Landsborough

History

Landsborough was named for the British-born explorer William Landsborough, who was the first European to cross Australia north to south. The earliest European settlers arrived in the area in 1871. Originally called Mellum Creek ("mellum" is an Aboriginal word for "volcano"), it dates from 1871 when Isaac Burgess erected a slab hut with bark roof as "port of call" for Cobb and Co coaches stopping for refreshments and a change of horses. Mellum Creek Provisional School opened on 29 September 1879 and closed in 1882. It reopened in 1884 and, in 1891, was renamed Landsborough Provisional School. On 1 January 1909, it became Landsborough State School. Mellum Creek Post Office opened on 23 January 1881. It was renamed Landsborough in 1890. In the past Landsborough was one of the larger towns of the Sunshine Coast having a large logging industry. In 1912, the town became the administrative centre for the Landsborough Shire after separating from the Caboolture Shire. Advertisements for the September 1927 auction of land in the Landsborough Township Estate emphasized the prosperity and fast-growing nature of the town. Landsborough Shire merged into the City of Caloundra in 1968. St John's Anglican Church was dedicated on 13 October 1956 by Archbishop Reginald Halse. It closed circa 1987. The building was sold for removal. Glasshouse Country Uniting Church opened its church at Beerwah on 16 December 2000. It was a result of the merger of the Glasshouse Uniting Church, Beerwah Uniting Church, Landsborough Uniting Church and Mooloolah Uniting Church.

Geography

Landsborough is in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It is situated north of the Glasshouse Mountains just off Steve Irwin Way, north of Brisbane at the base of the southern end of the Blackall Range. The North Coast railway line enters the locality from the south (Beerwah), passes through the town in the west of the locality, and then exits the locality to the north-west (Mooloolah Valley). The Bruce Highway passes along the eastern boundary of the locality. Steve Irwin Way passes through from south to north-east, and the Landsborough–Maleny Road exits to the north-west. Landsborough has the following mountains, all in the east of the locality: * Alfs Hill () * Deans Hill () * Maggies Hill () Ewen Maddock Dam is a reservoir in the north-east of the locality ().

Most-observed species

• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  6,446
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  6,069
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  5,535
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  5,382
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  4,959
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  4,807
• Eastern Whipbird

  Psophodes olivaceus (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  4,385
• Laughing Kookaburra

  Dacelo novaeguineae (Hermann, 1783) · Aves
  4,195