Paluma has a rich and fascinating history. It can be summarised as succession of the “3 big Ts” in its history: Tin, Timber and Tourism. Each has shaped the development of the Paluma village and surrounding environment from a rough clearing at the top of the range where a few tin miners scratched out a living, to the centre of a growing timber industry to a haven for locals and seeking relief from the summer heat down on the coast and ultimately as a national and international tourist destination for people to experience the beauty of our north Queensland rainforests.
The Paluma History Project
Every Tuesday we open up the Community Hall and set out a variety of displays and resources that document the rich history of the region, including early settlement, construction of the range road and the heroic activities of the miners and loggers who explored the wilderness and developed its earliest industries. A background to this ongoing History Project can be found here. Come along and have a cup of coffee or tea and chat with our local history enthusiasts.
Paluma Pioneers
Linda Venn, author of Paluma: The first Eighty years, and a long-time resident of our village, has agreed to write a series of biographical articles on key figures in the history of the region. The names of all of these individuals have been immortalised through the naming of roads, streets, tracks, creeks, mountains and waterfalls. If you have ever wondered about who the characters behind Benham Road, Lennox Crescent, McClelland’s lookout, Mt Leach or Bullocky Tom’s Track or Ethel Creek Falls were, then the pages here are where you will find the answers. This section of our website will be progressively updated, and currently features the Benham family. More entries will follow.
History Documents
Many history documents and resources can be found in our library in the history section.