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Gympie Gold Mining And Historical Museum

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is a popular museum in Gympie, Queensland.

After all, the town’s rich and colourful history has a lot to say, and it would be a shame to visit and not learn about it.

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, Entry Prices & Hours, QLD

You’ll also get to learn about some prominent locals and how they contributed to Gympie as we know it.

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum encompasses over 5 hectares, with 30 displays located in 15 buildings. It’s the best place to come and learn about the gold mining past of the town.

The primary building is known as The Tank, which opened in 1970 as the museum. Interestingly, it used to be a water reservoir, built in 1902 and served as the mining lease for the No. 2 South Great Eastern Mine.

Other notable highlights include the Elliotville Model Train Display, Machinery Shed, Lower Wonga School, and the Leyland Cub Bus, among many others.

The museum is open from 9am to 4pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Good Friday.

After your tour, have a meal and delicious coffee at the café as you take in the view of the parks and nearby lakes . You can also purchase a souvenir of your visit to the gift shop.

There are educational programs available here, including the Blacksmith Shop, Dairy Museum, Gold & Gold Panning, and Gold Mining area.

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is a top-notch museum that should not be missed while you are in town .

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum Images & Photos

Gympie gold mining and historical museum information & details, opening hours, phone number, email address, ticket prices / admission, gympie gold mining and historical museum area, street & hotel map, qld, other places we recommend.

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Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

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Discover Gold At The Gorgeous Town of Gympie – Then Be Awestruck By The Natural Beauty Of The Mary Valley

Gympie is one of the most historic, charming and friendly towns in all of australia – and there’s real gold to be found in its river , gympie – the natural place to work, rest and play.

Gympie was officially established in 1868, taking its name from gimpi gimpi, a local Aboriginal word for a stinging tree. Before this time, the town was called Nashville in honour of James Nash, the discoverer of gold, who “saved Queensland.”

The town is 169 kilometres north of Brisbane, located on the Mary River. It acts as a service centre for the agricultural district known for its vegetables, tropical fruit, beef cattle, and dairy production.

The main street of Gympie is Mary Street. This is at the centre of town and features shady trees and a broad shopping boulevard.

Y ou can pan for gold, ride on the Gympie Rattler a restored steam train and learn about Queensland’s gold rush days; its the perfect getaway away from the beach for day-trippers or the serious holidaymaker.

Charming Gympie is the town famously known for saving Queensland from bankruptcy when James Nash first discovered gold.

History has been beautifully preserved in Gympie , and now there’s boutique stores and gourmet cafés that add to the legend of the town.

Close to Gympie lies pristine, forest-clad Mary Valley Country which is packed full of national parks, reserves, rivers, waterfalls, forests and is home to the great Mary Valley Rattler Rail Journey.

If you love the great outdoors this unique and spectacular area abounds with rain-forest, open forest and the true splendour of nature with numerous natural attractions and majestic views for everyone to enjoy.

A red train traveling over a bridge on the Sunshine Coast.

The History of Gympie

Gympie has its history as the “Town that saved Queensland.” While this may seem like a tall tale, it is actually accurate. After becoming a state, Queensland had just a decade before it faced bankruptcy in 1867. There was high unemployment, and the Bank of Queensland closed its doors. In fact, there was so much financial strain on the government; it was forced to halt work on the Ipswich Toowoomba railway.

In an attempt to raise funds, the government offered a reward to anyone who discovered gold. James Nash found gold near the modern-day site of Gympie, and overnight the wealth of this goldfield started a gold rush that saved the state.

What is even more inspiring is that Nash made his discovery with just a panning dish and a pick. He was so poor that when his pick broke, he took an ounce of gold he’d panned and walked to Maryborough to buy more equipment and rations before returning to Gympie. Within a week, he had found 75 ounces of gold, and once his find was registered, the gold rush began.

Today, Gympie has a population of more than 21,000 people and welcomes visitors from across Australia and the world.

gympie gold mine tours

Things to Do in Gympie

Gympie is packed with sights and activities for visitors to enjoy. These include:

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum:

This museum is set in five hectares of land and includes 18 buildings. This includes Andrew Fisher’s home, who was Australia’s second prime minister. This is a superb folk museum, and one of its highlights is the only mining building that still stands in Gympie. In fact, some of the equipment is even fired up on a “steaming day.”

The Valley Rattler:

You can rediscover a bygone era with the Mary Valley Rattler. This will allow you to experience Queensland’s heritage of rail travel. Board the steam locomotive and enjoy a scenic journey from Gympie to Amamoor. You can also discover the heritage museum and enjoy refreshments in the Platform No 1 Cafe.

Lake Alford Park:

Lake Alford Park is a great spot for a picnic or to simply relax and enjoy the beautiful park. Be sure to seek out the Statue to the Gold Diggers. This monument showcases the crucial role gold played in the town’s evolution and the importance to Queensland.

Wood Works Museum:

Located beyond the north end of Gympie, this museum displays a vast selection of hand tools used during the early timber industry. There is also a replica of a timber cutter’s hut, a blacksmith’s shop, and a working replica of a steam driven bush sawmill from the 1860s. You can even see a Republic truck from 1925 that was used to winch logs.

If you time your visit right, you can see a display of cross cut sawing and pit sawing.

Gympie Region Heritage Trails:

This is a map with 24 buildings of historical interest in the Gympie area. This includes Gympie Court House, which was built in approximately 1900, the Bank of NSW, the Stock Exchange Building, the Queensland National Bank, and the Lands Office Building

Getting to Gympie From the Sunshine Coast

Gympie is just an hour’s drive from the Sunshine Coast. However, you don’t need to worry about navigating unfamiliar roads or finding parking, with a Coast to Hinterland tour. We’ll handle the transport for your day trip to Gympie, so you can relax and enjoy the journey.

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gympie gold mine tours

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

Graham S

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

gympie gold mine tours

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Laurie S

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GYMPIE GOLD MINING AND HISTORICAL MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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  • (2.28 mi) Room Motels Gympie
  • (0.03 mi) Gympie Gold Museum Cafe'
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Home » Travel Guides » Australia » 15 Best Things to Do in Gympie (Australia)

15 Best Things to Do in Gympie (Australia)

In the Sunshine Coast’s hinterland you’ll find the town hailed for saving Queensland from bankruptcy in the 1860s.

Alluvial gold was discovered in the area in 1867, triggering a gold rush that turned Gympie into a fully fledged town in a matter of months.

As you wander Gympie it’s fun to remember that the central Mary Street follows the course of a mining trench flanked by encampments, while the Town Hall is on the very site where prospector James Nash struck gold in 1867. There will be lots of opportunities to connect with Gympie’s past, on a heritage railway, at museums filled with artefacts from the early days and on the town’s historic streets.

These are lined with hotels, churches, shops and music halls that sprang up on the back of the gold rush 150 years ago.

1. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

This fantastic museum, bursting with historic machinery and old relocated buildings, tells you everything you need to know about the industries that sustained Gympie in its early years.

One of the heritage buildings on the site belonged to Andrew Fisher, prime minister of Australia for three terms between 1908 and 1915, and houses a collection of period furniture.

There are all sorts of compelling things to see, from authentic gold mining paraphernalia to a steam engine, 1923 ambulance, vintage railway goods crane, a two-man chainsaw and horse-drawn carts.

There are also pieces from WWI and WWII in the collection of the Fifth Light Horse Regiment, active between 1914-1919 and 1921-1943. Kids will love the educational gold panning exhibit, which will show you how to spot gold among alluvial gravel.

2. Mary Valley Rattler

Mary Valley Rattler

A long branch of the North Coast Railway Line, dating back to the 1910s, is open in Gympie as one of Australia’s longest heritage railways.

At the historic, heritage-listed Gympie Railway Station you’ll board an elegant carriage pulled by a C17 967 steam locomotive from 1950. The 46-kilometre round trip takes you south along the banks of the Mary River and its tributaries, stopping at quaint townships, crossing century-old bridges and negotiating curves and gradients along the winding route to Imbil.

Before or after your journey it’s worth pausing at Gympie Station for its museum display, gift shop and cafe.

3. Woodworks Museum & Interpretive Centre

Woodworks Museum & Interpretive Centre

After the Gold Rush, the timber industry took over as the main employer in the Gympie region, and remains a way of life to this day.

This museum in the north of Gympie proper was opened by the Department of Forestry in 1984 and shines a light on the timber industry and the many changes it has come through down the decades.

There are some thrilling exhibits to peruse, like original pioneer tree felling tools, a 1900 steam-driven sawmill and a 1925 Republic winch truck.

There’s a demonstration area where you’ll be able to see the manual tools in action, while the museum also presents the art of woodcarving, which you can observe at the Woodworkers’ Workshop.

Souvenirs hand-made here are for sale at the museum shop.

4. Memorial Park

Memorial Park, Gympie

One of many heritage-listed places around Gympie, this park of remembrance was laid out on a triangular plot south of Mary Street in the aftermath of WWI.

Memorial Park was opened in 1921 and was visited a few months later by the future King Edward VIII when he unveiled the Gympie and Widgee War Memorial Gates, which open onto the green space.

The park itself has large, accommodating lawns, a small playscape, meandering paved walkways, dainty rockery beds and gum trees, pines, jacarandas, poinsettias and palms.

It was all intended as a memorial to the 167 local men who lost their lives in the war, and returning servicemen were employed for the project.

At the centre is a bandstand (1920) paying tribute to a bandmaster, and there’s a monument to James Nash, the prospector who first discovered gold in the area in 1867.

5. Lake Alford Recreation Park

Lake Alford Recreation Park

As you approach Gympie on the Bruce Highway from the south you’ll arrive at one of the town’s best assets.

Spreading out south of the gold mining museum is Lake Alford, a sinuous pond ensconced by lawns, flowerbeds and tall shady trees.

Ducks, swans and a wealth of other waterbirds and bushbirds flock to the banks and can be fed if you bring healthy snacks like birdseed instead of bread.

At the entrance to the park is a monument to the gold miners whose discoveries in Gympie lifted all of Queensland out of an economic depression in the 1860s.

There’s a superb all-abilities playground by the lake, as well as an off-leash dog park and barbecue facilities.

On the first, third and fifth Sunday of the month, the Gympie Museum Markets trade at Lake Alford.

6. Mary Street

Mary Street, Gympie

If you spend any time in Gympie you’re bound to find yourself on Mary Street at some point.

This is the town’s main shopping and dining thoroughfare, with broad footpaths and mature shady trees.

What’s also fascinating about Mary Street is that the route was set down as soon as gold was discovered in the area in 1867. This was the site of a dual row of tents that traced the digging bank.

So as well as being somewhere to browse family-run shops and sip coffee, Mary Street is endowed with a lot of heritage buildings, as you’ll tell from the Neoclassical facades and the cantilevered verandahs belonging to former hotel buildings.

At No. 236 check out the Gympie Stock Exchange, from 1882, while at No. 242 the Neoclassical Bank of New South Wales Building has been standing since 1891.

7. Historic Architecture

Gympie Town Hall

Mary Street can be the beginning of a tour of Gympie’s assortment of 19th and early 20th-century heritage.

In fact there’s a lot of carefully restored architecture going back to the Gold Rush period, so you can set aside an hour or two if you want to see everything.

On the roundabout where Mary Street meets Caledonian Hill is the Town Hall (1890), which was built at the very spot where prospector James Nash struck gold in 1867. Off the west end of Mary Street on Channon Street is the old Lands Office Building (1873), which has since become the Australian Institute of Country Music.

A few doors along is the Gympie Court House (1902). Close by on Channon Street you’ll come across the Surface Hill Uniting Church (1890), the Freemason’s Hotel (1870s), the grand former Post Office building (1880) and the Masonic Hall (1901).

8. Gympie Regional Gallery

Art Gallery

Hugo Du Rietz (1831-1908), the man responsible for many of the historic buildings on Gympie’s streets, also designed the elegant heritage-listed School of Arts building (1905) on Nash Street.

This now houses the Gympie Regional Gallery where you can check out national touring exhibitions and see lovingly curated shows for local artists.

There are three galleries inside, and the program is lively so there will be something new to see every few weeks.

In the months before we made this there had been first-rate exhibitions for lacework (Mary Elizabeth Barron), sculpture (Sally Spencer retrospective) and works on paper (Julie Bradley).

9. Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre

Swimming Pool

The beaches of the Sunshine Coast can be reached within an hour of Gympie, but on a hot day there’s a convenient alternative closer to home.

As well as having a 50-metre Olympic outdoor pool the aquatic recreation centre also has a ton of family-friendly facilities like seasonal slides, a splash zone, an outdoor barbecue area and a kiosk/cafe with lots of outdoor space.

If you’re serious about exercise there’s also a 25-metre heated pool that is open all year as well as a fully-equipped gym and health club.

10. Gympie Region Heritage Trail

Cooloola Coast

For those who want to leave no stone unturned there’s a trail that lets you get in touch with the history of the wider area, which covers almost 6,900 square kilometres.

There are 34 stops on this route, giving you the chance to discover the Mary Valley, Cooloola Coast, Kilkivan, Goomeri and Gympie’s environs.

These are all listed on the state heritage register, and hark back to industries as diverse as gold mining, cattle farming, timber, dairy, sand mining, banana planting and the railways.

With a smartphone you can use the QR code at each numbered location, or there’s a printed brochure at Gympie Visitor Information Centre (Destination Gympie Region).

11. Victory Heights Trail Network

Mountainbike Trail

This system of trails for bushwalking, jogging and mountain biking has been developed just three kilometres north-east of Gympie town centre.

The access point is off Bath Terrace, where you’ll find parking, toilets and information panels about the network.

The trails wind off into 60 kilometres of mature eucalypt forest, offering ample shade.

For bushwalkers and trail runners there’s a 2, 3 and 5 kilometre trail, as well as a variety of shared trails to navigate, adding up to 17 kilometres. Mountain bikers can ride some 25 kilometres of designated trails, all signposted and suitable for a spectrum of abilities. There’s even a two-kilometre track for kids.

Every Saturday at 07:00 there’s a free parkrun along the five-kilometre walking and running trail.

12. Woondum National Park

Woondum National Park

You can get to this unforgettable natural spot in 20 minutes from Gympie.

At Woondum National Park the Boulder and Woondum Creeks flow through a landscape of granite boulders and wet eucalypt forest.

One of the amazing things about the park is that until the late-1990s much of this land was used for logging and banana plantations.

Eucalypt forest has been reintroduced and is thriving, and where the two creeks meet there’s a chain of cool rockpools that you can paddle and swim in, as you hop from boulder to boulder.

13. Deep Creek Fossicking Area

Gold Panning

One way to return to the earliest days of European settlement in Gympie is to go panning for alluvial gold.

This can be done, with a licence, at Deep Creek, which can be found in the south of Gympie, between Brisbane Road and the Bruce Highway.

It’s worth remembering that Gympie’s watercourses were extensively worked during the Gold Rush and no surveys were made to show how deep the alluvium goes or its gold content.

But some 150 years later you might strike it lucky thanks to re-concentration or on the off chance some gold was missed by those early prospectors.

The most productive spots are along the creek bed, and along the banks on the inside of bends.

14. Destination Gympie Region

Visitor Information

Another reason to visit Lake Alford is for the region’s visitor information centre, easily visible from the Bruce Highway.

Now, there’s a few reasons to make use of an amenity like this, whether you want to make a booking, arm yourself with maps and brochures, get some firsthand advice or just use the free Wi-Fi.

But Destination Gympie Region is also the place where you can get hold of gold fossicking licences for the State of Queensland, as well as locally made souvenirs and goodies from Gympie Region producers.

15. Gympie Music Muster

Festival

Every August a camping village at the nearby Amamoor State Village plays host to a four-day country music extravaganza.

The Gympie Music Muster attracts tens of thousands of people every year and is staffed by a small army of volunteers from the local community.

All subgenres of country music are on the menu, as well as adjacent styles from bluegrass to folk, blues, bush ballads, blues and rock.

Some of the many stars to take the stage at the Gympie Music Muster since its inception in 1982 include Rodney Carrington, Keith Urban, Troy Cassar-Daley and Gord Bamford.

And as well as big headline performances you can check out casual guitar jams, poetry readings, fire-side acoustic sets, boot-scooting sessions and song-writing workshops.

15 Best Things to Do in Gympie (Australia):

  • Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum
  • Mary Valley Rattler
  • Woodworks Museum & Interpretive Centre
  • Memorial Park
  • Lake Alford Recreation Park
  • Mary Street
  • Historic Architecture
  • Gympie Regional Gallery
  • Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre
  • Gympie Region Heritage Trail
  • Victory Heights Trail Network
  • Woondum National Park
  • Deep Creek Fossicking Area
  • Destination Gympie Region
  • Gympie Music Muster

10 things to do in Gympie

Discover a city alive with heritage.

10 things to do in Gympie

Epic Ocean Adventures, Rainbow Beach

Step back in time when you visit the heritage city of Gympie. Stroll through the main street and relax with a coffee at one of the cafés before embarking on a self-guided heritage tour. Visit the museums or art gallery, browse the weekend markets to sample fresh local produce or experience a range of fun activities. If you’re looking for something more relaxing, you can simply spread out a rug and enjoy a picnic at one of the many magnificent parks.

1. Memorial Park and Miners Hill

Take some time to absorb the beautiful heritage listed rotunda surrounded by century-old Jacaranda trees at Memorial Park in the heart of Gympie town centre. Enjoy the view of the city centre from the platform among the manicured gardens on Miners Hill, opposite Smithfield Street.

Image

2. Lake Alford Recreation Park

Children of all ages love the fantastic all-abilities playground at Lake Alford Recreation Park. There are large parking areas, fenced playgrounds, picnic tables and barbecues set amongst landscaped gardens. There is also an off-leash dog area and a lake with a variety of birdlife.

Lake Alford Park

Lake Alford Park

3. Historic Mary Street

After gold was found at Nash’s Gully in 1867, a double line of prospectors’ tents sprung up along the sides of the digging bank. Over time this developed into Mary Street and has transformed into a picturesque shopping and café strip. The street has wide paths, shady trees and some wonderful heritage buildings.

Mary St, Gympie

Mary St, Gympie

4. Explore the heritage city

Restored buildings from the gold rush era add character and charm to Gympie. Take a heritage walk to view glorious examples of 19th century architecture. Gympie’s Town Hall (built in 1890) is situated on the spot of the original gold strike by James Nash. The Land’s Office building (1873) was the first to be erected on the gold fields, and is now the home of the Australian Institute of Country Music on Channon Street. The Gympie Regional Council Chambers are located in the old Bank of New South Wales building (1890). Other magnificent examples include the Stock Exchange, Court House, Smithfield Chambers buildings and the Mount Pleasant Hotel (1870) - Gympie’s oldest pub.

5. Gympie Regional Gallery

An inspiring cultural attraction, Gympie’s public art gallery is housed in the beautiful School of Arts Building, built in 1905. The gallery celebrates local artists and hosts high quality touring exhibitions. For opening hours and information phone 07 5481 0733.

6. Visit the Gold Mining and Historical Museum

The museum houses memorabilia from the early gold mining era, as well as displays showcasing rural, military, hospital, transport, communications and steam development in Australia. The museum is situated on the eastern side of Lake Alford with access from Brisbane Road. Phone 07 5482 3995.

Goldpanning

Goldpanning

7. Visit the Woodworks Museum

Prior to the gold rush, timber was a major industry for the region. By the 1860s the Gympie region was noted for its vast wealth of timber and the abundance and quality of red cedar. The museum provides a fascinating insight into the role of forestry in Queensland. A large collection of pioneering hand tools, equipment and transport is also on display. Phone 07 5483 6535.

8. Fossick for gold at Deep Creek in Gympie

You can try your hand at gold panning in Gympie and relive the town’s past. This is a great activity for all ages. Discover how James Nash turned Gympie into ‘the town that saved Queensland’ when he discovered gold in Gympie in 1867. Why not try your luck by panning for gold? Fossicking licenses are required and you can get a license and equipment from the Lake Alford Visitor Information Centre.

9. Gympie Region Heritage Trail

Immerse yourself in history by following the Gympie Region Heritage Trail comprising historic architecture and structures such as the Dickabram Bridge, Double Island Point Lighthouse and Andrew Fisher’s Cottage. The sites are individually numbered and signage is posted at each location with historical information. For travellers with a smartphone, QR codes on the signs link to the website which provides further information on each structure as you journey into the past.

10. Take a ride on the Mary Valley Rattler

Take a journey through the picturesque Mary Valley, and into the days of yesteryear on a Mary Valley Rattler rail tour. Your journey passes through the small town of Dagun, home to a beautiful heritage station.  The afternoon run stops at this station where the locals host community markets and wine and cheese tasting from local producers found in the Mary Valley.

Mary Valley Rattler

Mary Valley Rattler

Nestled in the centre of the Mary Valley, Amamoor is an historic town bordered by Amamoor State Forest and a Forest Reserve which is home to more than 120 species of birds. Here the train will turn around on the restored turntable. You can watch this fascinating process or explore the charming community of Amamoor.

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Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

  • Sun - Sat 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  • (0.41 km) Fox Glenn Motor Inn
  • (0.44 km) Great Eastern Motor Inn
  • (0.41 km) Y Motels Gympie
  • (6.80 km) Lagoon Pocket Bed & Breakfast
  • (3.65 km) Room Motels Gympie
  • (0.04 km) Gympie Gold Museum Cafe'
  • (0.47 km) Geordies Restaurant & Licensed Bar
  • (0.68 km) Sunshine Cafe
  • (1.74 km) Heaven Leighs Cupcakes
  • (2.59 km) Beefy's Pies

A TOUCH OF GOLD

YOUR FIRST VISIT? CALL FOR INFO: 1-800-123-1234

www.VisitGympie.com.au

Gold mining in gympie, an economic windfall.

In the late 1860's Gympie became known as the “Town that saved Queensland”. Following years of drought, the colony was virtually bankrupt, unemployment was sky high and the Bank of Queensland was closed.

All that changed when, in 1867, Englishman James Nash was prospecting on Gympie Creek in what was then a fairly remote region. Until that time, the few Europeans in the area were mainly graziers and timber cutters and there were only a few scattered settlements. In October of that year Nash struck gold in the creek and surrounds. He returned to nearby Maryborough with about half a pound of gold which he only disclosed to a select few people. They immediately travelled to the site and less than 2 weeks later returned with about 140 ounces of gold. That same day their findings were announced in Maryborough's main street which prompted a small stampede of people rushing to purchase supplies.

The effect on Maryborough was dramatic and immediate. Many businesses had to close as both employees and owners dropped everything and simply left town. Within that week, almost 400 men made their way to the goldfields to seek their fortune.

Here come the masses

What had been a trickle of prospectors quickly became a mass invasion of the goldfields district. By 1868 the settlement that had initially been called 'Nashville' had a population of thousands. The settlement was renamed 'Gympie' meaning 'stinging bush' in the local aboriginal tongue.

In February 1868 a young man called Valentine Briggs and his uncle George Curtis were working on their claim not far from where Nash's original gold was discovered. They uncovered a huge nugget weighing over 900 ounces which was later valued at £3,675. This became known as the 'Curtis Stone'.

Men from across the globe were learning of the gold riches to be found in Australia and many found their way to the Gympie goldfields. Heading this group were the Chinese and the Europeans but even much smaller nations from Africa and South America were represented and lived together (mostly) in harmony regardless of race or class.

Rapid changes

Initially alluvial gold could be found close in and around the shallow waters of Gympie Creek and its tributaries. The men used simple pans or 'tins' to sift through the sand to collect the numerous grains of gold. Soon they began digging small pits moving further away from the creek to avoid flooding. It is this technique that earned them the name of 'Diggers' which later became used more broadly as the colonies and then the new federation went to war overseas.

At this point the fields were made up of mainly single men or husbands who had left their families behind while they searched desperately for the gold that would allow them to return home and prosper. The men generally worked alone on individual claims.

As the supply of gold near the surface dwindled, the men began to dig shafts sometimes up to 30 feet deep that were supported with timber struts. These required horses and winches to bring the gold up to the surface. As these were quite labour intensive, the men began to work in groups or small companies.

In the years from 1868 – 1872 the region (and subsequently the state) was booming. The value of gold that was escorted to Maryborough alone was over £900.000. That does not take into account the gold escorted to Brisbane or transported privately. Roads and railways were quickly built to transport not only the gold but people and all sorts of goods to and from the goldfields.

In the 1870's and 80's the shafts got progressively deeper, requiring even more manpower and new types of expensive machinery. Pumps were developed to move water and sift it through purpose built tubs and cradles. The creek courses were diverted and small dams were built to direct the flow and pressure of water. Such industry needed the funds that only larger companies or more wealthy individuals could supply. The diggers often had more security working for the companies rather than for themselves. This shift from men being self-employed to being workers in large companies followed the general pattern of the industrial revolution happening right around the world.

While the men may have had more security within a company, they were certainly still exposed to many potential hazards. To extract the gold from large lumps of rock, potassium cyanide was sometimes used. This was passed over zinc shavings through several tanks which often resulted in serious burns and other injuries.

In the Gympie area it was widely believed that there were rich reefs in the quartz veins deep below the limestone so new approaches were needed. Deeper shafts were sunk and the produced rock was crushed using huge steam-powered batteries. Some of these were available for hire but most were retained for the exclusive use of each mining company.

In 1895 the Scottish Mining Company bought a mine that had originally been leased in 1889. Their No 1 mine quickly became the most productive in the Gympie area and accounted for nearly 14% of production at that time. In 1901 Gympie's population was around 12,000 and the gold production in that era was about 2.5 million ounces.

With the development of other goldfields around the state such as Charters Towers and Mount Morgan, and the reduction in accessible gold supply, the town of Gympie lost much of its peak population. However by that time the township was well established and many residents stayed on. Most of the mines had closed by the 1920's.

New directions

In the 1980's the gold mining industry in Gympie experienced resurgence as BHP and other companies conducted extensive research into the viability of re-opening the Monkland mine and the development of the Lewis Mine. The Gympie Gold company was formed with the support of the town.

The mine operated until the company collapsed in 2004. It was briefly revived again only to be closed in 2008 and then sold to an overseas company in 2014 with areas of the land subject to redevelopment.

A new direction for mining in the Gympie area is shaping up with the expected opening of the Tiaro Coal mine at Gunalda just north of Gympie. While this will boost the regional economy it has also met with widespread public backlash with many local communities now declaring themselves 'mine free'.

The proximity to World Heritage Areas containing diverse ecosystems is an issue due to the possibility of pollution and contamination. Others are concerned for the future of the thriving fresh produce and tourism industries. Whatever the outcome, there is no doubt that mining will continue to feature strongly in the identity of the town for years to come.

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

Useful information, description.

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is somewher between a show mine and a museum. Although there is no underground tour, it is not simply a mining museum. It is a museum located at a former mine showing the impressive surface buildings of the mine, the former No2 South Great Eastern Mine . The museum site is actually a 5 hectares park with 15 major buildings. There are 30 display areas, a café and a souvenir shop. The museum houses memorabilia from the early gold mining era, military, rural, transport, communications and steam development in Australia.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition are the still operational authentic steam winding engine, compound air compressor and generator. The 5th Light Horse Regimental Military Museum houses an award winning collection of military equipment and memorabilia of locals who went to the military. The Andrew Fisher House is named after Australia's first Labour Prime Minister (*1910-✝1915) who lived here with his Family. The Tank is the main building of the museum, originally a water reservoir constructed in 1902, it was opened as a historical Museum in 1970.

Gold mining started at Gympie almost 150 years ago, in 1867 with the first discovery of gold by James Nash . It ended lately, when the Gympie Eldorado Goldmine was closed. Some years ago it produced 50,000 ounces of gold per year.

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Gympie Region

WE’RE DRIVEN BY OUR PIONEERING SPIRIT

The Gympie Region has long been the traditional home of the Kabi Kabi, Wakka Wakka and Butchulla people and our European settlements began in the early 1840’s. Gympie City is forever etched in Australian history as the “town that saved Queensland” from bankruptcy when gold was discovered here in 1867 – but locally, there’s still debate about whether that honour should go to Kilkivan. Irrespective, we’re proud of our pioneering spirit forged by a timber, agriculture and golden past, remnants of which can still be found here today.

The Gympie Region. You’re welcome.

ALL ABOARD!

Thumping pistons, the smell of coal and sooty wafts of steam as you rattle your way out of the historic railway station.  This is the Mary Valley Rattler , so named for its wonderful rattling carriages Our lovingly restored steam locomotive looks like something straight out of a Harry Potter film and it’s a firm family favourite.  Serious train buffs might like to ride up front where all the action is as part of the Footplate Experience.  But for the discerning traveller might prefer the sleek Silver Bullet Train or our Tasting Train which serves our region’s best local produce.   This is an experience for all current and future story tellers but check ahead to make sure you’ve got the right train for the right story!

gympie gold mine tours

CATCH GOLD FEVER!

The largest nugget ever found here was worth around $2 million in todays’ money and we’re told, by those in the know, that there’s plenty more gold in those hills!

So, what are you waiting for?  Grab your hat and a shovel and head for Gympie City to try your hand at gold panning, just like our prospecting ancestors did. Fossicking licenses are required, but are easily arranged by Lake Alford Visitor Information Centre (along with all your panning equipment).

If something a little less strenuous is your thing, another way to catch gold fever is at our Gold Mining and Historical Museum.  Bursting with memorabilia from our early gold mining era, as well as displays of early rural, military, hospital, transport and communications – this is a place full of wonderful stories and golden memories.

FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS

History enthusiasts and purveyors of all things “antique”, will enjoy our region’s Heritage Trail .  These places are where our ancestors lived and worked and to make it easy to enjoy them we’ve got a map detailing individually numbered sites.  For visitors with smartphones, QR codes on each sign link you to our website to read the stories behind some of these beautiful buildings.  A first stock exchange, a Labor Prime Ministers’ cottage, the remnants of a bygone Chinese market and, the Mary Valley Rattler Historic Railway are just some of the stories of our fascinating past.

If you want to follow the footsteps of your own ancestors we recommend checking out the Gympie Cemetery and also the local history section of our Gympie Regional Library. 

gympie gold mine tours

OUR FAVOURITE HISTORIC SPOTS IN GYMPIE CITY

  • 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 Gold Mining and Historical Museum  houses a vast collection dating from the discovery of gold in 1867 to the recently closed  Gympie Eldorado Goldmine.
  • Woodworks Museum , a fascinating insight into the role of forestry in our region.
  • 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.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS IN OUR REGION

  • Kilkivan Shire Museum shares the histories of Goomeri, Kilkivan, Widgee and Woolooga
  • 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

gympie gold mine tours

Food & Produce

Welcoming stays.

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START YOUR OWN STORY

We’ve put together some of our products, services and experiences to help you get started.

gympie gold mine tours

Cemetery Tours

gympie gold mine tours

Gold Fossicking

gympie gold mine tours

Goomeri War Memorial Clock

gympie gold mine tours

Gympie and Widgee War Memorial Gates

  • https://www.qldwarmemorials.com.au

gympie gold mine tours

Gympie Bone Museum

  • 0412 622 592

gympie gold mine tours

gympie gold mine tours

Gympie Memorial Park

gympie gold mine tours

Gympie Region Heritage Trail

  • www.gympieheritagetrails.com.au

gympie gold mine tours

Gympie Regional Gallery

gympie gold mine tours

Kilkivan & District Museum

  • 07 5484 1612
  • www.facebook.com/kilkivanmuseum/

gympie gold mine tours

Mary Valley Rattler

gympie gold mine tours

Woodworks Museum & Interpretive Centre

Mining company keen to reopen Gympie's Eldorado gold mine again

Gold pour in Kalgoorlie

An international mining company is pushing to reopen a disused gold mine in the Queensland town of Gympie as it believes there is still a fortune lying in the ground.

Key points:

  • An international mining company is keen to reopen Gympie's gold mine
  • Geological study suggests there could still be a million ounces buried under the ground
  • Gympie mayor Glen Hartwig has indicated support

Aurum Pacific, which controls multiple mining projects across Australia and the Pacific, bought the lease on the Eldorado gold mine from mining giant BHP seven years ago.

Chairman Michael Dodd said geological research suggested there was "still quite a large deposit [of gold] left in the Gympie mine".

"There could still be a couple of million ounces," Mr Dodd said.

When BHP sold its shares to Aurum Pacific, Mr Dodd said gold was trading at $300 an ounce.

The gold price has soared during the pandemic and was now valued at more than $2,000 an ounce.

Mr Dodd said it cost around $800 to $1,000 an ounce to mine gold, which was why the Eldorado mine could be hugely profitable.

"With the larger scope of the mine, we think it could be a 2–3 million ounce mine," he said.

"And it would create up to 500 jobs the locals will be able to get into and they would be high-paying jobs."

Local support needed

The mining company would first need the support of the Gympie Regional Council before it could go the State Government for consideration.

A man standing in front of an old mine site.

Gympie mayor Glen Hartwig, who himself was once involved in mining, indicated support for the proposal.

"It would great for the mine to reopen," Councillor Hartwig said.

"People need to understand, gold mining has been occurring in Gympie since Adam was a boy or James Nash rode through on a horse.

"It's part of our culture and heritage."

The town that saved Queensland

Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum historian, Allan Blackman, said Gympie became known as the "town that saved Queensland" after prospector James Nash found gold near the site of the current town hall.

Nash's finding sparked the beginning of a gold rush that saved Queensland from bankruptcy.

Mr Blackman said the Eldorado mine was several kilometres south of town and was started about 100 years ago and then it was closed about a decade ago when gold mining was no longer profitable.

"Since the gold price has gone up, there has been a lot more interest in it," he said.

Mr Blackman was supportive of the mine reopening as it would create many jobs.

"The locals would like it," he said.

"It used to employ 180 people, if it came back it could employ more."

However, he said it would be difficult because the State Government had restricted mining close to a town

"This one is right on the edge of Gympie city, although has operated for many years without a problem," Mr Blackman said.

Equipment from an old mine site rebuilt.

No mining near towns?

The Queensland Government introduced the Resources Legislation Amendment Bill in August 2011 to create "urban restricted areas" which would prevent applications for mining and gas within two kilometres of urban areas, unless the local government gave consent.

Mr Dodd said Gympie Regional Council had not applied for consent at the time, which was why the mining company was first seeking council support for its proposal.

"We need the support of the council to say to the State Government that the restriction should be removed," Mr Dodd said.

Councillor Hartwig said the proposal would need to go through a "raft of environmental approvals" before it got the final tick.

However, he said "mining in the 1980s was very different to 2020".

"There have been massive advancements in mining," Councillor Hartwig said.

"And Gympie has very stable ground."

Mr Dodd said the mining firm did a presentation with Gympie Regional Council staff about three weeks ago.

"The mayor and the CEO were willing to see me and discuss what the plans are to get the council on board to back the reopening of the mine," he said.

Mr Dodd understood the proposal would be discussed at the next council meeting.

"The council and community need to understand what we are going to do," he said.

"It's not open cut mining."

A spokesperson from the Department of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines said operations in relation to the existing mining lease held by New Gympie Gold could "only recommence if the operation is in compliance with State environmental and safety requirements".

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Aurum Pacific

  • Gympie Gold Project

Project Overview

Aurum Pacific Group, through its wholly owned subsidiary New Gympie Gold Pty Ltd, holds the permits covering the entire consolidated Gympie goldfield and existing underground mine infrastructure (collectively referred to as the Gympie Gold Project). The company holds Mining Lease (ML 50114) covering the underground mine infrastructure for the Gympie gold mine, a core Exploration Permit (EPM 28416) covering the in-mine and near-mine areas of the Gympie goldfield, as well as a second prospective regional Exploration Permit (EPM 27228) over the remainder of the goldfield.

The Gympie Gold Project is a unique brownfield project comprising extensive underground workings which give access to 500,000oz of JORC (2012) ore Resources and deep, continuous regional gold mineralisation. The project hosts several near-mine prospects supported by prior exploration with potential to support large-scale, low-impact gold developments.

Aurum Pacific is developing a regional exploration strategy for the Gympie Gold Project and sees potential for a multi-million ounce near-mine resource expansion to support sustainable gold production. Aurum Pacific is excited to continue working with a supportive local community to deliver substantial economic benefits and attractive employment opportunities to the City of Gympie and its surrounds.

Location: GYMPIE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

Ownership: 100% aurum pacific, tenure: ml 50114, epm 28416, epm 27228, resource: gold, type: brownfield underground mine (currently closed) with in-mine, near-mine and regional exploration.

The Gympie Gold Project is situated in permits surrounding the city of Gympie, approximately 180km north of Brisbane in southeast Queensland. The Gympie Gold Project is a portfolio of 340km2 of permits covering the entire historical Gympie Goldfield and prospective southerly extensions.

The Gympie Gold Project comprises two exploration permits for minerals (EPMA 28416 and EPM 27228) and a mining lease (ML 50114) covering part of the underground Monkland Mine. The Monkland Mine is developed beneath the town of Gympie. Surface Leases attached to ML 50114 are located in industrial areas away from the town centre.

gympie gold mine tours

Sub-Project Descriptions

The Gympie Gold Project offers a diversified gold exploration and development portfolio.

Multiple independent projects across the goldfield:

The Gympie Gold Project comprises multiple projects of different maturities and risk profiles, offering the potential for sustainable development at scale. The varied and independent risk profile of the projects allows for a portfolio risk management approach and provides a strong equity investment case.

Inglewood South

  • Postulated southern extension of the Inglewood Reef and associated Gympie Vein system exploited at the Monkland Mine.
  • Extensively drilled; confirming strong gold values in the Gympie Veins and continuity of the Inglewood Reef.
  • JORC (2012) Inferred Resource (as at Aug-22) of 120,000 oz with multi-million oz conceptual exploration target range extending the current Resource at depth / south.

Monkland Mine

  • 500,000 oz of production in the modern era at 7g/t average recovered grade; production ceased in 2008 due to corporate issues unrelated to the Gympie operation.
  • Significant former gold reserves and known resources remain in place.
  • JORC (2012) Inferred Resource of 380,000 oz with resource expansion opportunities for an additional 750,000+ oz.

Near-Mine Prospects

Early stage exploration, porphyry targets.

The possible existence of porphyry deposits across the Gympie Gold Project is suggested based on a combination of interpretations of geophysics and historical drilling which returned gold and polymetallic assays distinguishing the mineralisation.

Low gold values from this exploration (1ppm to 3ppm) and the apparent absence of conventional Gympie veining appear to have discouraged further exploration in the past.   Geophysical interpretation indicates a series of demagnetised zones across the project area that have been conceptualised as evidence of intrusive porphyry mineralisation.

Low gold grades (<1.5g/t) of the postulated porphyry targets are offset by the potential for significant non-gold metal credits, with locations to the south of the project area amenable to large-scale bulk mining if a sufficient scale of resource can be defined.

  • The potential porphyry targets identified include:
  • Five potential porphyry targets are located in EPMA 28416, with two zones (P4 and P5) favourably located away from heavily populated areas and off the Mary River flood plain;
  • Two known, early explored porphyry targets (Meadvale Quarry and McIntosh Creek Road) are favourably located in EPM 27228; and
  • The Woondum Intrusive and the presence of Cu-Mo-Au associations provides a large potential target extending south of Meadvale Quarry.

gympie gold mine tours

Map of Porphyry Targets (with magnetics)

The Mothar Mountain magnetic data shows an interpreted typical cross section through the alteration shells of a large porphyry. This feature is interpreted to have strong links with the development of the Gympie mineralisation (potential source of metalliferous fluids) and presents attractive Cu-Mo +/- Au porphyry targets in the tenement area.

These magnetic responses are proximal and along strike to both McIntosh Creek Road and Meadvale Quarry suggesting the early exposed intersections of alteration and mineralisation could be part of a larger system.

gympie gold mine tours

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Educational Information.

Explore the wonders of the past and learn some exciting things about local people and historical events from our region.

Please note :  There is a one bus limit for guided tours, due to limited availability of tour guides.

Special rates for school groups.

( See Tour Bookings Page )

Enquires/Bookings to Cafe at the Museum  Ph. [thrive_global_fields id=’4′ inline=’1′] or [thrive_global_fields id=’60’ inline=’1′] .

Gympie Gold Mining & Historical Museum

The Museum houses a vast collection of documentation, artifacts and photographs relating to this area, such as the people, the place and the community … Explore these and the other events which impacted upon the lives of the people within the Gympie Regional Council area.

Teachers’ Guide to the Museum .pdf

Andrew Fisher – Second Australian Labor Prime Minister From Miner to Prime Minister!

Andrew Fisher was born in Scotland in 1865 where he originally began working down in the pits at the age of 10.

He migrated to Australia in 1885 and continued to work in the coalfields, whilst becoming politically involved in the Miners’ Union. A committed trade unionist he evolved into a political activist and by 1893 was not only the Labour Representative for Gympie but also the Vice President of the Labor Party.

Fisher’s position as second Labor Prime Minister was secured in 1910. He held three terms of office until 1915.

History on Andrew Fisher .pdf

Primary Questionnaire .pdf

Secondary Questionnaire . pdf

Blacksmith Shop

In days-gone-by the blacksmith shop was a vital part of life. It was the place where all the tools of the day were manufactured and maintained. Traditionally farming implements and all the metal components for the construction of the various horse-drawn vehicles were produced by the blacksmith.

Blacksmiths were crucial in the gold mining industry. With the forge and anvil they made and maintained all mining tools – picks, gads, moils, wedges, working-out bars, hand steel for drilling and all machine steels. In small mines the blacksmith forge was used to smelt the gold bullion and mould it into bars.

Blacksmith Shop .pdf Primary Questionnaire .pdf

Secondary Questionnaire .pdf

Calico Creek State School

The School was officially opened on Saturday the 11th July 1936 by Councillor Hensen of Widgee Shire Council. Calico Creek area had been a soldier settlement after World War I.

The children of the settlement became the first students at this one-teacher school. The first principal at the school was Miss Daphne. In 1970 the school closed, a victim of better transport and larger centralized schools.

The school still retains much of the old-fashioned desks and teaching implements used, inkwells, slates and teaching aids. All of which gives a realistic look and feel to the former small country school.

Calico Creek State School .pdf

Questionnaire .pdf

Dairy Museum

Besides mining other equally important industries were established in the Gympie area. The main ones being dairy and timber which provided stability and employment. As the gold mining operations dwindled in the 1920’s these industries saved Gympie from becoming a ghost town.

At first dairying was considered a cottage industry. With cows being milked by hand in cow bails, the cream had to be skimmed off the milk and churned into butter by hand. This was before the days of ice-chests or refrigeration and many farmers’ wives and families had to rise early and churn in the cool air before dawn in the hot summers. There are quite a few varieties of churns on display – from the primitive splash type to glass churns.

Dairy Museum .pdf

Gold & Gold Panning

The Gympie Goldfield was discovered in 1867 and was worked continuously for 60 years until 1927 to produce 3.5 million ounces of gold. With an average ore grade of 24 grams of gold per tonne Gympie was historically the 6th largest goldfield in Australia and the 3rd largest in Queensland after Charters Towers and Mount Morgan. Gympie was one of the highest grade and richest goldfields in the world.

Gympie also has the distinction of having produced the largest nugget found in Queensland, the 30-kilogram (975 oz) Curtis Nugget unearthed in February 1868 as well as the Monkland `Big Cake’ of 5972 ounces.

Almost all mining on the Gympie Goldfield ceased in 1923. However, Gympie’s golden past can be seen in the handsome civic buildings, foundations of mining structures, a retort house, the Museum, a fossicking area and a new mining venture all of which will win more Gympie gold.

Gold facts in Gympie .pdf

Gold Panning.pdf

Gold Mining

The ore was mined by hand using hammer and tap drilling to insert black powder explosive that blasted the rock. The men loaded the ore, by hand, into rail carts. These cartst were then physically drawn along underground railways to the shafts by the men themselves. The heroic achievements of these early miners cannot be overstated. The earth was hot in deeper mines and ventilation limitations became the main engineering constraint on production at depth.

The modern era of the Gympie Goldfield commenced in the 1970’s with the amalgamation of the fragmented mining tenements. Surface exploration commenced in 1980 with deep diamond drill holes that tested unmined portions of historically known ore zones. In 1988, the deepest shaft in the field, West of Scotland Shaft at the outskirts of Gympie was reopened after 84 years.

Gympie Eldorado Gold Mine .pdf

Mining Head Frame & Gantry

This headframe and gantry constructed by the Society, stands directly over the original No. 2 South Great Eastern east shaft. The gantry follows a similar route to the original, to convey the ore to the crushing batteries. The original headframe would probably have been 6m (20ft) or more higher and the gantry probably 3m (10ft) to 3.5m (15ft) higher.

Head Frame and Gantry .pdf

Stamper Battery

This building was constructed in 1980 on similar lines to the original building i.e. rounded timber poles supporting sawn timber rails and rafters for roofing and walls. The most used materials for roofing and sheeting of the walls in the mining days of Gympie and other mining towns was galvanised corrugated iron, together with smaller amounts of timber weatherboards. This building houses the only remaining mining machinery on its original site on the Gympie Goldfield i.e. a ten-head crushing stamper battery. As can be seen by the concrete foundations, the original battery building on this mine, No. 2 South Great Eastern, housed 80 head of stampers, or eight sets of ten-head stamper batteries, which were built by a foundry at Bundaberg, Queensland, around about the 1900’s.

Stamper Battery Building .pdf

James Nash was born in the village of Beanacre in Wiltshire on September 5, 1834. At the age of 23, he left his native England bound for New South Wales and landed in Sydney on May 25, 1858.

James Nash discovered alluvial gold in October 1867 in gullies that were called Nashville which then later became known as Gympie. His discovery is said to have saved the Queensland’s economy through the mini economic boom caused by the influx of gold-diggers to the area.

He died on October 5, 1913 at the age of 77 years and is buried in the Gympie Cemetery.

James Nash .pdf

Teacher comments:

On Tuesday the 21st of May, the Year 5 students of Peregian Beach College set off to find GOLD – and thanks to the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, they did! EUREKA!

The Australian Curriculum at a Year 5 level for History outlines that students learn about immigration to Australia during the 1800s. The curriculum states that students should also study particular events that brought migrant groups to Australia during this time. The Australian Gold Rush was one of these big events and so a trip to the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum to learn about it first hand from experienced guides was exciting and appropriate for the Year 5 students of Peregian Beach College.

We arrived at the museum very keen and excited as we ate morning tea in a park situated directly under a real mine shaft used in the 1860’s. Very cool! After a lovely morning tea with plenty of room for the students to run around, we met our museum guide, Allan. Allan had a wealth of knowledge and we were very lucky to hear many exciting stories about finding gold in Gympie all those hundreds of years ago. We learnt about the different types of mining including gold panning for alluvial gold and shaft mining.  The students were even able to try gold panning for themselves and a few were extremely ecstatic to find some gold flakes. We saw the original steam operated mineshaft that would lower the miners in cages down as far as 12 levels into the ground. The students were able to view the tools used by gold miners in the 1850s and they heard many stories of their hardships. We spent two and a half hours being toured around the museum and we could have easily spent more time there. As a primary school teacher, I was very impressed with the information that the students were provided with. I recommend the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum for an excursion for any school and for classes from Year 2 and upwards. I will definitely be going back next year with my next Year 5 cohort. Thank you for your hospitality, Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum!

Miss Peta Kirkpatrick    Primary School Teacher at Peregian Beach College

Student comments :

To the Gympie Gold Mining and History Museum,

I really liked gold panning and finding gold it was a lot of fun. Our guide had some really good stories, too.

I learnt a lot about the steamer and the mine shaft. I never knew how to gold pan and I did not know that gold was worth so much! I also did not know that gold weighed so heavily.

My favourite part of the excursion was gold panning because we got to find gold and take it home and keep it. It gave us a good taste of what it was like in the Gold Rush.   Year 5 student, Peregian Beach College

Thank You! Dear the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum,

I enjoyed the mineshafts because I thought you could only get gold from the surface. I didn’t know you could go 12 levels underground! Cool! I loved going there and I am sure other schools will enjoy it as well.Year 5 student, Peregian Beach College

To Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum,

I am a Year 5 student at Peregian Beach College and I recently went on an excursion to the your museum. My favourite part was the gold panning and also going in one of the original mining cages because I felt like I was a real miner! When panning, I also found some real gold that I will treasure forever to remember the trip. I also enjoyed the museum with the interesting facts. I can’t believe one of the museum rooms used to be a water tank! The interesting stories were so amazing. Thanks for teaching me all about what it was like to mine back then.  Year 5 student, Peregian  Beach College

To the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum,

Thank you for having us at your museum and I’m sure we will come back some time. I especially enjoyed the gold panning and learning about the history of the gold mines. I mostly liked the funny stories the tour guide told, they were very funny. Thank you for having us in your museum.  Year 5 student, Peregian Beach College

I am a year 5 student from Peregian Beach College. Firstly, what I liked about the museum is the tour was well spoken and was very interesting and the stories were funny and exciting. Secondly, I liked looking at the old but great pieces of history such as the awesome steam pumps and walking on the mine elevator. Finally, I loved gold panning, even though I didn’t find any gold; it was still great fun! Thanks for the tour!

Year 5 student, Peregian Beach College

LETTER OF THANKYOU TO THE TOUR GUIDE – From a Year Five student at the Sunbury State School on a visit to the Museum on 25th August 2014. (Typed as written, without name)

Sunbury State School

545 Alice Street

MARYBOROUGH   4650

26TH August 2014

Dear Mr Moore,

I am a student at Sunbury school, and we visited the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum on Monday, August 25th.  I have now wrote you a letter to you, too thankyou for the tour, and sharing your knowledge and stories with us.

My favorite thing we done was going to the school room.  They used to do things at school that I never knew of.  They have lots of different rules to what we have now.  It was cool how we had to wait to be told to sit down and read out the rules.

I also liked the blacksmith’s shop, they had interesting tools that they used, and the pattens they used when they were tapping the horse shoe.  I did not know how you made the metal hot until you showed and told us.

The stamper room was also quite interesting too.  I can’t believe how big the stamper was and how there were eight working day and night.  So many people would have gone deaf at such a young age.  I feel sorry for the people back then.

Also the tank was huge, and the safe that they had back the was so cool.  The way they used pan for gold was kind of cool.  I can’t believe that they had a clock for the month too.  That was really cool.

By the way I don’t think I’ll come back to visit you because of my large family I have 10 people in my family.  I really want to come back to visit but I can’t.

I enjoyed the whole excersion because of you.  I hope to see you again in Maryborough to share some more stories about your history.

The one thing I wanted to ask you was how many different places you’ve visited.  You have seemed to have visited a lot of places.

Best wishes

…………….

Gympies History

Get in touch.

  • 215 Brisbane Road, Monkland, Qld
  • (07) 5482 3995

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COMMENTS

  1. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    I mostly liked the funny stories the tour guide told, they were very funny. Thank you for having us in your museum. Year 5 student, Peregian Beach College . ... The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is operated by the Gympie & District Historical Society Inc, a wholly volunteer operated organisation, with the Museum development and ...

  2. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is a top-notch museum that should not be missed while you are in town. ... Museum Entry Fees Adults: $12 Concession: $8 Students (5 - 16yrs): $6 Family: $30 Guided Tour Group Fees (Minimum group of 15) Adult: $12 Concession: $9 School: ...

  3. Plan Your Visit

    The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is operated by the Gympie & District Historical Society Inc, a wholly volunteer operated organisation, with the Museum development and operation the most significant of its objectives.

  4. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    we went as a couple on the 05/04/13 and found the attraction to be full of history as well as about the gold mining. each area is broken down to diiferent parts and items of history from machinary to gems and rocks, seashells , the gold rush and how it saved Queensland from going bankcrupt. all dispalys are inside buildings apart from a walk to ...

  5. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, Gympie: See 132 reviews, articles, and 150 photos of Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 14 attractions in Gympie. ... Take a step back in time and see how miners pulled gold out of the ground. The mine tour is very interested as well as the history. Read more ...

  6. Historic Gympie

    The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum: This museum is set in five hectares of land and includes 18 buildings. This includes Andrew Fisher's home, who was Australia's second prime minister. This is a superb folk museum, and one of its highlights is the only mining building that still stands in Gympie.

  7. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    Hotels near Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum: (0.25 mi) Fox Glenn Motor Inn (0.27 mi) Great Eastern Motor Inn (0.26 mi) Y Motels Gympie (4.25 mi) Lagoon Pocket Bed & Breakfast (2.28 mi) Room Motels Gympie; View all hotels near Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum on Tripadvisor

  8. 15 Best Things to Do in Gympie (Australia)

    There will be lots of opportunities to connect with Gympie's past, on a heritage railway, at museums filled with artefacts from the early days and on the town's historic streets. These are lined with hotels, churches, shops and music halls that sprang up on the back of the gold rush 150 years ago. 1. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

  9. Gympie Gold Museum, Markets & Cafe

    Gympie Gold Museum, Markets & Cafe, Gympie, Queensland. 1,035 likes · 28 talking about this · 944 were here. The Museum showcases Gympie's rich history of the discovery of gold, farming, rail,...

  10. 10 things to do in Gympie

    Goldpanning. 7. Visit the Woodworks Museum. Prior to the gold rush, timber was a major industry for the region. By the 1860s the Gympie region was noted for its vast wealth of timber and the abundance and quality of red cedar. The museum provides a fascinating insight into the role of forestry in Queensland.

  11. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, Gympie: See 132 reviews, articles, and 150 photos of Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 14 attractions in Gympie. ... Take a step back in time and see how miners pulled gold out of the ground. The mine tour is very interested as well as the history. Read more ...

  12. Gold Fossicking

    1800 444 222. [email protected]. South-eastern Queensland Fossicking. In 1867 a discovery of alluvial gold in a gully near the Mary River began the first major gold rush in Queensland and resulted in establishment of the mining town of Gympie. Today visitors to the region can still visit and try their luck in the gold-bearing gully ...

  13. Gold Mining in Gympie

    In 1895 the Scottish Mining Company bought a mine that had originally been leased in 1889. Their No 1 mine quickly became the most productive in the Gympie area and accounted for nearly 14% of production at that time. In 1901 Gympie's population was around 12,000 and the gold production in that era was about 2.5 million ounces.

  14. Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

    Geology. Description. The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum is somewher between a show mine and a museum. Although there is no underground tour, it is not simply a mining museum. It is a museum located at a former mine showing the impressive surface buildings of the mine, the former No2 South Great Eastern Mine.The museum site is actually a 5 hectares park with 15 major buildings.

  15. Heritage

    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 Gold Mining and Historical Museum houses a vast collection dating from the discovery of gold in 1867 to the ...

  16. Mining company keen to reopen Gympie's Eldorado gold mine again

    An international mining company is keen to reopen Gympie's gold mine. Geological study suggests there could still be a million ounces buried under the ground. Gympie mayor Glen Hartwig has ...

  17. Guidelines For Group Tours

    Museum Guided tours for groups are available subject to the availability of volunteer guides. ... For year 5/6 school groups studying gold mining history, 1 1/2 to 2 hours should be allowed for the tour which includes a gold panning session. ... Payments to be made to Gympie & District Historical Society Inc. Bank: Bank of QueenslandBSB: 124 ...

  18. Aurum Pacific, New Gympie Gold mine eyes 2024 start date

    Gympie's iconic gold mine is likely to be back in action in 2024 provided it can find a solution to a unique problem at the site. Aurum Pacific executive director Scott Dodd said Monday the new ...

  19. Gympie Gold Project

    The Gympie Gold Project comprises two exploration permits for minerals (EPMA 28416 and EPM 27228) and a mining lease (ML 50114) covering part of the underground Monkland Mine. The Monkland Mine is developed beneath the town of Gympie. Surface Leases attached to ML 50114 are located in industrial areas away from the town centre.

  20. Education

    On Tuesday the 21st of May, the Year 5 students of Peregian Beach College set off to find GOLD - and thanks to the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, they did! EUREKA! The Australian Curriculum at a Year 5 level for History outlines that students learn about immigration to Australia during the 1800s.