Travelbeat Editorial Review Market Day in Maryborough Queensland, Australia Story and photos by Kerry Hennigan It's market day in Maryborough. Every Thursday morning the centre of this historic Queensland river port is filled with colourful stalls selling home-grown fruit, vegetables and plants, handmade crafts and works of art. A different theme is adopted each month for the markets and associated entertainment, and year round on market day the Town Crier and period-costumed 'Mary Heritage' fire off the time cannon at 1:pm. Maryborough celebrated its centenary as a city in 2005, though the original settlement of Wide Bay dates back to 1847. The historic storefronts that line Adelaide and Ellena Streets where the market is held are a striking visual reminder of the city's prosperous past as a major port and continuing fame as Australia's Heritage City. Add to this the handsome administrative buildings and places of worship e.g. St Mary's Catholic Church (1871) and St Paul's Anglican Church (1879) with its awesome belltower (below right) housing 9 bells shipped out from England, and you have a modern city that has wisely retained many of its historic landmarks. From the mid 19th century, the city enjoyed boom years as the main port for the wool, timber and sugar industries. Then, when gold was discovered at Gympie in 1867, Maryborough also became the supply centre for the goldfields. At Point Lookout, located at the end of Churchill Street, a signal fire would be lit to alert the men on the docks to incoming vessels. Ignore the surrounding suburban homes and yards that enjoy this impressive overlook and you could be back in the past, waiting for those old river boats to come steaming around the bend. Maryborough is also justifiably famous for its many handsome timber homes built in the local 'Queenslander' tradition - i.e. high on stilts above the ground to beat the white ants and provide ventilation, with long lattice shaded verandas for spending many a lazy afternoon with a cool drink and a good book. Free tourism guide books available in town will highlight the best streets in which to find some of these beautiful and timeless mansions. Across the river in Tinana, with a view back towards the city and the original site of the Wide Bay settlement, is another historic home - Rosehill (1859). Constructed of handmade clay bricks made on the site, Rosehill Homestead (pictured left) is open for guided tours. Afterwards you can indulge in Devonshire tea on the veranda with the local birdlife for company. It's an idyllic setting - a fact that obviously wasn't lost on the original owner, pioneer John Eaton who chose the locale for his family home. Back in town, a visit to Queen's Park with its wishing well, fairy fountain and rotunda (below right) is a must. Depending on the season the gardens bordering the impressive Court House can be dense with lush foliage, and the park itself cloaked in the cool shade of giant trees, like the old Banyan believed to be the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. If the toot of a train whistle drifts up from the riverbank below, then the steam train Mary Ann, a replica of the first steam engine built in Queensland in 1873, is operating Market Day joy rides along the edge of the Mary River. The Wharf Street precinct is a showcase of numerous historic buildings dating to the mid 1800s and now devoted to tourism. There are three hotels, including the magnificent three-storey Criterion, and a popular riverfront restaurant called Muddy Waters Cafe. Train buffs should definitely check out the Victorian-style Maryborough Central Railway Station and Railway Museum in Lennox Street. Maryborough is three hours drive from Brisbane on the Bruce Highway, one hour south of Bundaberg, or a mere 35 minutes from Hervey Bay on Queensland's popular Fraser Coast. For detailed information on the city and its many attractions including the weekly Heritage Market, visit: www.maryborough.qld.gov.au Back to Front Page