton to Elgin Vale. Commercial operations began in late 1927 but by the end of 1927 he sold the mill to Wilson Hart Company Ltd. Spencer remained and operated the mill on behalf of Wilson Hart. A fire in May 1944 destroyed the mill completely but by October that year Wilson Hart had constructed the current mill that is still on site today.

By 1986 the Elgin Vale sawmill had exhausted its allocation of timber in the district. The steam driven technology had been superseded in an era when sawmills were becoming larger and more modernised. A downturn in the timber industry saw the demise of the Elgin Vale sawmill, before it ceased operations on 16 March 1987, with the manager Bob Mercer running the last log through the mill.

The Elgin Vale sawmill is important in demonstrating the development and consequent decline of steam driven sawmilling operations. The sawmill is a rare surviving example of steam sawmilling operations and remains substantially intact with a high degree of integrity. The associated remains of the Elgin Vale township, established in 1927 to house workers and their families, add to the significance of the site. It is thought that by the late 1940s, the Elgin Vale mill was one of the largest in Queensland.
The mill was purchased by the Kilkivan and Nanango Shire Councils with the intent of making it into a museum. Several buildings were removed from the site, the original boiler was replaced by one from the Kingaroy Hospital and a caretaker was established onsite. In 1993 Nanango Shire Council ended its involvement with the mill and the Kilkivan Shire Council retained responsibility for the mill. Under local government amalgamations in 2008, the mill was transferred to the Gympie Regional Council.

02/11/2017

We are proud to have officially launched the Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail this Wednesday 2 November with an afternoon tea at the starting point of the trail at The Fiveways. Thanks to Cr Daryl Dodt for speaking on the day, and we look forward to people getting out and finding out some more information on the history and heritage of the town centre of Gympie.

The new Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail was officially opened yesterday at the Fiveways. Keep an eye out for the bronze plaques across the Town Centre (there's 14 of them) that highlight the places, people and events of the past that have contributed to our history.

For more details, visit https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/heritage-trails

23/10/2017

The Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail is another way for locals and visitors alike to get to know about our history and heritage, this time with a short pedestrian trail through the centre of town. Have a look at some of the significant people, places and events from the past - and appreciate what it has become today.

Feel free to attend the opening of the Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail on Wednesday, 1 November from 2pm. Afternoon tea will be provided. RSVP - Wednesday 25 October on 5481 0413 or email [email protected]

Come down to the opening of the Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail on Wednesday, 1 November from 2pm. Afternoon tea will be provided. RSVP - Wednesday 25 October on 5481 0413 or email [email protected]

08/10/2017

The Goomeri War Memorial Clock was unveiled on the 15 November 1940 by RSL State President, R.D. Huish. The memorial honours 9 First World War fallen soldiers and 12 men who fell in the Second World War.

The cost of construction was £700 at the time which was raised in the Goomeri community by the local RSL Sub Branch.

The Goomeri War Memorial Clock is significant as one of the few clock memorials erected for that specific purpose. The designer is unknown but the metal work was produced by Ernest Gunderson who established a metalworking company in Brisbane after migrating from Norway. The metal work was part of an earlier memorial which commemorated the First World War.

The letters “Lest we forget” replace numerals on each of the four clock faces.

Also, do not forget to take in all the sights and sounds of the Rush Festival throughout the month of October, especially in this sesquicentenary year, more commonly referred to as the G150.

04/10/2017

Make sure you get to a local newsagent and don't miss out on this fantastic publication!!!

We are at the launch of the National Trust of Gympie book Heritage Wonders. Books are available at all newsagents in the region for $9.95.

27/09/2017

It has been quite a while since our last post - the G150 has proven to be quite a busy time, especially heading into the Rush Festival coming up in October.

Regardless of this, it is good to see that people still find interest in the heritage places of the Gympie Region, and our focus for this month is on the Goomeri Hall of Memory. Erected in 1926, the site itself was originally used for silent picture shows.

On the 1st January, 1926 the Goomeri sub-branch of the RSL received its charter and was instrumental in the establishment of a Hall of Memory. The building committee purchased an existing timber building from Cuthbert Butt in Nanango, and A Kopp and W Toop erected it on the site by May 1926. A crows ash floor was laid for dancing and the hall was then painted.

The building was initially leased to Mr A. Rich for his picture show and his wife sold sweets under the hall which appears to have been enclosed soon after. It continued to be used as a picture theatre until the 1950s when film patronage began to dwindle. Over the years, Mr Duffy, who held the lease for showing films, installed electricity and equipment to show ‘talkies’. He also was one of the first country operators to install cinemascope.

In 1931 a large supper room with a kitchen was added. Space was made available by removal of wall sections out onto the enclosed verandahs in 1935. During WW2 the basement was used to store supplies in case of Japanese invasion. After the war it was partitioned and used as clubrooms for the RSL.

In 1971 the Kilkivan Shire Council accepted the responsibility for the hall. The Council modernized the kitchens and installed a bar and cold room at the supper room end of the hall. The hall is still used for a wide range of social functions to this day.

14/08/2017

There are some great places to discover around the western reaches of the Gympie region, in and around the townships of Kilkivan and Goomeri. Head in to the Visitor Information Centres, the Kilkivan Museum and the council branch offices in the townships to discover more about the history and heritage on offer.

28/07/2017

A fantastic pictorial resource for a lot of the iconic locations throughout the Gympie Region. These pictures are of really good quality and resolution - pick out where they are today!!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/queenslandstatearchives/sets/72157686021916466

Gympie was originally named Nashville after James Nash who discovered gold in the area in 1867. It was renamed Gympie in 1868.