Heritage Talks

Have a look at these historical films and learn about days gone by.

Local History Talks are held regularly at Gympie Library and across the Gympie Region. View the presentations below.

Timber Tales

Discover the early history of timber exploration and felling in our region with an amazing collection of early photographs of local bullock teams that carted huge timbers, sawmills and the forestry industry.

This was a presentation held at Gympie Library on Thursday 1 June 2023

View the film here

Read the blog post here

Theatres

Take a tour of some of the theatres that were once the place to go in the Gympie region.

View the film

Read the blog post

Communications: Post Offices, Telegraphs and Postcards

Discover the Gympie region’s early postal history, postal infrastructure and telegraph offices. This talk also takes a look at some of the local postcard makers and stationers.

View the film

Read the blog post

Researching your House History

Have you ever wondered about the history an old house you have lived in? Learn about resources available, where to start and where to find out more.

View the film

Read the blog post

Garages and Servos

Remember when you had full driveway service at a garage? Take a look at some of our historic garages and service stations.

View the film

Read the blog post

Terrific Transport

Discover the history of some of the old trucks, cars and buses used in our region.

View the film

Visit the blog to discover more about transport

Processions and Carnivals

Carnivals and Processions were held for many different events throughout history - dignitary and royalty visits, celebrations of peace and victory, remembrance of the passing of soldiers and pioneers, or commemorating anniversaries. Take a look through our slideshow of carnival and procession events from Gympie over the years.

View the film

Read the blog post

The Gympie Times Christmas Supplements

A showcase of the Christmas Supplements as published by The Gympie Times as special extras for the holiday period, circa 1880's to 1914.

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Read the blog post

Gympie Ladies Benevolent Society

Gympie Ladies Benevolent Society first formed in 1871, but was short lived – then formed again 20 years later. In 1891, the Colonial Secretary's office wrote to town mayors and recommended towns establish benevolent societies (if not already established) to receive government monetary support....and thus the Gympie Ladies Benevolent Society was revived!
Discover the history of the Gympie Ladies Benevolent Society.

View the film

Read the blog post

March Forth with Music

A wonderful showcase of brass bands, marching bands, musical and choral groups from the Gympie region. Gympie has a rich music history stemming from the musical miners who formed bands through to the successes of many band contests, and hosting the first Queensland Eisteddfod.

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Read the blog post

Gympie Flood History ~Part One~ 1870 – 1968

Take a look at some photos from the earliest recorded flooding of the mighty Mary River in Gympie and surrounds. The biggest recorded flood to date was the Great Flood of 1893, which peaked at 25.45 metres. Bill Mulholland wrote (1979) of the 1893 flood "a legend that will persist into the future until, perchance, some day there occurs a still greater flood".

View the film

Read the blog post

Read the blog post (1893)

Read the blog post (1955)

The History of Mary Street, Gympie

Discover the history of Gympie’s main street. On 2 May, 2018 Dr Elaine Brown presented a local history talk at the Gympie Library, title "The history of Mary Street".

View the film

View Mary Street photos

Central Mary Street

Take a virtual walk down Central Mary Street, Gympie through different time periods as we showcase a few of the businesses, businesspeople and building facades throughout the early history of Gympie's main street.

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Read the blog post

Dairy Industry ~ Wide Bay Cooperative Dairy

The Gympie region would rise to be one of the leaders in dairying in Australia, exporting butter around the globe. Have a look through the formation of our dairy industry from the Gympie Central Dairying Company to the Silverwood Company and then the formation of the Wide Bay Cooperative Dairy.

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Read the blog post

40th Anniversary Muster Talk

Take a look into the history of the Gympie Music Muster from its humble beginnings to the impact it has had on the region.

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Read the blog post

Celebrations

Take a leisurely look at the early social scene of the Gympie region. Join us to relish in celebrations, picnics, and get-togethers from Gympie region’s history

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Read the blog post

Memorial Park

Take a walk down memory lane of Gympie's Memorial Park and Laneway to celebrate the centenary of its official opening (20 April 1921). A wonderful slideshow of images of the park and surrounds through the last 100 years.

View the Film.

Visit our Past in Print page to download a free booklet on the history of Memorial Park.

Remembrance Day

We start with a one-minute silent memorial photo montage to remember and honour the memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts. The one minute’s silence will be followed by a history of some of our region’s memorial plaques, parks and halls.

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Read the blog post

Memorial Park and Laneway: A Place of Remembrance in Gympie

Learn about Gympie’s Memorial Park, which was opened in 1921 by Sir Major-General Thomas William Glasgow.

This project was created for Gympie Regional Council’s Q100 Red for Remembrance (1918 – 2018 We Will Not Forget) community event and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

View the film

You can also read the book Memorial Park, Gympie. Visit The Past in Print to download.

Queensland’s Emu Plume: the Kangaroo Feather

Did you know that the Gympie Brigade became one of the first companies to wear the emu plume? This is the story of how the emu plume in the hats of soldiers came about, and what it means.

This project was created for Gympie Regional Council’s Q100 Red for Remembrance (1918 – 2018 We Will Not Forget) community event and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

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Captain George Thomas

Watch the story of Captain George Thomas who served in World War I in Gallipoli and France. Learn about his time as the mayor of Gympie and his advocacy for returned soldiers.

This project was created for Gympie Regional Council’s Q100 Red for Remembrance (1918 – 2018 We Will Not Forget) community event and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

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The Home Front: the Impact on Families During World War I

Discover what life was like for women left to run farms, families and households during World War I.

This project was created for Gympie Regional Council’s Q100 Red for Remembrance (1918 – 2018 We Will Not Forget) community event and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

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The Larrikin Streak: Humour in Adversity

Where is our sense of humour come from? This is the story of how the larrikin spirit grew in World War I.

This project was created for Gympie Regional Council’s Q100 Red for Remembrance (1918 – 2018 We Will Not Forget) community event and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

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The Fires of Gympie

Learn how the burning down of some of Gympie’s buildings have affected the town over the years.

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Read the blog post