Brisbane Living Heritage is delighted to welcome two new members from the Sunshine Coast hinterland: Bankfoot House and Landsborough Museum. Both are about an hour north of Brisbane and a short drive apart, so together they make an easy heritage stop on the way to the beach.
Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct, Glass House Mountains
Bankfoot House began in 1868, when Scottish-born William and Mary Grigor settled beside the new road from Brisbane to the Gympie goldfields. They built a house as a lunch stop and horse-changing station for Cobb & Co coaches, and named it after Mary’s home village in Scotland. While William worked in the timber industry, Mary ran the house, providing meals, accommodation and supplies. The property also served as the district’s post office.
The coach service ended once the railway arrived in the early 1890s, but the house carried on as an accommodation house for people coming to climb the mountains. The core of today’s building dates from 1878. It stayed with the same family for 134 years, across three generations, which gives the place a rare authenticity. The state heritage-listed house is the oldest surviving residence in the Glass House Mountains.
At 1998 Old Gympie Road, visitors can join a free guided tour of the house, browse displays in the Mary Grigor Centre, and see conservation work on the site’s historic collection through the Shed restoration project. There are also picnic areas in the grounds, and a year-round program of exhibitions, events and activities.
Landsborough Museum, Landsborough
Further north, Landsborough Museum is housed in the town’s former Shire Council Chambers, a heritage-listed timber building from 1924. The town was named after the explorer William Landsborough and grew once the railway arrived in 1890. The chambers closed in 1974, and the Shire of Landsborough Historical Society opened the museum in 1976. It is still run by volunteers and is one of the largest social history museums between Brisbane and Gympie.
Through artefacts, photographs and exhibitions, the museum covers Kabi Kabi cultural connections, early settler life and the events that shaped the region. A changing program of exhibitions, talks, workshops and community events means there is often something new to see. Entry is free, and the museum at 4 Maleny Street is 400 metres from Landsborough train station and five minutes from Australia Zoo.
Plan your visit
Both sites are currently open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm, so check before you go. We’re proud to welcome them to Brisbane Living Heritage.
