The Past in Print

The past in print is a selection of well researched books outlining the Gympie region’s history.

Memorial Park

Memorial Park in Gympie celebrated its 100th birthday in April 2021. Read a brief history of the park.

Read Memorial Park

The Gympie Goldfield 1867-2008

The story of one of Australia's most productive goldfields and Gympie's role as the town that saved Queensland.

In 2010, this book received a National Trust of Queensland Bendigo Bank Heritage Award.

Read The Gympie Goldfield 1867-2008

The town that saved Queensland

Published in 1983, "The town that saved Queensland" was coordinated by the Gympie Branch of the National Trust of Queensland. It was written by W.W. Mulholland and the sketches were drawn by Mark Trotter, Dick Gould and Charlene Thompson Gould. The book documents and illustrates 26 buildings of significance in Gympie.

Thanks to the National Trust of Queensland for giving permission for the book to be made available as a free download.

Read The Town the Saved Queensland

Cooloola Shire… a golden past

A photographic history of the Cooloola Shire.

Read Cooloola Shire...a golden past

The Winds of Change

The history of the Widgee Shire 1879-1979.

Read Winds of Change

Where Two Rivers Run

A history of the Kilkivan Shire, includes Goomeri & Woolooga. Written by Dulcie Logan and published in 1988 by the Kilkivan Shire Council.

Read Where Two Rivers Run

Landscapes of Change

Written by Dr Tony Matthews, Phd, Landscapes of change, chronicles the history of the South Burnett region of Queensland. Published by participating members of the South Burnett Local Government Association - the Cherbourg Community Council, and the Shire Councils of Kilkivan, Murgon, Wondai and Kingaroy, in 1997.
This a double volume set.

Read volume one

Read volume two

We would lke to thank Dr Tony Matthews (Phd), Ms Lensie Matthews, the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, the South Burnett Regional Council and the Gympie Regional Council (formerly Kilkivan Shire Council) for allowing us to digitise and make this book freely available.

Note: due to the large download of both volumes the files have been compressed. Should you require a larger file please email Gympie Regional Libraries.

Dickabram Bridge

The Dickabram Bridge is the oldest bridge in Queensland. Due to the generosity of Jennifer Lipsett-Nahrung, the family of Kathy Dakin and Shirley Lipsett-Adams we are able to make scanned copies of the three Dickabram Bridge books available. Note: Copyright is held with the authors and their family.

Read Dickabram Bridge Centenary 1886-1986

Read Dickabram Bridge 125 years 1886-2011

Read The Dickabram Bridge Remembers 1886-2011

The Coffee Pot Mill

Written by Dr Tony Matthews, The Coffee Pot Mill is a history of the Elgin Vale steam-powered sawmill.

We would like to thank Dr Matthews and Mrs Lensie Matthews for allowing us to digitise and make available The Coffee Pot Mill.

Read The Coffee Pot Mill

Interlude at Elgin Vale is the story of an old mill engine at the Elgin Vale Sawmill near Goomeri. In 1996 , Peter Olds set about getting the steam engine working, and he did. This story is about the history of the steam engine, the Elgin Vale mill and its parent mill.

We would like to thank Mr Peter Olds for giving permission to digitise this book and make it freely available.

If you wish to buy a printed copy of Interlude at Elgin Vale please contact:
Olds Engineering, 78 North Street, Maryborough, Qld. 4650 Ph: 41213649

Read Interlude at Elgin Vale

Gympie Town Hall

The history of Gympie’s Town Hall and the baby clinic that was next door on Mellor Street.

Read Gympie Town Hall

Wild Heart Bountiful Land

An historical account of the Mary River Valley.

Produced by the Queensland State Archives in partnership with Cooloola Shire Council.

Read Wild Heart Bountiful Land

The Gympie School of Arts and Library

The Gympie School of Arts and Library was designed by well known Gympie architect Hugo DuRietz. It has been a centre for learning, a library and is now the Gympie Region Art Gallery.

Read the Gympie School of Arts and Library

The Gympie Civic Centre in Mellor Street was officially opened on Thursday 13 October 1977 by the Premier of Queensland, the Honourable Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, M.L.A.

Read official souvenir program of the opening

Hugo du Rietz: Swedish Noble, Architect, Farmer and a Founding Father of Gympie

Hugo du Rietz was the architect of some of Gympie’s well-known buildings, including the building that houses the gallery. The du Rietz family were also important to the region’s dairy industry.

Read Hugo du Rietz

Edward Bytheway

This is the story of Edward Bytheway, one of the founding fathers of Gympie.

You can buy a hard-back copy from the Gympie Regional Gallery Shop for $40. Phone 5481 0733 or email gallery@gympie.qld.gov.au.

Read Edward Bytheway

26 Views of Gympie

Published in the early 1900s by the Hon. Henry Llewelyn who was a politician and was a Member for the Queensland Legislative Council, he was in office from 1917 to 1922. He was also a bookseller and stationer, running his shop, known as “H. Llewelyn’s Book Arcade” in Mary Street for 34 years in Gympie.

The booklet has 26 views around Gympie taken in the early 1900s.

View the booklet

Goomboorian: place of big trees

In 1977 the Goomboorian Centenary Committee wrote a small history book about Goomboorian. Copyright is held by the Goomboorian Centenary Committee.

Read Goomboorian: place of big trees

Doctors of Gympie

Local author Linda Atkinson has written books about the first doctors in Gympie. Each book is a look at their life in the pioneering days of the region.

Doctor Theordore Edgar Dickson Byrne

Doctor Stephen John Joseph Burke

Lighthouses

Authors Ron and Yvonne Turner are volunteers helping preserve lighthouses in Queensland. They have written books on the lighthouses at Double Island Point and Bustard Head. 

Double Island Point Lighthouse

Bustard Head Lighthouse

Gympie and the railway

This slideshow follows the progress of the Gympie Station during the 1880s to the 1990s.

Read the transcript

Watch the slideshow