Why should I stop in Maryborough, Queensland?

There are many reasons to stop at Maryborough when on a road trip as I recently found out. Maryborough is only 30 minutes from Hervey Bay and yet spending an few hours or even a day there on the way to or from the whale watching capital is time well spent.

For one thing, a visit to the Cistern Chapel is a must. Then there’s the Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial Trail and a few more treats besides.

Here are my reasons why you should pull off the Bruce Highway to make a stop at Maryborough.

The Cistern Chapel

One reason to stop is if you’re busting for the loo, but even if you aren’t, the public toilet on the corner of the Town Hall is so much more than a place to relieve yourself. It’s fast becoming a tourist attraction.  

Manned by volunteer “Flusher Ushers,” the walls of the Cistern Chapel (the name given to this public toilet), must be seen to be believed. In the ladies, murals depict women in white flowing Victorian dresses as they wander through a flower garden in full bloom. Fresh flowers adorn the windowsill, and classical music welcomes me when I enter.

A chandelier hangs from the ceiling and there’s even a golden throne in one cubicle. This is not your usual public toilet.

Given the OK by a Flusher Usher, I wander through to explore the men’s. There the scene is quite different with an industrial feel. The train mural references Maryborough’s rail history and there’s a portrait of Maryborough Mayor, Billy Demaine. He defied a no vote in 1935 to make Maryborough the second in Queensland to get a sewerage system.  

Behind the urinals is a work depicting Apollo. He is holding a magnifying glass. Apparently, the women on the committee wanted to have a little fun.

Children too can have fun. In the parent’s room they can entertain themselves by searching for little creatures hidden in the whimsical artworks.

 The Story Bank

There’s more whimsy in Story Bank on the corner of Kent and Richmond Streets. Even before you get there, be delighted by the unusual traffic lights, where a red lit Mary Poppins with a closed umbrella warns pedestrians to stop. When she turns green, she opens her umbrella.

P L Travers, who created Mary Poppins, was born in the former bank building that houses Story Bank. I found myself singing (in my head) “Feed the birds,” and “Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee,” as I explored the interactive display.  

The display is not only about Mary Poppins. “It’s about storytelling,” says my guide. There are plenty of activities for children. For me, well, it was a pleasant trip down memory lane.

The 2km Mural Trail

I love wandering around a town I haven’t visited before. It’s fun admiring heritage buildings and discovering street art. Maryborough makes it easy to find street art. They have created a mural trail of 40 murals and installations – including the works in the Cistern Chapel. The 2km trail can be walked in sections or in one go. It passes coffee and specialty shops, parks and places to relax along the way.

The Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial Trail

War memorials remind us of the sacrifice people made in service to Australia. The Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial trail in Maryborough does more than remind me of the horrors faced by soldiers in Gallipoli and on the Western Front.

I learn that the first ANZAC ashore at Gallipoli was born in Maryborough. A statue of Duncan Chapman stands in an open area, where footprints in the paving contain soil from the beach at Gallipoli. Lieutenant Chapman leads me to the start of the Gallipoli to Armistice Trail. 

The design of the memorial reflects the ridge faced by ANZACs as they came ashore. I walk thoughtfully along a path accompanied by sound effects and stories describing what it was like for soldiers at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.

There’s a sculpture of a woman sitting on a wall. She’s reading a letter from the front. Another sculpture is an oversized replica of a typewriter that war correspondent Charles Bean would have used and yet another depicts a soldier’s belongings. Looking closely, I notice a return train ticket to Maryborough.  

The trail encourages contemplation and reflection.

The Military and Colonial Museum

The Military and Colonial Museum is a short walk from the Gallipoli Memorial Trail.  With around 10000 military memorabilia on display over two levels, those interested in military history could spend hours here. Others may wish to view one the 39 VC’s awarded for the Gallipoli campaign. It’s the only one in Australia outside the Australian War Memorial.

Heritage Walking Tour

There’s another way to discover Maryborough. Get hold of a Discovery Trail a map from the Vistitor Information Centre or download one here. Or join a free 90-minute Heritage Walking tour run by the Visitor Information Centre. Check with the Visitor Centre as these walking tours don’t run every day.

A Whale Encounter

Ok, so this Whale Encounter doesn’t leave from Maryborough, but as it leaves from Hervey Bay, a short drive away, I want to tell you about it as I was blown away by the experience.

The Blue Dolphin Whale encounter is much more than whale watching. As you most probably know, there are rules about how close boats can get to whales. What I learnt, when I went in August, was that curious whales don’t follow the rules.

Whales dived under and around the Blue Dolphin, coming up for air to check us out and spraying us with fine droplets of sea water.  

Being on a catamaran with a small group of visitors made the experience magical.