1. Jimna Base Camp (Formerly Jimna State School)
2. Jimna Public Hall
3. Murton’s Boarding House
4. Hancock and Gore Sawmill
5. Saw Doctors Building
Jimna Town History
6. Sawmill Power House
7. QCWA Hut
8. General Store
9. Sawmill Supervisor’s House
10. Butcher Shop, Bakers and General Store
11. Forestry Single Men’s Quarters
12. Forestry Married Men’s Quarters
13. To Hancock and Gore Single Men’s Quarters
14. Persimmon Tree Park
15. Jimna Sporting Club
16. Fire Tower
17. To Peach Trees Camping
18. To the Big Hole
19. Sunset with a View
20. HQ Plantations (Private Business Area)
1. Jimna Base Camp (Formerly the Jimna State School)
The story of local education began in 1913 with the Monsildale Provisional School.
In 1922, the school relocated to Foxlowe renamed Jimna two years later, reflecting the evolving identity of the township. By 1924, enrolment had grown to 36 students.
Jimna State School faithfully served the community until its closure on 31 December 2009. Today, children travel to Kilcoy for their primary and secondary schooling.
The original school building still stands, directly opposite Jimna Base Camp on Irvine Lane.
No longer a centre of learning, the site now operates as a private enterprise, a quiet symbol of Jimna’s resilience and reinvention.
2. Jimna Public Hall
Erected in 1934, the Jimna Public Hall stands as a lasting tribute to community spirit and resourcefulness.
Constructed using timber donated by Queensland National Pastoral Co. Ltd of Yabba Station, the build was made possible through generous local collaboration.
Built almost entirely by voluntary labour, the Hall quickly became a cornerstone of Jimna life.
The Hall served as a cinema, dance hall, and a central location for games nights, wedding receptions and workshops.
Today, “Our Hall” continues to serve the community. It houses a Learning Hub equipped with computers and educational materials, alongside a community cinema and social centre that welcomes Jimna’s children and visitors alike.
More than a building, the Hall remains the beating heart of our community, linking past efforts with present purpose and future promise.
3. Murton’s Boarding House
Murton’s Boarding House once stood as a bustling centre of accommodation, offering 16 rooms that welcomed sawmill managers, supervisors, schoolteachers, and occasional visitors to Jimna. Its presence reflected the structured rhythm of life in a thriving timber town.
Though time has weathered the building itself, fragments of the structure remain. Footings and concrete slabs from the outbuildings still mark the site, quiet reminders of the role it once played in supporting the community’s daily workings.
Photo: John Murton with family pet Mitzy
4. Saw Doctors Building
This site once played a vital role in the daily workings of the sawmill, serving as the location where the massive circular saws were repaired and sharpened. The precision and care required for this task kept the mill’s operation running smoothly and safely.
In the 1980s, the building took on a new life as a township store, offering a hub for supplies and connection in the heart of Jimna.
Today, it forms part of a private residence, quietly bearing witness to the many chapters of practical service and community purpose it has seen.
5. Sawmill
Jimna’s roots trace back to 1922, when timber firm Hancock and Gore established the township through the relocation of their sawmilling operations from Monsildale. Along with sawmill machinery came 16 homes, a butcher shop, general store, blacksmith’s workshop, and a provisional school, transforming the area once known as Foxlowe into a thriving community.
Its proximity to Kilcoy’s railway station ensured Jimna’s early viability.
The surrounding rainforest, rich with hoop pine, was a vital resource during Jimna’s timber heyday. As those natural reserves diminished, the region became a site for pioneering reforestation experiments.
The mill remained operational until the early 1970s, when shifting economics favoured transporting logs to coastal mills.
Jimna’s timber legacy, however, continues to shape the towns character and story.
6. Sawmill Powerhouse
At the heart of the sawmill once stood a powerhouse that drove two steam engines, vital to its daily operations. Water drawn from Yabba Creek fed the boilers, which burned coal or wood to produce high-pressure steam. This steam coursed through iron pipes to the engines within the mill, driving pistons that set the saws in motion.
Today, only the concrete slab and footings remain, a silent tribute to the industry that once thrived here.
7. QCWA Building
Founded on 11 August 1922, the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA) was built on a strong foundation of community service and advocacy. Its mission was wide-reaching and deeply principled.
Jimna’s QCWA branch embraced this vision of the QCWA wholeheartedly. Through regular meetings and community involvement, the women of Jimna made a lasting contribution to the wellbeing and social fabric of the town.
Today, the QCWA Hut, once a place of planning, gathering, and support, serves as a private residence. Yet its story remains etched in local memory as a symbol of dedication, unity, and the quiet power of collective action.
8. General Store
Among the earliest buildings relocated from Monsildale during the formation of Jimna township, the Store played a central role in daily life. It not only served as the community’s general store but also housed the Mill Supervisor’s office and the local Post Office, making it a busy hub of communication, trade, and timber operations.
Over time, as the township evolved and modernised, the Store’s purpose shifted.
Today, the building lives on as a private residence, quietly preserving its legacy as one of Jimna’s foundational landmarks.
9. Sawmill Supervisors House
Jimna’s early timber operations were overseen by Mr Alfred Hine, the original Mill Supervisor, whose leadership helped shape the sawmill’s formative years.
In the 1940s, Mrs N. Moody stepped into history as Jimna’s first female Sawmill Manager, a remarkable milestone for the industry and the community.
The Supervisor’s House, once a residence linked with leadership and progress in the timber town, is now a private home. Though its purpose has changed, the building remains a quiet emblem of Jimna’s industrious past and the trailblazers who helped define it
10. General Store, Work Shed, Butcher and Baker Shop on Currawong Street*
*marked as a red line on the map
This streetscape offers a glimpse into Jimna’s formative years, where industry, family, and community shaped everyday life.
Located along Currawong Street was the home of Mr George Griffith, Jimna’s original town butcher.
Residing at No. 2 with his wife and eight children, the Griffith household stood as a lively hub, reflecting the rhythms of both working life and family in a timber township.
Many of the surrounding buildings, including stores, residences, and service sites, trace back to the relocation from Monsildale and are woven into the town’s early history.
Today, Currawong Street continues to carry the quiet legacy of those who laid down Jimna’s foundations.
11. Forestry Single Men’s Quarters
Jimna’s forestry industry began humbly, with the earliest workers living in canvas tents amid the rugged terrain. These temporary shelters reflected the pioneering spirit of those laying the foundations for timber and reforestation efforts.
In 1947, the landscape changed with the construction of permanent barracks, offering sturdier, more comfortable housing for forestry staff and signalling a new chapter in Jimna’s development as a vital centre for timber research and production.
12. Forestry Married Men’s Quarters
Like many forestry regions across Queensland, Jimna became home to displaced persons who arrived seeking work and stability amidst the plantation era. Families were initially housed in tent rigs, makeshift dwellings formed by stretching canvas flies over two tents, with board flooring and rough timber siding. These modest shelters spoke to both hardship and hope in a new land.
In the 1950s, conditions improved with the construction of proper houses for married workers, marking a shift toward permanence and community development.
These early homes became part of the fabric of Jimna’s social history, reflecting the contributions of migrant labour and the evolution of forestry settlement in the region.
13. Hancock and Gore Single Men’s Quarters
Nestled within the heart of Jimna, the Single Men’s Barracks stand as enduring remnants of a once bustling timber township.
Purpose built to house workers in this remote, privately operated mill town, the barracks reflect the typical characteristics of industrial accommodation, practical, modest, and vital to daily operations.
Their historical value was formally recognised on 27 November 2008, when the site was added to the Queensland Heritage Register for its cultural and architectural significance.
Today, the barracks are privately owned, quietly preserving the spirit of the community that once relied on their shelter and camaraderie.
14. Persimmon Tree Park
Under the enduring shade of the Persimmon Tree, laughter drifts through the warm afternoon air. Picnic blankets stretch across sun-dappled grass, laden with shared food and stories.
Children splash joyfully in the swimming hole, chasing each other through sparkling water while parents lean back, soaking in the simple magic of the day.
These are more than moments, they’re memories in the making. Woven into Jimna’s timeless rhythm, they echo generations of connection, belonging, and the quiet joy of coming together.
15. Jimna Sporting Club
Nestled beneath the gums and alive with conversation, our local club is more than a gathering spot, it’s the social heart of our small community.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of dedicated locals, it hums with activity week after week, welcoming outdoor enthusiasts, families, and friends alike.
Whether it’s a crisp drink enjoyed under the verandah, a shared meal after a hike, or laughter echoing through a weekend event, this place brings people together. It’s where stories are swapped, connections deepen, and the spirit of Jimna is felt in every moment.
16. Fire Tower
Rising above the canopy of the Jimna Range, this striking timber structure stands as both sentinel and symbol. Erected in 1977 by the skilled hands of Mr Arthur Leis, the Jimna Fire Tower remains the tallest of its kind in Queensland, reaching 47 metres into the sky, supported by three enduring ironbark poles.
Just one kilometre west of Jimna township, the tower has watched over forest and community alike for generations. Its silhouette, etched into the horizon, recalls a time when vigilance and craftsmanship shaped our landscape.
Recognised for its historical and engineering significance, the tower was inscribed in the Queensland Heritage Register on 23 July 1999. It stands today as a tribute to dedication, ingenuity, and Jimna’s vital role in forestry and fire management.
17. Peach Trees Camping
Nestled in the heart of Queensland’s wilderness, this tranquil camping ground offers more than just a place to rest, it’s a living postcard of serenity.
Kangaroos lounge in the shade, native birds call from the treetops, and curious wildlife roam freely, painting a scene of peaceful coexistence.
Peach Trees is located four kilometres from Jimna and is proudly maintained by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services.
This haven invites families, adventurers, and nature lovers to slow down, reconnect, and experience the gentle rhythm of the bush.
18. The Big Hole
This quiet waterhole holds deep significance with our community as it provides the primary source of drinking water for our township.
Managed by SEQ Water, the system begins here, where the water is drawn and pumped to a treatment facility just beyond the town’s edge.
From there, it’s transferred to a holding tank near HQ Plantations and gravity-fed to 47 homes and external outlets, ensuring clean water flows through every tap.
Still standing across the far side, the original pump shed reminds us of Jimna’s commitment to sustainable living and self-reliance, a humble structure with a vital role in daily life.
19. Sunset with the view
As the sun dips below the horizon, the landscape transforms, bathed in amber light and quiet wonder. It’s a moment to pause, exhale, and simply be.
From kangaroos grazing in twilight to the silhouette of the Fire Tower against the sky, nature offers a show that needs no stage.
Sit back. Let the world slow. Here, the views don’t just impress, they restore.
20. HQ Plantations
The Queensland government sold its plantation business, Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ), in June 2010 to Hancock Queensland Plantations (HQP) Pty Ltd.
This sale involved a 99-year licence to manage, harvest, and grow timber on state land. The sale was part of a larger privatization plan by the Queensland government.
HQP is an Australian company owned by ethical investors, mainly superannuation and pension funds from Australia and around the world. Manulife Investment Management provides management services on behalf of these investors.