Queensland Places: Mapleton

The town of Mapleton is located towards the northern end of the Blackall Range, approximately twenty-five kilometres inland from Maroochydore.  Originally known as Luton, the area was used for farming and fruit growing.  The area has undergone recent significant growth, due to its elevated position, good views and cooling breezes from seaward.  It is said that the name of Mapleton was decided at a meeting of early settlers in 1894, with one of the group, W.J. Smith, having read about the English town of the same name.

A postal receiving office was established at E.H. Biggs' Luton Vale Orchard in 1892.  The area was officially named Mapleton, as a postal site, in 1894.
During the 1890s the area continued to develop with farm selections being made for various orchards and plantations.  The Mapleton Primary School opened in 1899.  The area was also popular as a tourist destination from an early time, as reflected by the opening of the Ocean View Hotel in 1915, as well as a number of guest houses.  A tourist route through Mapleton, Montville and the Blackall Ranges was promoted.

In 1915, a tramway from mapleton to Nambour via Kureepa was opened as a means of transporting produce to the north coast railway line.

St. Isidore's Homestead, also known as Seaview House is a surviving historic building dating from the early 1900s.  It was built by James Blair Cramb as a residence for pioneer citrus orchardist, William James Smith, in two stages between 1906 and 1913 and is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

The area is well known for its national parks including Mapleton Falls National Park and Kondalilla National Park.  Kondalilla was created in 1906 as a recreational reserve, then as a national park in 1945.  It was linked to Obi Obi National Park in 1988.

Mapleton Falls was declared a national park in 1973.

Brian Randall - Queensland Places Coordinator, State Library of Queensland