History
This is the visitor centre you see today.
The Centre still relies heavily on community support and is staffed by volunteers, such as Pat and Frank Struber, who have volunteered without a break since 1996!
Traditionally the home of the Ngadjonji rainforest people, the area was explored by Christie Palmerston in the late 1880s, opening up the Atherton Tablelands for surveyors, prospectors and timber cutters.
Malanda was originally known as Tutamoulin, and was first settled in 1908. However the name was changed because of potential confusion with Tumoulin, another Tableland settlement.
The name 'Malanda', according to some sources, was the local Aboriginal word meaning 'waterfalls'.
The Malanda area was settled in 1908 by families from the Northern Rivers of NSW, including James English and James Emerson.
Many walked their dairy herds the 2000 kilometres to their new home, losing half their stock on the arduous journey. But fresh dairy produce on the Tablelands became a reality.
Originally built as a butter factory, the Malanda Milk Factory became the "longest milk run in the world," servicing towns as far afield as Weipa and Darwin. A visit to the Malanda Dairy Centre in the town records this history.
In 1910, the first sawmill in the town was established, and with the construction of the railway from the coast reaching this part of the Tablelands, Malanda grew with the opening of a hotel in 1911 to house railway workers. This hotel is claimed to be the largest single timber structure in Queensland, retaining many of its original features, and can still be enjoyed by visitors. The Majestic Theatre opened in the 1920s, and locals still enjoy a night at the movies at this heritage building.
In 1911, Malanda was chosen as the headquarters of the newly formed shire of Eacham. View the Eacham Historical Society website. Now Malanda falls within the recently created Tablelands Regional Council, covering an area of 65,000 sq km (25,000 sq miles). View TRC website.
Some of the best examples of pristine upland rainforests of the Wet Tropics remain around the Malanda Falls Visitor Centre. View Department of Environment and Resource Management website.
