Landsborough, at the base of the southern end of the Blackall Range 15kms east of Maleny and 20kms west of Caloundra, has been regularly reinvented.
One of the Sunshine Coast’s oldest townships - it was on Cobb and Co’s route to Gympie gold from 1868 - it became the main transport centre for produce brought down from the range after the railway opened in 1891. The main purpose of rail services then switched to commuters coming from the west, east and north, to catch the train to Brisbane.
After being bypassed by the Bruce Highway, which now forms its eastern boundary, Landsborough turned itself into an arts and crafts centre, with some fantastic cafes, outdoor dining areas and interesting shops. It also has a brilliant historical museum, the Sunshine Coast’s first.
New residential estates have mushroomed and the pace continues to pick up as newcomers discover its quiet country-town lifestyle within an easy commute of the city and the coast.
The upgrade of the railway line between Caboolture and Landsborough will make the area even more appealing for residential development. Having once been the last Bruce Highway stop before the Caloundra turnoff, it is very close to the M1.
The Landsborough district, which also includes Mt Mellum on the road to Maleny, has a land area of 6691 hectares and a population density of 0.61 per hectare at the 2006 census.
Summing up: Landsborough is a quiet country town between range and coast, and on the road to Brisbane. There has been a lot of residential development over the past two decades but not enough to change its essentially “country life” vibe.
