Explore Gayndah

Gayndah ~ Queensland

Gayndah is a small rural town on the Burnett River, 366 kilometres northwest of Brisbane. It was settled in 1849 and is the oldest town in Queensland. This lovely town is surrounded by rolling hills, farmland, and citrus orchards.

When we visited Gayndah, we wandered around the town centre, admired the heritage buildings, visited the Big Orange and the Gayndah Museum, and drove to see the Iderway Historic Bridge.

Gayndah’s town centre has lovely heritage buildings, unique sculptures, cafes, traditional hotels and shops to browse in.

The heritage-listed Gayndah courthouse was built in 1928 and is still used today. In front of the courthouse is the unique town clock, designed in the shape of a citrus tree. The stained glass and stainless steel timepiece depicts stories of the district.

The Council Chambers, Soldiers Memorial Hall, and Town Hall buildings are also heritage-listed. They were built in 1935 in the Art Deco style and are still used today.

Mellors Drapery was built in 1922 and, until recently, was one of the few buildings in Australia that still used a “flying fox” to deal with transactions. It is currently closed.

Gayndah was the headquarters for the first Jockey Club in Queensland, and there is a lovely statue of a horse and jockey on Pineapple Street to celebrate this achievement.

The Gayndah Art Gallery is situated in the magnificently restored old convent building. There is also a lovely walking path along the Burnett River, which is accessible down the stairs from the town centre.

Gayndah is also home to the Big Orange, a 16-metre-high fibreglass orange on the Burnett Highway on the outskirts of town. It was built in 2003 to promote the town’s citrus industry. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Alongside the Big Orange is a cafe, which offers Devonshire teas and has a selection of local produce. The citrus season in Gayndah is from April to October.

The Gayndah Museum on Simon Street houses an interesting collection of exhibits that provide a glimpse into early life in and around Gayndah. It is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The museum is housed in several heritage buildings. The historic brick cottage, built in 1864 by Henry Fenwick, is the oldest surviving brick residence in Gayndah. There is also an extensive display of steam engines, historic vehicles and machinery.

The Lions Park on Anzac Parade is a lovely park with toilets, picnic tables, BBQs, a playground, and plenty of parking. It also has the wonderful Albert Coch Memorial Windmill.

The Gayndah Heritage Railway Complex has a lovely restored railway station building, a goods shed, and several Sunlander carriages. It also has a low-cost camping area for self-contained caravans and motorhomes.

The heritage-listed Ideraway Upside Down Bridge is located 10 kilometres north of Gayndah. This unusual bridge spans 45 metres over the Iderway Creek and was constructed in 1902.

The bridge was constructed by reusing part of the erection truss from the Burdekin River Rail Bridge at Macrossan, between Townsville and Charters Towers.