Nambour is the Sunshine Coast hinterland’s main town, about 85 minutes by car north of Brisbane, and a good place for a day of street art, cafes, local history and a short bush walk to a waterfall. It grew around sugar, with the Moreton Central Sugar Mill running from 1897 to 2003.
Today the main street, Currie Street, still has its historic hotels and post office, and the town has a public art trail, a local museum, Thursday markets and more than 19 vintage and op shops.
Things to do in Nambour
Nambour Public Art Trail
The art trail is a loop of about 3 km through town. Pieces on the trail include “Possum”, “Willy and Howie and the Howard Street Crew” and “From Mountains to the Sea”. The trail is a good excuse for a slow walk through the town centre.
Currie Street and the old cane tramway
Currie Street has the Royal George Hotel, the Club Hotel and the Post Office. St Joseph’s Catholic Church has stood in its current form since 1951.
Parts of the old cane tramway that carried sugar to the mill remain along Mill, Currie and Howard Streets, and the tramway is heritage-listed. The old mill workers’ housing is heritage-listed too.
Nambour and District Historical Museum
The museum is at 18 Mitchell Street. It is open Wednesday to Friday from 1 pm to 4 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. Adults pay $5 and school children $1. For the latest, ring 07 5441 2119 or check the museum website first.
Vintage and op shops
Visit Sunshine Coast lists more than 19 vintage stores around town. Find more on the Visit Sunshine Coast Nambour page.
A short history of Nambour
The first permanent European settlement here, in 1870, was called Petrie’s Creek. The town was renamed Nambour in 1891, when the North Coast railway arrived. The name comes from an Aboriginal word for the red-flowering bottlebrush.
A fire in 1924 destroyed many of the timber buildings on the main street, which is why Currie Street looks the way it does today. The Moreton Central Sugar Mill ran from 1897 to 2003, and its cane tramway, which closed in 2001, left the heritage-listed track you can still spot on Mill, Currie and Howard Streets.
Robinson Falls and Cilento Park
Robinson Falls is a small waterfall in Cilento Park, about 3 km from the town centre. You can picnic in the forest around it and swim in the waterhole.
The park has a playground with a play fort and slide, shelters, a barbecue, picnic tables and public toilets. Parking is on the street, reached via Waterfall Road.
Nambour markets and events
The Town Square Markets run on Thursdays from 8 am to 2 pm at the corner of Lowe and Short Streets.
The Sunshine Coast Miniature Railway runs rides on electric and steam trains on the fourth Sunday of each month except December, from 10 am to 2:30 pm, at 1 Florence Street. Quota Park hosts the Nambour Festival and the Nambour Originals music events, and the Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show held its first Nambour show in 1909. Dates change, so check the organisers.
Cafes in Nambour
Small Change Espresso is the cafe Visit Sunshine Coast names in Nambour, and the historic Royal George Hotel and Club Hotel are both on Currie Street.
Planning your visit
- How long: half a day for the art trail, a coffee and the museum. Add Robinson Falls for a full day.
- Cost: the art trail and Cilento Park are free. The museum charges $5 for adults.
- Best time: Thursday morning for the markets, or a Saturday when the museum opens in the morning.
- What to bring: comfortable shoes with grip, a hat and water.
- Accessibility: no access details are published for the trail or the falls track, so call the council if you need to be sure.
Getting to Nambour and parking
Nambour is about 102 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 85 minutes by car without traffic. It has a railway station, so you can also come by train. Plan your trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
Parking for Cilento Park is on the street, reached via Waterfall Road. More ideas are on the Visit Sunshine Coast Nambour guide.
Nearby
- Big Pineapple Woombye – the Big Pineapple attraction.
- Yandina – another Sunshine Coast hinterland town.
- Montville – a Sunshine Coast hinterland village.
- Buderim – a Sunshine Coast suburb towards the coast.
- Bli Bli – a Sunshine Coast suburb on the Maroochy River.
- Kondalilla Falls – another Sunshine Coast hinterland waterfall.
Browse more of the Sunshine Coast and its cafes.
You might also like
- Eumundi Markets – a famous Sunshine Coast market.
- Landsborough (Glass House Mountains)
- Kenilworth (Sunshine Coast)
Quick answers
How far is Nambour from Brisbane?
About 102 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 85 minutes by car without traffic.
What is there to do in Nambour?
Walk the public art trail, visit the museum, browse the vintage shops, and visit Robinson Falls in Cilento Park.
When are the Nambour markets?
The Town Square Markets are on Thursdays from 8 am to 2 pm at the corner of Lowe and Short Streets.
Is the Nambour museum open on weekends?
It is open on Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm, and Wednesday to Friday from 1 pm to 4 pm.
What is at Robinson Falls?
Robinson Falls is in Cilento Park, about 3 km from the town centre. The park has a playground, shelters, a barbecue, picnic tables and toilets.
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