A traditional old country town Cooroy, like Nambour on the railway line further south, is an original prosperous commercial centre that has gradually been overshadowed by its more glamorous coastal neighbours. Once a thriving timber and dairy centre (with a butter factory) Cooroy is now the country cousin of Noosa. It started out as a camp for timber workers but things really got moving after the opening of the northern railway line in 1891. With the main street and residential streets proliferating from the station, a township was officially established in 1907. Homes also spread to the east, on the opposite side of the railway line, where its primary school was established. For many years, Cooroy had the only high school, Noosa District High, serving Noosa. It also had the district’s hospital, although this is now a rehabilitation centre. Primary industries began to lose ground in the 1970s but after being bypassed by the Bruce Highway and finding itself the gateway to Noosa, Cooroy was able to reinvent itself as a crafts centre. LakeMacdonald, Noosa’s main water supply, is on the outskirts of town as is the superb Noosa Botanic Gardens. Cooroy has a land area of 2758 hectares and had a density of 1.08 people per hectare at the 2006 census.
Summing up:Cooroy is a traditional township surrounded by rural fields and mountains. It is on the railway line and is handy to the Bruce Highway. As well as schools and a busy commercial centre, there is a golf club, RSL and sports complex. It’s a quiet rural spot to raise a family or retire and there are plenty of lifestyle options, from affordable older homes in town to sprawling homesteads on rural estates or ridge-top mansions.
