Malanda, Queensland


Malanda is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the, Malanda had a population of 1,985 people. The economy is based upon agriculture and tourism.

Geography

Malanda is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, from Cairns and above sea level. The town is located downstream of the Malanda Falls on the North Johnstone River.
The northern entrance to the town passes the Malanda Falls. In comparison to the gorges of the escarpment the falls were created by the last flow of lava from the Malanda Shield Volcano with a cascade of roughly 4 metres. The town's unofficial swimming pool lies at the bottom of the falls, as there is an established pool located near the primary school. The name 'Malanda', according to some sources, was the local Aboriginal word meaning 'waterfalls'.

Malanda Milk

The name Malanda is synonymous throughout North Queensland with milk and cheese. Local promoters, noting that Malanda milk is sold in the Northern Territory and as far north as Weipa, declared Malanda to be 'the headquarters for one of the largest and longest milk runs in the world'. The milk is also exported to Indonesia and Malaysia. Malanda Milk is now a part of Dairy Farmers, but with a shorter milk run, only as far south as Mackay and as far north as Darwin.

History

Malanda formed part of Ngajanji territory.
The name Malanda comes from Malanda Creek, and is believed to be an Aboriginal name for the Upper Johnstone River, with the suggested meaning little stream with big stones or running rivers.
Malanda first developed in the 1900s after the discovery of tin and copper at Herberton saw a steady stream of miners and engineers moving over the mountains from the coast.
In 1886 a decision was made to build a railway coming into the area but the problems of construction outweighed its use. Over of railway was installed into the region in the next six years. By 1890 the Tablelands railway line had reached Kuranda. It pushed on to Mareeba in 1893 and Atherton in 1903 and did not reach Malanda until 1911. The line closed in 1964.
In 1908, James English and James Emerson both moved into the area. Both saw the district's dairy potential. English brought cattle from Kiama and the Richmond River areas in New South Wales and Emerson had a herd of 1,026 cattle overlanded from Lismore. They took 16 months to reach Malanda and only 560 survived the journey. Despite this arduous start the industry grew and by 1919 Malanda had its own butter factory. In 1973 this amalgamated with the factory in Millaa Millaa to form the Atherton Tablelands Co-operative Dairy Association.
In 1910, in response to a developing local industry, John Prince established a sawmill in Malanda. It was from this mill that the boards for the Malanda Hotel were sawn.
Malanda Post Office opened by January 1912.
Malanda State School opened on 4 August 1913. From 1949 until 1961, it also offered secondary education, until Malanda State High School opened on 23 January 1961.
The Malanda Library and Customer Service Centre building opened in 1990.
At the Malanda had a population of 1,009 people.
At the Malanda had a population of 2,052 people.

Heritage listings

Malanda has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

Malanda State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 24 Mary Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 351 students with 23 teachers and 17 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
Malanda State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at Memorial Drive. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 368 students with 34 teachers and 25 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.

Amenities

operates the Malanda Library at 31 James Street, Malanda. It is open Tuesday to Saturday.
The Malanda branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the QCWA Hall at 3 Elizabeth Street.

Notable residents