It was back in 1860 that John Mackay discovered the Pioneer Valley. He named the river the Mackay River, although this was later changed to the Pioneer River, as a Mackay River already existed. He later returned to the area with a stock of sheep, and was followed by a number of others. A township grew up, and it was named after him. Mackay was settled in the year of 1862. It was a short ten years layer that the area became Queensland's principle sugar producing locality. This, naturally, helped boost the town and maintain a level of prosperity.


Heritage

The city of Mackay has many fine heritage buildings, of interesting architectural designs. Unfortunately, the cyclone of early 1918 devastated many of the city's buildings, so that many of the historic buildings were completely destroyed. However, there are still numerous examples, and the city has many National Trust listed buildings. To mention but a few of these heritage attractions, the Leichhardt Tree is one that cannot be missed. It is an old, old tree, which goes right back in time to when it marked the spot where ships with all kinds of goods, halted to unload their wares and passengers. This was before the time of the arrival of the railway, and the later opening of the outer harbour.

The Police Station dates back to the year 1885, when Thomas Keleher built it, and it is amongst the National Trust listed buildings of the city. The Court House too is on this list, and it reflects greatly, the fashion in the 1930s, for public buildings of a neo-Georgian style. The city's oldest commercial building was built in 1880, and it opened in 1881 as the Australian Joint Stock Bank. Today, it is home to the Commonwealth Bank. The Old Town Hall is a mixture of Edwardian and Federation styles, and was constructed in 1912. Following the wake of the devastating 1918 cyclone, it was the focal point for many of the homeless people, who sought shelter there. It was restored in the early 1980s, and the Department of Community Health occupies it these days.

Arts and Crafts

There are numerous arts and crafts attractions in Mackay. The Mackay Art and Craft Gallery has an interesting and varied selection of ceramics, paintings and lots more besides. Likewise, the Mackay Art Centre has a gallery full of impressive woodwork, jewellery, glass and sculptures. The Forbes Gallery has frequent exhibitions, which feature the work of Clem Forbes. Some 14 km along the Homebush Road, is the Homebush Store Pottery and Craft Gallery. It was opened in the earlier part of this century and has beautiful ceramics, paintings and lots more.

Natural Attractions

This part of Queensland has fabulous beaches to boast of. Within 40 km of Mackay, there are an amazing 30 beaches. The list is endless, Harbour Beach; Illawong 'Far' and Illuka 'Town' Beach, which both have striking views of Flat and Round Top Islands and Dalrymple Bay; Black's Beach; Bacasia Beach and its views of Dolphin Heads; Shoal Point Beach from where it is possible to see Cape Hillsborough and the Hibiscus Coast. There are many more besides these few that have been mentioned.

Other Attractions

Being a hive of sugar production activity, you may be interested to learn something of the industry, by visiting Polstone Farm, which is in the Homebush direction, only 20 minutes from Mackay. There are daily tours of the sugar plant, which provide a glance of what life is like on a sugar cane plant. For those attracted to the hustle and bustle of markets, the weekend markets in Mackay are the place to be, with a wide and interesting collection of all sorts of goods.

Every year there are a variety of festivals held in Mackay. These include the Sugartime Festival, the Greenmount Fair, the Festival of Arts and the Mackay Cup. The festivities are always colourful events, which attract many visitors. There are also numerous parades, concerts, beer festivals and fishing competitions throughout the year too, with something for everyone.

For a day trip out of Mackay, the place to go is the Pioneer Valley, and the Eungella National Park. On your way to the Park, you will pass many small townships and lots of places of historical note. These include Selwyn House, Walkerston, Mirani, Finch Hatton and a few others, all with their own historical tale to tell. Eventually, you will come across Eungella. This area was at one time inhabited by the Wiri and Biria tribes. The name Eungella derives from the word 'Oongala', which means 'cloud sit down along mountain'.

The Park is set in 50,000 hectares, covering the magnificent Clark Range and offering spectacular views of the coast, Pioneer Valley and the National Park itself. There are numerous tracks through the rainforest, which allow visitors to get close to the nature around them, and perhaps see some of the animals inhabiting the area. This is also a birdlife haven, with our feathered friends finding suitable homes amidst the thicket of trees and undergrowth.

Eungella is not the only National Park in the vicinity. Cape Hillsborough National Park is north-west of Mackay. The natural beauty at this park includes volcano formations, beaches, rainforest and an abundance of wildlife. There are kangaroos, wallabies, possums, an array of birds and much more besides. The walking tracks will give you access to the natural wonders of the park, and there are plenty of picnic areas to rest and contemplate the beauty around you.

0 of a possible 0 points from 0 votes