Exploring the region's heritage

Greenmount Homestead is a restored Queenslander near the village of Walkerston in the Pioneer Valley. It’s a period building which has been kept as a museum showcasing what life was like for the pioneers who came to the Mackay region in the late 1800s. It’s a beautiful setting, raised up on a little hill and surrounded by green pastures and cane fields. On a slightly cloudy, breezy 31st May I went with Helen, Susan, Courtney and Jack to the first ever Greenmount Heritage Fair. There was a stage with local musicians playing, lots of interesting stalls and exhibitions and Courtney and I also went on a tour of the house, which is looked after by Gladys, the Aboriginal housekeeper to the Cook family who were the original owners. She was a real character, telling us all sorts of stories and anecdotes about the family. We finished off the day in true colonial style with a Devonshire tea on the veranda!

A few weeks ago I went on another day out with Helen on one of our days off. Helen drove me way out of Mackay, inland to the south-west to the village of Nebo. On the way we took a detour way off the beaten track down a little dirt road to the ghost town of Mount Britten. This was a township which thrived in the mid-late 1800s when gold was discovered in the area. Now all that’s left is a few bits of machinery and ghostly shadows on the ground where the streets and houses used to be. It’s a lovely deserted spot, with some great views of the surrounding mountain ranges and it was a lovely hot sunny day. There has been some archaeological excavations in the area which have turned up some interesting artefacts. Most of the building still survive, but they were taken apart, moved somewhere else, and then re-assembled; none of them are left standing in Mount Britten. One of the hotels, for example, is now a private residence in Nebo, a few miles down the road. The area round about is still mined. There are gemstone mines all over this area, including one at the appropriately named Emerald. There are also lots of opencast mines and quarries that are still in operation.

After a little walk around the deserted township Helen and I continued along the road to Nebo. It’s a large village on the Peak Downs Highway, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It’s got a very impressive village pub/hotel which was our ultimate destination; apparently it’s got a great menu. Unfortunately due to our little detour the kitchen had stopped serving, so we had to make do with a beer instead. We picked up a sandwich from the shop down the road and sat on the edge of the creek for a little impromptu picnic. We then went for a pleasant walk along the riverside path, which is decorated with mosaics that were made by the local school children. It was really nice to spend the day out in the countryside and see a bit more of the local area – thanks Helen!