Guide to Laidley Queensland Australia

Laidley is a town of about 3,800 people in the Lockyer Valley, 85 kilometres west of Brisbane and a few kilometres south of the Warrego Highway. Vegetable and lucerne farms cover the valley floor around it, and the steep, forested Little Liverpool Range closes the view to the east. The town has a strong sense of its past and a busy calendar of country events.

Known For

• Laidley Pioneer Village
• A heritage main street and Das Neumann Haus
• Country markets and a spring festival

Things To Do in Laidley

Laidley Pioneer Village

Queensland’s first historical village stands on the site of the original township, a stopping place for bullock teams and coaches. It has a slab hut, a school, a blacksmith’s shop, a gaol and many other buildings, with a large collection of tools and vehicles.

Das Neumann Haus

Built in 1893 by a German immigrant cabinetmaker, this two-storey timber house in the main street has been restored as a museum and cafe, furnished in the style of the 1930s.

Narda Lagoon

Beside the pioneer village, the lagoon is a wildlife reserve crossed by a suspension footbridge, with waterbirds and a picnic area.

Lake Dyer

A kilometre west of town, this lake has a camping ground and picnic area and is stocked for fishing; a permit is required.

Markets and festival

A country market is held in the centre of town each week, and the Laidley Spring Festival in September brings a street parade, flower shows and open gardens.

Lookout

Cunninghams Crest, on the hill above town, gives a view over the patchwork of the valley.

Heritage walk

Patrick Street is one of the best-preserved country main streets in south-east Queensland, with two-storey timber hotels, old banks and shops with cantilevered awnings. A heritage trail leaflet describes them, and several now house antique, craft and coffee shops.

Valley drives

South of town, sealed roads follow Laidley Creek through Mulgowie, known for its sweet corn and farmers market, to Thornton and Townson, where the valley narrows beneath the peaks of Main Range. It is a beautiful half-day drive, especially in winter when the vegetable crops are at their greenest.

Forest Hill and Gatton

The heritage village of Forest Hill is ten minutes west, and Gatton’s Lake Apex and transport museum are 15 minutes away.

Where To Stay

Laidley has a motel, hotel rooms, a caravan park and lakeside camping.

Eat & Drink

Patrick Street has cafes, bakeries and old pubs, and farm stalls sell valley produce.

History

Allan Cunningham named Laidleys Plain in 1829. The town moved to its present site when the railway came through in 1866, and its timber shops and hotels date largely from the decades that followed. Laidley has been flooded many times.
The district was one of the first farming areas in Queensland, and for decades supplied Brisbane with maize, pumpkins, potatoes and dairy produce. Many families trace their roots to German settlers of the 1860s and 1870s, an influence still seen in local names and churches.

Getting to Laidley

Leave the Warrego Highway at Plainland; the town is eight kilometres south. Gatton is 15 minutes west.