From Council Chambers to Time Capsule! - the Old Landsborough Shire Council Chambers

Ever wondered about that beautiful old timber building in Maleny Street, Landsborough? It has been part of the community for more than a century!

Long before Sunshine Coast Council existed, Landsborough was the administrative centre of the Landsborough Shire.

The Landsborough Shire was created in 1912, with the first meeting of the newly formed council held on 20 April that year. In 1913, a council residence and one-room office were constructed and used for council meetings.

But as the shire grew, something more substantial was needed.

In 1924, the purpose-built Landsborough Shire Council Chambers opened.

Designed by Brisbane architect Walter Carey Voller and built by A.E. Round, the timber building was constructed using native hardwoods, hoop pine and bunya pine. It contained council offices, a council chamber, public counter and even a strong room for important documents.

For more than four decades, this modest building was where the business of running the Landsborough Shire was conducted.

But the Sunshine Coast was changing.

During the 1950s and 1960s, coastal towns were developing rapidly, with population increasingly shifting from the country to the coast. Landsborough Shire Council had simply outgrown the town and its 1924 chambers.

In 1968, the council relocated its chambers and staff offices to Bulcock Street, Caloundra. The last shire meeting at the old Landsborough chambers was held on 24 July 1968, with the new Caloundra chambers officially opened just days later.

The old building wasn't immediately abandoned, however. Council records remained there until the premises finally closed in 1974.

Thankfully, its story didn't end there.

On 3 April 1976, the Landsborough and District Historical Society opened the former chambers as the Landsborough Shire Historical Museum.

For decades, dedicated volunteers cared for the building and built an incredible collection documenting the history of Landsborough, Caloundra and the surrounding districts.

The collection grew to include more than 14,000 historical items, along with photographs, documents and publications.

Then, in 2022, Sunshine Coast Council took over management of the museum, helping secure the future of both the collection and this remarkable heritage building.

Today, you can still step inside this beautifully preserved former council building and stand in the very place where the business of the Landsborough Shire was conducted more than 100 years ago.

From council chambers to museum to a living time capsule of local history.

Not bad for an old timber council building!

More info: https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/landsborough-museum