Displays
When you visit the Malanda Falls Visitor Centre, allow time to browse our fascinating displays and learn about this unique tropical region, its natural history and its people.
Entry to the Centre is free, though we always welcome donations if you have enjoyed your visit!
Aboriginal Cultural Display
The Ngadjonji were the people of the rainforest, living in the forests surrounding Malanda. Their lands at the headwaters of the North Johnston and Russell rivers extended east as far as Mt Bartle Frere. Still living in and around Malanda, they generously share their story with our visitors.
The display includes rare photographs taken in the early 1900s, traditional tools, artefacts and weapons. The History of the Ngadjonji, one of the most comprehensive studies of Australian aborigines, is available for study or purchase at the centre. For a really special experience, Rainforest Dreaming Guided Walks through the Malanda rainforest with a Ngadjonji elder are available.
The Volcano Room
Bringing the region’s violent geological history back to life, the Volcano Room provides a colourful insight into the volcanic origins of the landscapes seen on the Atherton Tablelands today.
Learn how the crater lakes such as Eacham and Barrine were formed, the story of the Seven Sisters, and what happens when a volcano erupts! This display is very popular with children - but also provides a wealth of geological information for those who are interested.
The Rainforest Room
A hands on touch and learn experience, with extensive information on the plants and wildlife of the upland rainforests of the World Heritage Wet Tropics.
Under the rainforest canopy, see some of the most unusual animals that live here, and the fruits and fungus of the forest.
Our reference library of books and CDs is available for visitors, and we can help identify those unusual sightings from your rainforest walk.
The Tree-Climbers
It might be hard to imagine a world in which kangaroos climb trees, but here at Malanda you can learn all about the fascinating Lumholtz Tree-Kangaroo, known by locals as tree-climbers.
The Malanda rainforest is home to a healthy population of tree-climbers, and visitors can study and learn all about them in this display.
A diary of tree-kangaroo sightings is maintained at the Centre, and many visitors are lucky enough to see them in the wild quite close to the Centre, even during the middle of the day. Ngadjonji guides are particularly expert at finding them!
The Pioneers
A pictorial display by Eacham Historical Society records the triumphs and hardships of the early settlers of Malanda, along with a collection of old tools and artefacts.
Timber getting and clearing of the forest soon gave way to farming, and with the rich soils and high rainfall, the establishment of a dairy industry that was to provide the backbone of Malanda’s rural economy.
Cyclone Larry
Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry (TC Larry) crossed the tropical north Queensland coast near Innisfail during the morning of the 20th March 2006.
It cut a swathe from Innisfail on the coast inland as far as Mt Garnet, and passing over the Tableland towns of Malanda, Millaa Millaa and Ravenshoe. The flooding and devastation was extensive, estimated at $360,000,000.00.
At its peak, the cyclone registered winds of up to 290km/h and was graded a category five, the highest possible grading for a cyclone. Re-live events though the radio broadcast, and witness the devastation and heartbreak for many locals.
It was to be the worst natural disaster on the Atherton Tablelands in living memory.
