Gympie – a little town just over an hour’s drive north of Brisbane is like thousands of other towns. Nothing stands out, the highway zooms past on the outskirts with only fuel and fast food stops to distract a driver. Yet, for history buffs, Gympie has so much to offer. In fact, the state of Queensland owes its very existence to Gympie – a town that has been written in history as “the town that saved Queensland”.
In the middle of the 19th Century, the state of Queensland was on the brink of bankruptcy. New South Wales was poised to take over with the two states amalgamating into one huge state. By chance, a gentleman by the name of James Nash discovered the one product that
could save the state – gold – and lots of it too. In fact, gold is still being mined in this area with a large goldmine still in use on the southern approaches to Gympie. Gold of course started a rush with thousands flocking to the area. Many worked for mines while others worked the many creeks and rivers in the area panning for gold.
Railway Hotel, Gympie, Queensland.
You can still see evidence of this period in numerous museums and restored heritage buildings. Gympie has thrived and grown in the decades since gold and is now a hub for tourism – although you wouldn’t know it from outward appearances. But then, that is the appeal of this quiet little town. While Gympie has little but history to offer, the area around is so diverse there is something there for everyone. You can read more about Gympie here.
The Mary Valley
Gympie is the gateway to the Mary Valley, an area dominated by the Mary River, one of the few rivers in Australia that actually flows north. The Mary Valley is a rich agricultural area but more importantly, a flora and fauna area that is famous for some it’s rare species. These include the Mary River turtle (sometimes cited as Mary River tortoise) and the Australian Lungfish. We will write a special page dedicated to the Mary Valley at a later date.