Landsborough Museum

Landsborough Museum offers a detailed look at the history of Landsborough and the surrounding Sunshine Coast region. Its collection traces the area’s development from Indigenous occupation and early settlement through to the growth of rail, timber, agriculture and local government. Visitors can explore photographs, memorabilia, artefacts, equipment and everyday objects that provide insight into how people lived and worked in the district.

The museum’s most distinctive feature is the building itself. It occupies the former Landsborough Shire Council Chambers, a state heritage-listed, low-set timber building constructed in 1924. Designed by architect Walter Carey Voller, the chambers once contained a council room, offices, a counter and a walk-in strong room. The museum has since expanded around the original structure, including a later extension, covered courtyard connection and renovated former council shed. Together, these elements create a venue where the region’s civic history is part of the visitor experience.

Displays include a Kabi Kabi canoe made by Traditional Custodians, alongside material relating to early settler life and the people who shaped Landsborough. The museum also follows the town’s changing fortunes: from Mellum Creek and its Cobb & Co. staging post in the 1870s, through the arrival of the railway in 1890, the establishment of Landsborough Shire in 1912 and the relocation of council administration to Caloundra in 1968. The former chambers closed in 1974 before becoming a historical museum through the work of the Landsborough Historical Society.

Changing exhibitions are used to explore events that influenced the region, while talks, activities and the annual street festival add a program beyond the permanent displays. The museum suits visitors interested in local history, heritage buildings, community stories and the Sunshine Coast’s changing landscape. It can work as a focused solo visit or a shared outing for people wanting to understand Landsborough beyond its role as a town near the Maleny–Montville scenic drive. The collection, historical timeline and heritage setting offer plenty of context for visitors who enjoy exploring the people, places and everyday objects behind a region’s story.