Nambour, Queensland

Nambour is 101 kilometres (63 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town lies in the sub-tropical hinterland of the Sunshine Coast at the foot of the Blackall Range It was the administrative centre and capital of the Maroochy Shire and is now the administrative centre of the Sunshine Coast Region. The greater Nambour region includes surrounding suburbs such as Burnside, Coes Creek, and Perwillowen.

The red flowering bottle brush Callistemon viminalis after which Nambour is named

The name is derived from the Aboriginal word "naamba", referring to the red-flowering bottle brush Callistemon viminalis.[4]

Panoramic view of Currie Street in Nambour circa 1932

Main street in 1905

South Sea Islanders in Nambour 1906

Commercial Hotel 1917

Commercial Hotel today

In 1862, Tom Petrie with 25 Turrbal and Kabi Kabi men including Ker-Walli, Wanangga and Billy Dinghy entered Petrie's Creek with the view to exploit the large cedar growing in the vicinity. Probably near Rosemount, they encountered some resident aboriginals with whom they had a traditional ceremony together. Petrie's group afterwards made a permanent logging camp further up the creek in the area now known as Nambour. At this camp, Petrie branded the 25 aboriginals that were working for him. With a piece of prepared glass, he cut his logging symbol of a P inside a circle into each of the men's arms. These aboriginals, as well as local Maroochy men such as Puram, worked hard, returning frequently with Petrie to build the roadway, fell the timber and transport the logs downriver.[5] The Nambour area had its first permanent European settlement in 1870. The town was then still just called Petrie's Creek.[6]

Maroochy Provisional School No 363 opened on 13 October 1879. It was renamed Nambour Provisional School in 1891. It became Nambour State School in 1897. It had a secondary school department from circa 1940 until 2 February 1953, when Nambour State High School opened on 2 Feb 1953.[7]

In 1890 the Maroochy Divisional Board was established.

In 1891, the rail link with Brisbane was completed, and at its opening Petrie's Creek was renamed "Nambour", after the Nambour cattle station.[6]

A fire in 1924 destroyed many of the timber buildings along the main street.

Petrie's Creek Post Office opened on 1 June 1888 (a receiving office had been open from 1885, originally known as Carrollo) and was renamed Nambour by 1890.[8]

The Nambour branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association was founded on 1 November 1928. In 1931 they established their QCWA Rest Rooms in the Shire Hall. In September 1958 they officially opened their own building at 10 Short Street (still in use today).[9]

The town was bypassed by the Bruce Highway on 16 October 1990, which now forms the locality's north-eastern boundary. This alleviated most of the local traffic congestion.

Along the middle of the roadway of Mill, Currie and Howard Streets, a piece of Queensland Rail history is still on display - the Nambour to Coolum Tramline. The Tramline was used to transport passengers and sugar cane in the early 1920s. The Tramline forms part of the Moreton Central Sugar Mill Cane Tramway,[10] The tramway closed at the end of 2001.[11] Much of the track and signal lighting still remains.

The Nambour & District Historical Museum, more widely known as the Nambour Museum began with an opening ceremony held on 20 April 1996.[12] The Nambour Public Library opened in 1982 and had a major refurbishment in 1998 with a minor refurbishment in 2016.[13]

In the 2011 census, Nambour had a population of 10,221.[14]

St Joseph's Primary School was opened on 2 February 1925 by the Good Samaritan Sisters. From 1940 to 1977 it also provided secondary schooling, an arrangement that ended when St Joseph's High School was established in 1977.[7] In 1979 the high school relocated to

Nambour State High School opened on 2 Feb 1953.[7]

Nambour Infants State School No 901 opened on 23 January 1961 and closed on 12 December 1980.[7]

In 1977 the Catholic Education Office established St Joseph's High School. In 1979 it moved to a new location in Burnside and in 1985 was renamed St John's College.[7]

Nambour Centre for Continuing Secondary Education opened on 4 February 1991.[7] It was subsequently amalgamated into the Nambour State College.

The Royal George Hotel, the Club Hotel and the Post Office on Currie Street as seen in 2010

Nambour has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Mill Street, Currie Street, Howard Street: Moreton Central Sugar Mill Cane Tramway[15]
• 17 & 19 Mill Street, and 14 & 16 Bury Street: former Moreton Central Sugar Mill Worker's Housing[16]

Another heritage listing associated with the Moreton Central Sugar Mill is the

• Store Road, Maroochy River: Tramway Lift Bridge over Maroochy River[17]

Nambour is represented by the following politicians:

The Big Pineapple

Nambour's primary industry has been sugar, with extensive cane fields surrounding the town, and the Moreton Central Sugar Mill in the town centre. The mill itself began operating in 1897 until it was closed in 2003.[18]

The future of the sugar industry in the area is in doubt, with a number of former cane farms being converted to grazing cattle, turf farms or sold to property developers. Other industries in the area include tourism, and the growing of tropical fruits.

The Big Pineapple tourist attraction on the southern outskirts of the town reflects both of these pursuits. The Big Pineapple Music Festival attracts thousands of visitors to Nambour. Other tourist attractions include Thrill Hill Waterslide Park,[19] the Big Cow, and the Big Macadamia nut.[20]

Situated near Nambour is the Queensland Government's Maroochy Research Station which is a major subtropical fruit and nut research and extension centre. The 61 ha research facility was established in 1945, and has an office and laboratory complex, glasshouses, netted orchards, postharvest coolrooms and a biotechnology facility. With access to national and international funding sources, specialist staff often work in conjunction with investigators from other research agencies.[21]

The main shopping areas in Nambour are Nambour Plaza which has approximately 40 stores, Nambour Mill Village Shopping Centre and Centenary Square Shopping Centre.

Railway lines run through the centre of Nambour

The TransLink Transit Authority (known as TransLink) is the authority that coordinates and integrates the public rail and bus services in South-East Queensland, of which Nambour is in Zone 6.

Nambour is serviced by several Queensland Rail passenger trains, including the Tilt Train and is approximately one and a half hours north of Brisbane by rail. Regular services depart from Nambour railway station and use the Sunshine Coast line.

The region connected to Brisbane via the Bruce Highway which forms part of the M1 motorway.

Greyhound Australia interstate coach operators also operate daily bus services to Brisbane using the major corridors. The local bus service is operated by Sunbus Sunshine Coast which has various routes between Nambour and Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, including one via Eumundi.

Nambour is also served by Sunshine Coast Airport. The airport is approximately 25 minutes east of Nambour by car. Brisbane Airport is approximately one hour and ten minutes south of Nambour by car.

Nambour Hospital is located on Hospital Road and provides, among other services, diagnostic, surgical, general medical, emergency, intensive care, and aged care services for the Sunshine Coast-Wide Bay Health Service District.[22]

Nambour Selangor Private Hospital is located on Netherton Street. Private specialists’ consulting suites and radiology services are co-located within the Hospital campus.[23]

The distribution network company that provides electricity to Nambour residents is Energex. On 1 July 2010, Sunshine Coast Regional Council's Water Services (along with Moreton Bay Regional Council), moved over to the recently created water body, Unity Water. Unity Water was created by the Queensland Government as part of the State's takeover of South East Queensland's water facilities, dams and water supply networks. Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast Regional Councils own 50% of Unity Water.

Nambour State College is a government primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at 1 Carroll Street (26.6232°S 152.9623°E / -26.6232; 152.9623 (Nambour State College)).[24][25] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1,538 students with 147 teachers (134 full-time equivalent) and 83 non-teaching staff (60 full-time equivalent).[26] Its primary (Prep-6) campus is at Coronation Avenue (26.6212°S 152.9646°E / -26.6212; 152.9646 (Nambour State College - Junior School)).[24][27] The school has a primary and secondary special education program. It also has a primary and secondary Intensive English program.[24]

St Joseph's Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 177 Currie Street (26.6300°S 152.9601°E / -26.6300; 152.9601 (St Joseph's Primary School)).[24][28] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 396 students with 23 teachers (21 full-time equivalent) and 19 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent).[26]

Agnew School is a private primary and secondary (3-12) campus of Agnew School (at Wakerley, Brisbane) at 281 Windsor Road (26.6209°S 152.9345°E / -26.6209; 152.9345 (Agnew School)).[24][29]

In addition, other suburbs of Nambour include the following schools:

• Burnside:
  • Burnside State School (primary)
  • Burnside State High School (secondary)
  • Nambour Special School on Windsor Drive for children aged 5 to 18 years.[30]
  • St John's College (Catholic secndary)
  • Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE has its largest campus in Nambour.[31]
• Kureelpa
  • Blackall Range Independent School (primary and secondary)
• Woombye
  • Woombye State School (primary)
    • Nambour Christian College (secondary)
    • Suncoast Christian College (secondary)

The Nambour branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 10 Short Street.[39]

Nambour Rugby Union Premiers 1912

Nambour has a number of amateur sporting clubs including:

• Nambour-Yandina United Football Club
• Nambour and District Tennis Association
• Nambas Tennis Club.
• Nambour Golf Club

The Nambour Wildcats Soccer Club is part of the Sunshine Coast Churches Soccer Association and was established in 1976, it is one of the largest sporting clubs in the region with over 350 players from U6 to senior Mens, Ladies and Over 35's.[40]

The Nambour Crushers Rugby League Club was established in 1985. The grounds are situated at 22 Crusher Park Drive. The Crushers have teams in all grades from Under 7s to A Grade and number approximately 300 players.[41]

The Nambour Rugby Union Club entered the Sunshine Coast District Rugby Union Competition in 1981. The club is known as the "Toads". The club`s ground is situated on Laidlaw Road in nearby Woombye. Nambour fields four "Senior" sides in the Sunshine Coast Competition: A Grade, Reserve Grade and U19`s as well as a women's team. A junior club with teams from under 7s through to under 17s also runs. Nambour were local premiers in 1912 and 1913.[42]

The Nambour and Districts Netball Association is made up of clubs from Yandina, Burnside, Nambour, Woombye, Palmwoods and the school based Saints club.[43]

Nambour Cricket Club is part of the Sunshine Coast Cricket Association and has played on the Nambour showgrounds since the early 1890s when a Nambour team competed against teams from nearby towns.[44]

The Nambour Aquatic Centre is located in Petrie Park and has heated pools all year round. The complex offers a variety of activities including a 50m heated pool, a 25m heated enclosed pool, toddler pools and fountains/play area, a learn to swim program, aqua aerobics classes, and a poolside cafe.[45]

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 11,187 people in Nambour.

• 52.9% of the population were female and 47.1% were male
• The median age was 40 years
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.4% of the population.
• 77.1% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 4.0% and New Zealand 3.6%.
• 87.7% of people spoke only English at home.
• The most common responses for religion were No Religion 33.5%, Catholic 16.0% and Anglican 13.5%.[1]

• List of world's largest roadside attractions
• List of tramways in Queensland

• Brady, Tony (2012). "Nambour: The model rural school" (PDF). Australian and International Journal of Rural Education. 22 (3): 87–99. ISSN 1839-7387. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2020.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nambour, Queensland.

• Nambour travel guide from Wikivoyage
• "Nambour". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
• Town map:
  • North-west quadrant
  • North-east quadrant
  • South-west quadrant
  • South-east quadarant