Gympie Museum

The Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum

Gympie Gold Mining & Historical Museum

The Gold and Mining Museum, complete with Andrew Fisher’s House, is set in the attractive parklands at Lake Alford (on the Southern outskirts of Gympie) which are ideal for picnics.

The Gold and Mining Museum (at 215 Brisbane Rd) is an outstanding historial museum operated by The Gympie & District Historical Society.  The Museum has an interesting range of buildings spread over 5 hectares containing over 30 display areas in and around 15 major buildings with entry through a cafe and souvenir shop. The site of the Museum is that of the former No2 South Great Eastern Mine with some original relics still on site and an operational authentic steam winding engine, compound air compressor and generator reconstructed on the original footings.

One of the highlights is the very important Retort House of the Scottish Gympie Gold Mines which, remarkably, is the only mining building still standing in Gympie. It is listed by the National Trust.

Also in the museum grounds is Andrew Fisher’s House. Fisher was Australia’s first Labor Minister for Trade and Customs. He later became the first Prime Minister to hail from Queensland. He was Prime Minister three times in the years leading up to World War I and is credited with the famous declaration of Australia defending the British Empire to her ‘last man and last shilling’.

The other buildings in the complex range from old school houses to a blacksmith’s shop and the displays include an old camera and movie room, a military museum, a railway display, a trophy room celebrating Gympie’s sporting achievements, and a dairy display. Other attractions include horse-drawn equipment, a blacksmith and a 1931 Leyland bus. Some of the goldmining equipment is fired up with steam-powered equipment on special occasions.

The Museum will keep you busy discovering many things about Gympie and its’ past, some of the things you will see are:

• Relics of later Mining and Gold recovery including gem displays.
• Military History such as The 5th Light Horse Regimental Military Museum which houses an Award Winning Collection. It includes Military equipment and memorabilia of sons and daughters from the Gympie area that went to war.
• The Andrew Fisher House, named after Australias’ second Labour Prime Minister between 1908 – 1915. Andrew Fisher lived here with his Family.
• An original old Jail House from the Gympie area.

The complex is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and at other times by appointment. Detailed brochures on all the buildings in the complex are provided with each entry ticket. For more information contact (07) 5482 3995 or check out: www.goldmuseum.spiderweb.com.au.