A reminder that the Paluma History Display will re-open from this Tuesday 9th May at the Community Hall. The History Display will be open from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm every Tuesday, subject to the availability of volunteers to run the display. Drop in to the Community Hall to learn all about the history of Paluma, as well as things to see and do whilst visiting the village and surrounds. You can even enjoy a cuppa at the same time.
A reminder to locals and visitors to Paluma that the Paluma History Display is open each Tuesday from 11 am to 1 pm. If you’ve never visited, or you haven’t stopped in for a while, it’s well worth the visit to learn more about the local history of our little village on the top of the mountain. Information is being compiled and added to the History Folders on a regular basis and the dedicated volunteers who run the display are a wealth of information on all things Paluma.
You might be interested in leaning more about the original Aboriginal inhabitants of Paluma, the Nywaigi People, or the timber-getting and early mining history. There’s lots of information on the early European settlers to the village, long-time residents and pioneering families, the building of the Range Road and the World War 2 history and occupation of the area. For a small village, the history of this place is rich and fascinating.
The volunteers can also provide you with information on the local walking tracks, Paluma Dam, things to see in and around the village, bird watching and the local wildlife. Drop in for a look at what’s on display and it’s a great place to take a break from the hectic pace of life and enjoy a relaxing cuppa and cake.
The best things in life really are free….!
Text & Photos (from the History Display) by Michele Bird
Loris Klumpp (nee Brown), 9 September 1925 to 26 July 2019
Sadly, the last of the early pioneers of Paluma, Loris Klumpp, passed away in Brisbane recently, aged 93.
Loris, with her parents Eric and Ruby Brown and sister Averil, started visiting Paluma in the early 1930’s. Eric purchased land at 70 Mt Spec Road at the first public auction in 1934. The land was two doors down from Ivy Cottage. This property is still owned today by the Klumpp family.
Loris wrote an interesting recollection of her childhood memories of Paluma in Neal Sellars publication, The Paluma Road – 50 Years On. You can read her account in the History Section of the paluma.org website. Loris’ account starts at the bottom of page 4 in the document.
[mdocs single-file=”Paluma Road.pdf”]
During the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s Loris, with husband Bill, loved their time at Paluma, enjoying the climate, fauna, flora and social gatherings. Just for the same reasons many locals enjoy time at Paluma today.
After volunteer work in Townsville, Loris and Bill enjoyed 4 to 5 days of each week at Paluma. Every Friday night ‘it was on at the Klumpps’. Local residents visited the Klumpps for a fun night playing table-tennis and snooker, with the ladies playing cards. Everyone brought a plate to share for supper. On the weekends many ‘Wimbledon finals’ were hotly contested on the old World War 2 tennis court located opposite Ivy Cottage. The playing surface was said to be – part cement, part grass and part dirt – due to all the cracks! Contestants had to be skilled as ‘all court players’.
Loris and Bill moved to the Sunshine coast in 1991, handing over their Paluma property to son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Dorothy.
In her later years, after suffering ill health, Loris was lovingly nursed and cared for by her daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Russ Morgan. The many visits from her four grandsons and nine great grandchildren gave Loris much joy.
When not volunteering, Loris always kept herself busy with many hobbies and interests. She was an avid novel and history reader, piano player, china painter, art lover, dressmaker, crochet needle worker, gardener, extensive overseas traveller, and she loved cooking for large family and social gatherings. It may be easy to see why Loris will always be loved and missed by her family and friends.
Loris’ deep and abiding affection for the little rainforest village of Paluma now lives on through her descendants in the Klumpp family. All family members, over five generations, love visiting Paluma and enjoy the area’s natural beauty and wonders. Loris’ spirit will always reside in the village – somewhere about 70 Mt Spec Road and the old tennis court!
Article & Photo provided courtesy of Peter & Dorothy Klumpp
The history section of Paluma.org has been given a significant update with the addition of a new subsection (Paluma Pioneers) highlighting the many people who have lived and worked in Paluma in the past, and whose names have been memorialised the streets, creeks, waterfalls, mountains and other geographic features.
Linda Venn, author of “Paluma, the first fifty years” has agreed to write brief biographies of these historical characters, starting with the Benham Family. Members of the Benham family are commemorated in many of our local place names, for example, Benham’s Creek, Mount Benham, Ethel Creek and Ethel Creek Falls, Benham Falls, Benham’s Track (now a road on some maps), Benham’s Lookout (now closed), Cloudy Creek and Cloudy Clearing. Other place names associated with the Benhams are Prospectors Creek (now Hermit Creek) and Hermitville. There may be others, but these will suffice to recognise the long association of this family with the Mount Spec area. You can read more about this fascinating and prolific family here.