Woombye

History

The town has its roots in a settlement first known as Middle Camp, and later Cobb's Camp. It was established in 1868 as a staging depot and hotel for Cobb & Co stagecoaches at the halfway point on the road between Brisbane and Gympie, after the discovery of gold at Gympie. The town was renamed as Woombye in the 1880s. The name Woombye comes from the Kabi word wambai meaning black myrtle tree, which was used for handles for axes. The school was renamed Woombye State School in 1892. On Wednesday 19 May 1897, a stump-capping ceremony was held for an Anglican church in Woombye. The church was built by volunteer labour led by Mr Kitson. St Margaret's Anglican Church was dedicated on Monday 28 Mary 1898 by Bishop William Webber. The timber church could seat 100 people. Woombye Pub was opened in 1900 as The Criterion Hotel, a hotel which stands on the site as a pub. The first Woombye Agricultural Show was held on 3 June 1900. It continued as an annual tradition until 1909 when the event relocated to the Nambour Showground. The Woombye War Memorial was unveiled on 18 June 1925 by the Queensland Governor, Matthew Nathan. The Woombye branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association had formed before 1930. The Big Pineapple opened on 15 August 1971. Thrill Hill Waterslides opened in 1979. On 5 February 1979, the Christian Outreach College (Sunshine Coast) was established by the Nambour Christian Outreach Centre on a pineapple farm. The church and school were later renamed Suncoast Church and Suncoast Christian College respectively. In 2004, an adjoining pineapple farm was purchased to expand the school. On 29 January 1980, Nambour Christian College was established with 36 students by the families of the New Life Assembly of God Nambour church.

Geography

Woombye is located on the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the Brisbane CBD. The name is derived from words from the local Aboriginal language - a place () of black snake, or (wambai) black myrtle or axe handle made from black myrtle. The Bruce Highway forms the eastern boundary of the locality. The North Coast railway line runs from north to south through the western part of the locality; the town is centred around the Woombye railway station () in the west of the locality. Woombye–Montville Road exits to the south.

Most-observed species

• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  9,805
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  9,492
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  9,189
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  8,522
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  7,868
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  7,180
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  6,889
• Eastern Whipbird

  Psophodes olivaceus (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  6,569

Most recent

• M 4.9 — 2025-08-15
  12 km ESE of Cherbourg, Australia