Maleny, Queensland
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Maleny (pronounced ''muh-LAY-knee'') is a rural town and
locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...
in the
Sunshine Coast Region The Sunshine Coast Region is a local government area located in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia, from which it takes its name. It was created by the amalgamation in 2008 of the City of Caloundra and the Shires o ...
,
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia. Maleny was a timber town until the early 1920s and then was a centre of dairy production and fruit growing. In the , the locality of Maleny had a population of 3,959 people.


Geography

Maleny is north of
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
on the
Blackall Range The Blackall Range is a mountain range in South East Queensland, Australia. The first European explorer in the area was Ludwig Leichhardt. It was named after Samuel Blackall, the second Governor of Queensland. The Blackall Range dominates the ...
overlooking the
Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...
hinterland. Nearby towns include Landsborough, Montville, Peachester, Palmwoods and Hunchy. Nearby places of geographical significance include the
Glass House Mountains The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of thirteen hills that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The highest hill is Mount Beerwah at 556 metres above sea level, but t ...
and
Baroon Pocket Dam The Baroon Pocket Dam is a rock-fill dam, rock and earth-fill dam, earth-fill embankment dam, embankment dam with an Spillway#Types, un-gated spillway across the Obi Obi Creek, in North Maleny, Sunshine Coast Region, in South East Queensland, S ...
(in North Maleny). Baroon Pocket Dam constructed in 1989 is fed by the Obi Obi Creek, a significant tributary of the upper Mary River, which drains the basalt capped Maleny plateau. Water runoff statistics have been kept in this area since the 1940s showing that the average annual rainfall is and the runoff into Baroon Pocket Dam receives annually about 64,000 megalitres. The Baroon Pocket Dam holds about 61,000 megalitres of water and the treatment plant supplies about 150 megalitres of treated water to the Sunshine Coast daily. Maleny is situated approximately above sea level, among the characteristic rolling green hills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Prior to European settlement, the area was covered in thick sub-tropical rainforest with huge hardwood trees. Loggers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries opened up the area seeking valuable timber, which was prized locally and in Europe. Heavy logging led to the almost complete denuding of the rainforest clad hills in the district around Maleny. Only a few pockets of forest remain in steeper terrain and in one large remnant patch (around ) which now forms
Mary Cairncross Reserve The Mary Cairncross Reserve is a conservation park located on the Blackall Range east of Maleny, in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. Maleny is approximately north of Brisbane and west of Caloundra. The reserve is positioned in ...
. Landsborough–Maleny Road enters from the east, Maleny–Montville Road exits to the north-east,
Maleny–Kenilworth Road Blackall Range road network is a group of roads that provide access to the mountain localities and towns from various lowland places, and enable travel between the mountain communities. The network ensures continuity of access in times of floodin ...
exits to the north-west, and Maleny–Stanley River Road exits to the south-west.


History

The name Maleny is probably derived from the parish name, which in turn is possibly derived from the Scottish place name Malleny, a historic house and garden in the
Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...
village of the same name. The area around Maleny was originally populated by the Nalbo and the Dallambara — two aboriginal tribes of the
Gubbi Gubbi language Gubbi Gubbi, also spelt Kabi Kabi, is a language of Queensland in Australia, formerly spoken by the Kabi Kabi people of South-east Queensland. The main dialect, Gubbi Gubbi, is extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by th ...
group. The area was known for its bunya feasts which happened every third year when the giant bunya tree was in fruit. The first European to document Maleny was the explorer
Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (; 23 October 1813 – ), known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.Ken Eastwood,'Cold case: Leichhardt's disappearanc ...
who describes the area in his travel diary in 1844. The first European settlement followed in the wake of the
Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. Located in the Greater Sunshine Coast, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River ( ...
gold rush of 1867. A track linking Maleny to Landsborough was cut in 1880. An official proclamation of Maleny as a town occurred in 1891. Since just after the turn of the 20th century, the Maleny Community Centre has provided facilities to residents and visitors for a wide range of activities. The Maleny Butter Factory began operation in 1904. Two years later, Maleny Post Office opened by February 1906. (A
receiving office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
had been open from 1889.) Maleny Township State School opened on 22 April 1913. In 1915 its name was changed to Maleny State School. Maleny State High School opened 27 January 1987. Maleny Baptist Church opened in July 1914. The Maleny branch of the
Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...
was formed in 1929. St George's
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
Church was dedicated on 6 September 1931 by Archbishop Sharp. It had been relocated from the
Beerburrum Soldier Settlement Beerburrum Soldier Settlement was a soldier settlement (Australia), soldier settlement in Beerburrum, Queensland, Beerburrum, Queensland, Australia, established to provide opportunities for Australian soldiers returning from World War I. It is ...
where it was dedicated (also as St George's) on 20 August 1922 by Canon D.J. Garland, but it fell into disuse due to the failure of the settlement and was formally closed in August 1931 prior to its removal to Maleny. The building was originally built as a chapel at the Enoggera army barracks during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
by the Soldiers' Church of England Help Society. Many of the furnishings and ornaments of the church were donated in memory of soldiers who had died, including the altar and its furnishings which were donated in the member of
Earl Kitchener Earl Kitchener, of Khartoum and of Broome in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1914 for the famous officer Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener, 1st Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum. He had alread ...
. Although a campaign to have a police station in the town was started in the 1920s, it wasn't until 1952 that permission to convert a house into the police station and residence (in use until 2017) was granted. On 15 August 1995, the
Queensland Governor The governor of Queensland is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in the state of Queensland. In an analogous way to the governor-general at the national level, the governor performs constitutional and ceremonial func ...
Leneen Forde Mary Marguerite Leneen Forde, DStJ (born 12 May 1935) is a Canadian-born Australian retired solicitor and former Chancellor of Griffith University, who served as the 22nd Governor of Queensland from 1992 until 1997. Forde chaired the Commissio ...
dedicated the Maleny War Memorial. Maleny hosted the Maleny Folk Festival from its inception in 1987 to 1993, when it was moved to the nearby town of Woodford and renamed to the
Woodford Folk Festival The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, Queensland, Woodford, north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural e ...
. The Maleny Library was opened in 1998 with a major refurbishment in 2012. Maleny's population growth since 2000 has brought an increase in urban development. Many local residents have resisted some of the development, the most notable being the establishment of a Woolworths store in the town. In July 2005, a rally attracted about 300 protestors objecting to the store. Many locals were opposed to the idea. (79% of local residents opposed according to "Market Facts" survey of 20 July 2005.) A number of motivations for the protest existed but of particular concern was that the supermarket was to be built over a significant
platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or monotypi ...
habitat and that local traders would be negatively affected as well as issues regarding local council members going against the original town planning agreement regarding all development in Maleny to be in fitting with "the village environ" that characterises much of the townships of the Blackall Range. Badges and posters reading "I WON'T SHOP THERE" were seen in Maleny as part of the anti-Woolworths campaign, although the bumper stickers can now be seen in the Woolworths car park. The campaign against the supermarket achieved international coverage. Despite protests and an offer to purchase the site for A$2 million (pledged by local residents) the supermarket opened on 3 April 2006. Although many residents refuse to shop in the supermarket, nonetheless Woolworths recorded it as one of its top 30 stores in 2008. In 2013, many residents protested the construction of a petrol station and convenience store at 19 & 21 Bunya St, Maleny by the IGA Supermarket. Protestors cited proximity to the primary school as the main issue with the development proposal. The proposal was abandoned by the owners of the IGA supermarket who said "We don't want to embroil our business in something that is controversial." In 2016,
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
-based advertising executive and author David Rollins proposed a "TT Style" motorcycle race for the Maleny area. Maleny residents formed a protest group to oppose this event called "Peaceful Roads Sunshine Coast." The group protested the event citing safety, noise and access issues of concern and that the event was not in keeping with the existing tourism activities in the area. The application was withdrawn in August 2018. In 2018, Jeanette Jamieson became the Anglican priest in charge of the Parish of Maleny, having previously served in the Parish of Kilcoy. Maleny Independent School was a private secondary (7–10) school at 23 Coral Street (). It opened in 1918, initially offering Years 7 and 8. In 2019, the school had an enrolment of 25 students with one principal (0.8 full-time equivalent), three teachers (part-time) and one non-teaching staff (part-time). As at 2024, the school has closed.


Demographics

In the , the locality of Maleny had a population of 3,734 people. In the , the locality of Maleny had a population of 3,959 people.


Heritage listings

Maleny has a number of
heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...
sites, including: * Fairview, 15 Porter's Lane * Maleny Lodge Guest House, 58 Maple Street


Economy

Maleny has replaced its timber-cutting and dairying past with tourism with a large influx of people who wanted an alternative lifestyle. As well as being on the Hinterland tourist drive, Maleny attracts daytrippers from
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
and the
Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...
who are attracted to the various stores, art galleries and specialty shops. Maleny is home to a large number of
cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
enterprises. There are art galleries, health food and organic produce stores, cafes, the Maleny Credit Union, a thriving business centre, rural settlements, a community golf course, alternative schools, alternative medical treatment centres, organic farms,
intentional communities An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, which may be politica ...
including the Crystal Waters Permaculture Village in nearby Conondale and the Fountainhead organic retreat and education centre (whose founder received a certificate from Senator Mark Furner for his work in helping those with depression and anxiety).


Education

Maleny State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 16 Bunya Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 409 students with 32 teachers (27 full-time equivalent) and 23 non-teaching staff (14 full-time equivalent). The school offers a special education program. Ananda Marga River School (also known as The River School) is a private primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 251 Bridge Creek Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 126 students with 14 teachers (10 full-time equivalent) and 17 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent). Maleny State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 50 Bunya Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 705 students with 60 teachers (55 full-time equivalent) and 29 non-teaching staff (20 full-time equivalent). The school offers a special education program.


Amenities

The Anglican parish of Maleny is part of the
Anglican Diocese of Brisbane The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, also known as Anglican Church Southern Queensland, is based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The diocesan bishop's seat is at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane. The diocese stretches from the south-eastern coastl ...
. Some of the parish's recent priests have been involved with the
Progressive Christianity Progressive Christianity represents a range of related perspectives in contemporary Christian theology and practice. It is a postmodern theological approach, which developed out of the liberal Christianity of the modern era, although progressive C ...
movement. The parish declares "We publicly support LGBTIQ+ people, celebrating their gifts and ministry among us". There are also a number of
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
churches in the town: the Maleny Presbyterian Church, Maleny Uniting Church, the Church on the Rise, Maleny Baptist Church, and Maleny Seventh Day Adventist Church. The
Sunshine Coast Regional Council The Sunshine Coast Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area located in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia, from which it takes its name. It was created by the amalg ...
operate a library at 5 Coral Street which has a meeting room, wireless internet access, and access to a variety of books and periodicals. The library also conducts a number of public programs for community members of all ages. Plans to extend the Maleny Library are ongoing, as the library is the second smallest of the council's libraries but one of the busiest. The Sunshine Coast Libraries Plan 2014 - 2024 recommends reassessment of car parking provisions, the interior design of library spaces and opportunities to use alternate community spaces for library activities. The Maleny branch of the
Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...
meets at 1 Bicentenary Lane.


Attractions

McCarthy Lookout is at 563 Mountain View Road (). It provides views of the Glasshouse Mountains. Despite its name, Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World is at 233 Maleny Stanley River Road in neighbouring Wootha.


Climate

Located on the humid eastern slopes of the Blackall Range, Maleny is one of the wettest towns in Queensland away from the north tropical coast. The average annual rainfall is about ; however, during unusually wet years twelve-month rainfall totals of up to can be recorded, with monthly totals over and 24-hour totals up to . Temperatures are mild and rarely get above in summer or drop below in winter.


Notable natives

* Mike Ahern, Queensland National Party politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1987 to September 1989.


See also

Blackall Range road network


References


Further reading

* *


External links

* * {{Authority control Towns in Queensland Suburbs of the Sunshine Coast Region Localities in Queensland