For a little town, Toogoolawah has a lot of history. The small community in the Brisbane Valley was once at the centre of a thriving dairy industry – with the town home to Australia’s biggest condensed milk factory.
The Condensery operated during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s – but closed and succumbed to fire in 1951. The only surviving building was the packing shed which has since been repurposed as a beautiful new art gallery for the Somerset Region. “The Condensery” features the works of noted local and guest artists.
While in town, make time to visit the Toogoolawah Historical Museum – housed in one of Queensland’s oldest railway station buildings. It sits adjacent to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail – a popular path for walker, horse-riders and cyclists. The museum is also the site of the town’s popular Railway Markets on the second Saturday of each month.
Just down the road is the Toogoolawah’s Alexandra hall – where they’ve been showing Saturday night flicks since the early 1900’s. Canvas seats, an old-time box office and candy bar are some of the nostalgic features of the hall. Upstairs, the cinema’s original 35 mm carbon arc projectors have been kept – though they’ve been superseded by modern, digital equipment.
There’s a lot to see in Toogoolawah so if you’d like to stay a while, check out Rosemary Court – quirky, self-contained and colourful accommodation just minutes from town.
The Condensery Gallery
Toogoolawah History Museum and Railway Markets
0455 177 679
www.somerset.qld.gov.au/condensery
Toogoolawah Hall Cinema
Rosemary Court
0438 149 954
www.rosemarycourt.weebly.com
