Arts & Culture
Rich Heritage and Vibrant Creative Community
The Gympie Region boasts a fascinating cultural landscape that encompasses significant Australian history, particularly the pivotal gold rush era that shaped Queensland’s development, alongside a thriving contemporary arts scene that celebrates both traditional and innovative creative expression.
The region’s cultural offerings provide visitors with authentic insights into Australian heritage while showcasing the creativity and artistic talent of contemporary regional communities.
Inspired by stunning nature, driven by pioneering spirit and focused on the future, Gympie Region’s story is one of determination and creativity. This unique region fosters a diverse and creative culture, with opportunities to experience firsthand the foundations laid down by pioneers. Visitors are inspired to journey back in time on a steam train, follow the heritage trail, catch a show at a local venue, or immerse themselves in fantastic art.
Arts & Culture
Gympie Regional Gallery
Housed in the beautiful 1905 heritage School of Arts building, the Gympie Regional Gallery has been a social hub for arts and culture in the region for over 25 years. The Gallery showcases a diverse mix of professional and emerging artists from our region, as well as touring exhibitions from across Australia.
Join in a vibrant and engaging array of art classes, artist talks and tours, or simply drop by to explore our changing program of exhibitions.
Architecture and Historic Buildings
Gympie’s streetscape preserves numerous buildings from the gold rush era, creating an authentic historical environment that allows visitors to experience the atmosphere of a 19th-century Australian gold town.
- Deep Creek Clock Tower: Iconic landmark and symbol of the city
- Historic Banks: Grand Victorian buildings reflecting the wealth generated by gold
- Miners’ Cottages: Simple but charming homes built for working-class families
- Commercial Buildings: Shops, hotels, and businesses serving the mining community
- Religious Buildings: Churches representing various denominations within the mining community
Kilkivan & District Museum
The Museum has been operating for nearly 50 years and houses in excess of 22,000 items of local significance, including photographs and documents relating to mining, forestry, and dairying, and town, school and family histories of Goomeri, Kilkivan, Widgee and Woolooga.
The Museum also houses a magnificent mineral collection of approximately 5,000 specimens. This mineral collection was a lifetime achievement of Paul Stumm, who was a descendant of the Stumm family who had a connection to the original “Gympie Times”. Our volunteers are also available to carry out research into family history.
Historical Heritage & Gold Rush Legacy
Gympie’s holds a pivotal role in history following the discovery of gold in 1867 representing one of the most significant events in Queensland’s colonial history. When James Nash discovered gold near what would become Gympie, the struggling Queensland colony was facing potential bankruptcy. The massive gold finds that followed literally saved the colony from financial ruin, earning Gympie the enduring title “The Town That Saved Queensland.”
The gold rush attracted thousands of prospectors from around Australia and internationally, creating a bustling frontier town almost overnight. Chinese miners, European immigrants, and colonial settlers created a diverse community united by the pursuit of gold. This multicultural heritage remains evident in historical records, cemetery inscriptions, and archaeological sites throughout the region.
Heritage Walking Trails in the region
Self-guided trail connecting significant historical sites throughout the city centre and region. Interpretive signs and QR codes provide detailed information about each building’s history, architectural features, and role in the community’s development.
Gympie, Kilkivan and Goomeri have heritage trails that take you on a tour around historic sites of the town. A plaque at each site gives you the history of that location, with some of the sites being the original buildings!
Mary Valley Rattler Heritage Railway
The Mary Valley Rattler operates on a section of the original railway line that connected Gympie to Brisbane and facilitated the transport of gold, timber, and agricultural products. This fully restored heritage railway provides authentic steam train experiences while preserving important transportation history.
Historical Significance:
The railway line played a crucial role in the region’s development, enabling the efficient transport of gold to Brisbane and bringing supplies and people to the mining areas. The engineering challenges of building through difficult terrain created impressive bridges, cuttings, and tunnels that remain engineering marvels.
Rolling Stock:
The railway operates authentic steam locomotives and heritage carriages restored to their original specifications. The restoration work preserves traditional railway craftsmanship and provides educational insights into historical transportation technology.
Scenic Journeys:
Regular services operate between Gympie and Imbil, passing through diverse landscapes that showcase the region’s natural beauty while following the historical route used by miners, loggers, and early settlers.
Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum
This comprehensive museum preserves and interprets the region’s gold mining heritage through extensive collections of mining equipment, historical photographs, documents, and personal artifacts from the gold rush era.
Museum Highlights:
- Authentic Mining Equipment – Steam engines, stamp batteries, and hand tools used in gold extraction
- Underground Mine Experience: Replica mine tunnels providing authentic mining experiences
- Historical Photographs: Extensive collections documenting the gold rush period
- Personal Stories: Artifacts and documents telling individual miners’ stories
- Interactive Displays: Hands-on experiences including gold panning demonstrations
- Research Facilities: Genealogical resources for family history research
Educational Programs:
The museum provides educational programs for schools and community groups, explaining mining techniques, social history, and the environmental impacts of gold mining. Special exhibitions feature different aspects of regional history and traveling displays from other museums.
Popular Historical Highlights
- Woodworks Museum & Interpretive Centre this specialised museum celebrates the region’s timber industry heritage, which developed alongside gold mining to provide materials for mine infrastructure and housing.
- Gympie Town Hall, built on the site where gold was discovered by James Nash and opened in 1891.
- Historic Mary Street, a double line of prospectors’ tents sprung up along the sides of the digging bank after gold was found at Nash’s Gully in 1867 and is now our main street.
- Gympie Historic Station has been in operation since 1881 and the present building was completed in 1913 based on the Queensland Railways A ‘Pagoda’ standard design
- Booubyjan Homestead, a complex of timber structures built between the 1860–1870s by the Lawless family
- Double Island Point Lighthouse, access by 4WD only and offering commanding 360o views including K’gari Fraser Island
- Goomeri War Memorial Clock, a landmark for the town which earned Goomeri the name of “Clocktown”
- Dickabram Bridge, spanning the Mary River at Miva, built in 1886 it is the oldest remaining large steel truss bridge constructed in Queensland
- Imbil Railway Bridge, crossing Yabba Creek and once part of the Brooloo line
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