Nambour, Queensland

From Freepedia

Nambour is a town situated in south east Queensland, Australia, 101 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is a part of the area known as the Sunshine Coast, and is the administrative centre of the Maroochy Shire Council. The town itself lies inland of the coast at the foot of the Blackall Range. Nambour has a population of 12 000, as measured in the 2001 census.

Etymology

The name is derived from the Aboriginal word "naamba", referring to the red-flowering tea-tree (callistemon viminalis).

History

The area now known as Nambour, was first settled in 1870, by Matthew Carroll. The town was then called Petrie's Creek. In 1890 the Maroochy Divisional Board was established. And in 1891 a railway connection with Brisbane was completed, and at it' opening Petrie's Creek was renamed "Nambour", after the Nambour cattle station.

Industry

The most obvious industry in the town has been sugar, with extensive cane fields surrounding the town, and the Moreton Sugar Mill in the town centre. The mill itself was closed in 2003, and the long term future of the sugar industry in the area may be in doubt. Other industries in the area include tourism, and the growing of tropical fruits. The Big Pineapple tourist attraction on the southern outskirts of the town combines both of these pursuits.