Maryborough, QLD

Historic city on the Mary River now noted for its connections with Mary Poppins.

Maryborough is known as the 'Heritage City' and although it isn't as grand as Queensland's two premier 'Heritage Cities' - Rockhampton and Charters Towers - it actually predates them both by decades. The city can boast a large number of beautiful historic buildings and the original settlement site - now nothing more than a series of plaques - is a fascinating insight into the evolution of an important centre. Today Maryborough is a city driven by the surrounding sugar, grazing and timber industries and catering for the tourists who pass through on the journey north to Cairns.

Location

Maryborough is located 254 km north of Brisbane on the Mary River.

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Origin of Name

The river was named by Governor Sir Charles Augustus Fitzroy (Governor of the Colony of NSW from 1846-1855) after his wife, Lady Mary Fitzroy. It was a short step for the town that grew up the banks of the river to be named Maryborough. Prior to the naming of the Mary River the district had been known as Wide Bay and the local Badtjala First Nation people knew it as Booie, Numabulla, Mooraboocoola or Moonaboola.

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Things to See and Do

Maryborough Walk Tour
Maryborough is rich in elegant public, private and domestic buildings. Here are the detailed descriptions of some of the city's most impressive buildings. Of particular interest are:

City Hall
The City Hall is an impressive building which dominates the lower end of the main street. Located at 388 Kent Street it was designed by Robin Dods of the Brisbane architectural firm, Hall & Dods, in a distinctive American Colonial style and built in 1908. The exterior uses locally made Meredith bricks and local cedar is featured internally. The clock was added in 1935. 

St Paul's Anglican Church and Tower
Located on the corner of Lennox, Ellena and Adelaide Streets, St Paul's Anglican Church became the town's third Anglican church when it was completed in 1879. Before then there had been a church in the original township which had been built in 1853 and was moved in 1856. Then a larger wooden church was built in 1866. Finally the current building, a substantial nineteenth century Gothic revival ecclesiastical building, was consecrated in 1879. The most interesting aspect of the church is the free standing belltower with its nine bells, one of many gifts bestowed upon the town by Edward Aldridge, which was imported from England in 1888. It was dedicated to Aldridge's wife, Maria. For more information check out https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600705.

The Royal Hotel
For over 150 years the Royal Hotel on the corner of Bazaar Street and Kent Street retained its Royal Crest, granting it the status of a hotel under royal patronage. Until the hotel licence was cancelled in 2009 it could proudly proclaim that it was: 'famous for its hospitality and service since 1856, has been host to Governor Generals, State Governors, Prime Ministers, Premiers, and many distinguished overseas visitors.' It was given its 'royal patronage' by Governor Bowen when he conducted an official function at the hotel. In 1930 the Queensland Governor, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, wrote to King George V asking about the hotel's status and its royal patronage was duly confirmed. The Regal Room retains the Coat of Arms, presented by Governor Bowen. It is believed that one of Maryborough's earliest hotels, the Bush Inn, built by Edward Aldridge, was erected on the site in 1857. The new hotel, which dates from 1902, is believed to incorporate parts of the old hotel. The original licence for the hotel was granted in 1849. It is listed on the Heritage Register which notes that it is: "a substantial rendered brick building, constructed in 1902 to designs of Messrs Eaton and Bates, architects of Rockhampton. The present hotel was built for Mr RM Hyne, a local pioneer who developed many local manufacturing and community initiatives ... The hipped corrugated iron roof, featuring a prominent glazed roof lantern, is concealed by a rendered masonry parapet of Italianate balusters, punctuated by a series of moulded panels." See https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600700 for more detailed information.

Australian Joint Stock Bank and Mary Poppins Statue
Located on the corner of Richmond Street and Kent Street, the impressive old Australian Joint Stock Bank was built in 1882. The Union Bank occupied the building from 1906. In 1899, when her father Travers Goff, was the Bank Manager, Helen Lyndon Goff was born upstairs. She went on to become the famous author of the Mary Poppins books and outside, in the street, her connection with Maryborough is celebrated in a statue of the famous nanny. The statue was erected in 2005. It was sculpted by Dr Rhyl Hinwood as "a tribute to the author and the important place she holds in children's literature." For more information check out https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/arts/display/91954-p.-l.-travers-mary-poppins.

Custom House Hotel
Originally opened in 1868, this handsome hotel at 116 Wharf Street was extended in 1870 at the height of Maryborough's gold-driven prosperity and extended again in 1883. The elegant two-storey Custom House Hotel, with its fine cast-iron lacework, was used as a setting in the Kylie Minogue movie, The Delinquents. There is a fascinating photograph of it in it heyday at https://www.flickr.com/photos/hwmobs/28815986168/in/dateposted.

Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum
Located at 106 Wharf Street, the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum is a truly remarkable local museum which proudly declares that it contains:  "The unusual, the quirky and eclectic ... 10,000 items of military and colonial memorabilia ... and houses a VC awarded to Lieutenant (later Major) Herbert James, 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment for gallantry at Gully Ravine, Cape Helles, Gallipoli on 28th June and 3rd July 1915." It also contains one of only 9 VC's won by Australians during the Gallipoli campaign and the only one in Australia outside the Australian War Memorial. The medal, awarded to Captain Alfred John Shout was put up for auction in July 2006 and prominent businessman, Kerry Stokes, paid a world record $1,220,000 to purchase it. The museum also includes the watch worn by General Monash at Gallipoli and 505 photographs or photographic references of the 507 AIF and NZEF officer casualties at Gallipoli. It also contains "two of the most historically significant medal groups to Australian soldiers for the Vietnam War – 1964 to 1973." The Museum is open from 9.30 am - 3.30 pm Monday to Friday and 9.30 am - 12.30 pm on Saturday and Sunday. See https://www.maryboroughmuseum.org for more details.

Maryborough Heritage Centre
Located at 164 Richmond Street, this bank, formerly the Bank of New South Wales, was constructed in 1877 "possibly to the design of Sydney architect, George Mansfield in conjunction with Queensland architect, James Cowlishaw." It is an unusual building with iron columns supporting the verandas which have iron lace balustrades upstairs and wrought iron downstairs. It is claimed that during the Gympie goldrush this bank, and the others in town, processed more than 4 million ounces of gold. Today it has an excellent display of local history and, it is claimed, it "holds one of the largest collections of genealogy records in Queensland, covering the immigrant passengers into Queensland and cemetery and burial records for a number of Queensland areas." The Heritage Centre is open from 9.00 am - 1.00 pm Monday to Thursday. tel: (07) 4123 1620. For more detailed information about the building check out https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600711.

Maryborough Post Office
The post office, on the corner of Bazaar Street and Wharf Street, was designed by Charles Tiffin and constructed in 1866. This elegant and solid building is a reflection of the money that was flowing through Maryborough as a result of the Gympie goldrush. Interestingly it is the oldest post office of its kind in Queensland. It is a typical Victorian Classical Revival building with arcaded verandas and a clock tower which was added in 1879. A gracious two-storey building it is an important part of the Wharf Street streetscape. It is on the Commonwealth Heritage List which notes: "The 1866-9 exterior was designed by Charles Tiffin, including the broad form of an astylar palazzo with each loggia in antis between flanking pavilions with layered arched windows on the ground floor.  The loggia arches are supported on square columns with moulded springing points, suggesting a Tuscan order but not making any order explicit.  The archivolts are moulded with strongly stated keystones supporting a flat-fronted course line.  The ground-floor arches on the pavilions are double-layered with similar archivolt treatment to the arches in the loggias and recessed and surrounded by a second wall layer in cement-rendered brick.
"The upper level in Tiffin’s design was composed of two recessed stories above each loggia framed by the first floors of each pavilion.  The Bazaar Street side’s north pavilion and the east pavilion on Wharf Street were marked on their first floors by a three-light window with two large masonry mullions with segmental brick arches.  The corner pavilion has two arched windows in its first storey, with a recessed wall layer inside the arch framing two narrow arched windows with a roundel between their arches.  Above that was a single storey extension to form a clock tower.  This was separated from the first floor pavilion below by a dressed panel with a set of slots, and a coffered wall with a clock face inside the coffer facing Wharf Street, and a circular vent facing Bazaar Street.  This level had a coffered frieze, boxed eave without bracketing, and a simple low-pitched pyramidal roof.  Above this roof was a flagpole with a ball roof finial at its base.  The chimneys were in plain masonry with a cornice, string course necking and broadened base." See http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=106140 for more detail.

Queens Park
No visit to Maryborough is complete without a pleasant stroll in Queens Park. Located beside the Mary River it was where barristers and judges used to alight to walk to the Court House. The park has been Heritage Listed and with its distinctive and huge banyan tree (planted in 1900), elegant band rotunda, lily pond, waterfall and views across the Mary River it is a reminder of the charm and elegance of the city.

Band Rotunda, Fairy Fountain and MELSA
The band rotunda is an early example of prefabrication having been built in Glasgow and shipped out in 1890. Originally it incorporated the 'Fairy Fountain', an ornate drinking fountain, and was bequeathed to the people of Maryborough by Janet Melville whose brother, Andrew Melville, had been the town's mayor in 1863. The Fairy Fountain was removed from the rotunda so that the floor could be raised to provide audiences with better views of the performer. Near the rotunda are some 13-cm gauge railway tracks. The local Model Engineers and Live Steamers Association have been bringing their trains to these tracks on the last Sunday of each month since 1976.

Court House
At one corner of Queen's Park, and fronting Richmond Street (it is at 170 Richmond Street), is the Maryborough Court House. This elegant and solid two-storey Victorian Classical Revival building, designed by Colonial Architect, Francis Drummond Greville Stanley, was constructed between 1875 and 1877 for £7345. It has been in continuous use since 1878 and thus is the oldest court house still in use in Queensland. "The building was designed to host both a courtroom and government offices, located on the top floor and ground floor respectively. The building would also have two staircases, one being for the judges and legal practitioners, and the other for prisoners and the public." It is a building which reflects the extraordinary wealth and confidence generated by the Gympie goldfield. See https://legalheritage.sclqld.org.au/collections-and-research/history-of-the-regional-courthouses/maryborough for more information.

Bond Store Port of Maryborough
Located on Wharf Street, the Bond Store Port of Maryborough is constructed on a sandstone base and was built in three stages - in 1864, 1870 and 1883. It was built to provide storage for goods which attracted customs taxes and consequently has seen stocks of opium, rum, wine, beer, cigars and tobacco all stored inside its walls. "Today the Bond Store has been reinvented as a store for regional produce and houses fascinating displays and artefacts documenting Maryborough's Portside history. You can sample a range of delicious regional ports and liqueurs in the authentic surrounds of the Bond Store. A small provedore on site provides a range of regional produce and products for sale." See https://portside.ourfrasercoast.com.au/about/museums/bond-store for more details.

HM Customs House
Located on Richmond Street, this solid brick building was completed in 1900 to replace a building which had been seriously damaged by the flooding of the Mary River in 1893. It features a coat of arms and is a fine example of the elaborate brickwork which was commonplace at the end of the nineteenth century. Maryborough got its first customs officer in 1859 and this building remained a Customs House until 1987. It is Heritage listed. The entry explains: "In January 1899, AB Brady the colonial architect called for tenders for the construction of a customs house and residence in Maryborough. The tender of local contractors, Henry Neale and Son, was accepted with work to be completed within 12 months. The final cost of the two buildings was £5956 and they were constructed of locally made brick on concrete foundations with Marseilles roof tiles. The Customs House was single storey with a long room, offices, strong room and toilets. The residence was a two storey building with six bedrooms and wide verandahs allowing sweeping views of the river ... The building has been attributed to the architect, John Smith Murdoch who was an architect in the Department of Public Works in Queensland, under the leadership of AB Brady." See https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600709 for more details.

Firing of the Historic Time Cannon
One of the city's true novelties, the Time Gun is fired twice every Thursday. It was so loud that it was estimated it could be heard  30 km away. The gun was given to the city from the Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. It was found on the Torres Strait island of Mobiag and was most likely used by the vessels of the Dutch East India Company during the seventeenth century. It was presented as a response to the criticism that the town had no clock. The gun was first fired on 21 March 1878 but ceased in 1879 because of the cost of the powder. Today it is fired every Thursday at 11.00 am at the Customs House Residence Lawn and at 1.00 pm at the Maryborough City Hall. See https://nationaltrustqld.org.au/whats-on/firing-historic-time-cannon?occurrenceID=4649 for more information.

This is only a selection. The careful visitor should spend a couple of hours exploring this remarkable concentration of elegant buildings.

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Other Attractions in the Area

Maryborough Drive Tour
The Maryborough Drive Tour takes around 90 minutes but it would be easy to spend the entire day exploring Rosehill Homestead (dating from 1859), Baddow House (1888), the original township, the Pioneer Graves, the Maryborough Cemetery and other fascinating relics of the city's impressive past.

Old Maryborough
The original Maryborough site, occupied from 1847 to 1854 and located near the Mary River (bounded by George and Aldridge Streets), is a series of plaques describing the early history of the town. Although none of the original buildings remain, there is a Heritage Walk which, through a series of plaques, recounts the history of the long-departed houses and shops. The only enduring historic features are the old Furber graves and Baddow House. The fifteen points of interest on the walk include the Teamsters Paddock, the site of the Bush Inn, the site of Furber's Inn, the landing, wool store, sawpits, tanning pits and sawyers huts. There was a move to develop the area commercially in 2014 but it was effectively rebuffed by a Save Maryborough Old Township for the Community campaign which included a Facebook page which attracted more than 1,000 likes.

Baddow House
Baddow House, now located at 366 Queen Street, was built in 1883 for Edgar Thomas Aldridge who established trading and wool stores on the banks of the Mary River and opened the Bush Inn (now the Royal Hotel). When Baddow House came up for sale in 2012 the agent reported: "The house has rendered triple brick interior and exterior walls. The floors are crows ash and hoop pine, and joinery (doors, panelling, architraves and the original staircase) is red cedar. The home has six fireplaces, six bedrooms, a library, office, country kitchen, formal dining and a separate studio in the garden. The house has a total area of 896 sq m under roof and is on 2 acres of landscaped gardens."

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History

* Prior to the arrival of Europeans the area was the home of the Badtjala First Nation people who occupied the coastal hinterland and Fraser Island.

* The first Europeans to pass up the coast near Maryborough were Captain James Cook in 1770 and Matthew Flinders in 1802.

* In 1842 the explorer Andrew Petrie sailed up the coast from Moreton Bay in a whaleboat. His brief was to investigate the economic potential of the harbour which lay behind Fraser Island. He was looking for exploitable stands of bunya trees. Petrie travelled nearly 80 km up the Mary River and, although he did not find the bunya trees, one of his crew, Henry Stuart Russell, in his Genesis of Queensland which was published in 1889, declared after the journey that he had "seen what looks like a first-rate harbour, and a river in which I yet hope, if I can but find fit country on or near it, goodbye to drays, bullocks, Cunningham's Gap and hells holes - hoorah! for immediate water carriage for wool."

* By the 1840s the district had been settled and in July 1847 the government surveyor, J. C. Burnett, surveyed the river, declaring that it was "an eligible position for the establishment of a town as parties will no doubt settle there as soon as there is prospect of trade". At the time the river was known as Wide Bay to Europeans and variously as Booie, Numabulla, Mooraboocoola or Moonaboola to the Badtjala Aborigines.

* In September 1847 George Furber built a store, a house and a jetty at Wide Bay and by December he had shipped his first load of 65 bales of wool.

* As early as 1848 two businessmen, Aldridge and Palmer, set up their business on the opposite bank of the river and were offering easier access to the port. Their superior location dominated and Furber was forced to move across the river.

* The settlement was officially named Maryborough on 23 January, 1849.

* By 1849 over 1000 bales of wool were being shipped out and hotels, stores and shops had sprung up and the new town was booming.

* In 1850 Surveyor Labatt recommended a site further east of the original site, a government wharf was built and the whole town moved.

* The original Maryborough site, located between the Bruce Highway (at the Gympie end of town) and the Mary River, was abandoned by 1856.

* In 1861 Maryborough was officially proclaimed a municipality. It was around this time that cotton was grown in the area.

* In 1865 the Maryborough Sugar Company was established.

* In 1867 gold was discovered at Gympie and Maryborough became a major port for prospectors travelling to the fields.

* In 1869 the town's elegant post office was built.

* Many significant buildings were constructed in the late 1870s and 1880s including: Maryborough Court House (1877), Bank of New South Wales (1877), St Paul's Church of England (1879), Maryborough Railway Station (1880), Maryborough Boys Grammar School (1881), Criterion Hotel (1883), Maryborough Mortuary Chapel (1884), Maryborough Base Hospital (1888), and the Maryborough School of Arts (1888).

* In 1899 Helen Lyndon Goff, who took the name P.L. Travers when she became an author, was born at the Australian Joint Stock Bank (her father was the manager). She went on to write the famous Mary Poppins stories.

* Maryborough was declared a City in 1905.

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Visitor Information

Maryborough Visitor Information Centre, City Hall, Kent Street, Maryborough, tel: 1800 214 789

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Useful Websites

The excellent local website - http://www.ourfrasercoast.com.au/ - includes information on unusual tours, Mary Poppins, markets and other useful information about Maryborough.

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