Eumundi
Postcode: 4562
Eumundi is a small town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia, 21 km south-west of Noosa Heads and 118 km north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located just off the Bruce Highway. The town is noted for its village market, held weekly in front of its railway station. Nearby towns are Yandina and Cooroy.
The town’s name is believed to come from the Kabi name Ngumundi, the name of a local clan leader. The locality’s original name was Eerwah, however this was changed to avoid confusion with the nearby town of Beerwah.
From the early 1850s, most of the area around the Eumundi district was part of three cattle runs: Canando, Yandina and North Kenilworth. In 1867, after the discovery of gold at Gympie, the first road was marked and cleared. By 1879, George Gridley became the first selector to reside permanently in the Eumundi district. This started a wave of new selectors and by 1885, 47 selections were taken up. Some of the pioneers settlers included Fullager, Cowell, Burrel, Ball and Arrundell.
In 1882, Fullager selected Portion 110. This was forfeited and the Crown took over, surveying this portion for streets and the sale of blocks of land. Thus, emerged the town of Eumundi. At the turn of the century, shops started to line the newly formed streets and town businesses developed. By the end of the decade there were several general stores, butcher shops, bakery, saddler, blacksmith and auctioneers. After the railway opened from Yandina to Cooroy in 1891 along with the road to the north passing through the town, Eumundi developed as an important centre of the timber and dairying industry.
As the land was cleared and grasses were planted, dairy farms began to build up over the area. By 1920, two butter factories had been built in the area.