CORPORATE PLAN 2023 - 2028 · Draft Corporate Plan 2023-2028

The Noosa
Story
The traditional owners of the land and waters of Noosa Shire
are the Kabi Kabi First Nations People. They have lived here for
countless generations; tens of thousands of years stretching
back into time immemorial. Kabi Kabi have a deep connection
to this country. Their culture is entwined with the environment
through land, river and sea, including an intimate knowledge
of the flora, fauna, ecology and seasons. This continued
connection links past, present and the future. Colonial interest
in Noosa began in the 1860s with access to timber via the
estuary and lakes. Huge volumes of trees were removed in the
following decades, including the highly sought-after red cedar
and giant kauri pines. A sawmill was built at Lake Cootharaba
in 1869 and a town and port were soon established at
Tewantin. Following the discovery of gold at Gympie in 1867, a
track was cut to the Noosa River via Cooran, which allowed a
faster, easier route between the goldmines and the capital city.

When the railway between Brisbane and Gympie was finally
completed in 1891, it provided greater access to the more
distant markets for the young hinterland townships of Cooran,
Pomona and Cooroy. Simultaneously it brought new families and
workers to the area who created farms to replace the declining
timber, dairy and small cropping industries. As township
populations expanded, schools, churches, and small businesses
were established to support the communities’ needs.

Noosa quickly made a name for itself as a place of natural
beauty and a holiday destination. From as early as the 1870s,
a handful of moneyed miners from Gympie came to stay
on the riverbank for restful fishing. Holidaymakers would
continue to grow over the next 150 years, especially once cars
became common from the 1930s. A commitment to building
roads, bridges and amenities to accommodate these tourists
increased their number.


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