Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Queensland was doing it tough after breaking away from New South Wales in 1859, but everything changed in 1867 when prospector James Nash struck gold—75 ounces of it—at Gympie in Queensland. The discovery kicked off a huge gold rush that turned the state's fortunes around and led to the founding of Gympie, the town that saved Queensland and therefore the State of Origin! The Gympie Gold Rush Festival was created to celebrate this incredible history and the role the gold rush played in shaping Queensland. From its first event in 1973 right through to 2020, the festival brought the community together. Locals, businesses, schools and community groups all chipped in to create a lively mix of entertainment and activities that honoured Gympie's colourful past and showed off just how vibrant the town is today. For me, the festival is also a little bit special. It was one of the first places I took Sharon, my wife, in 1989 on a date, so I've got a special place for the gold rush.

Unfortunately, the festival came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a lack of funding has stopped it from returning since. But the good news is that there's a real buzz about town to bring back the Gympie Gold Rush Festival in 2026, just in time for Gympie's 160th birthday celebrations in 2027. A passionate group of volunteers, headed up by my mate Mal Dodt, has formed to bring the festival back, and they're working hard. The plan is for a two-week celebration in October 2026 packed with sports, arts, entertainment and plenty of events that highlight the region's beauty and history, including a special Mary Valley Rattler gold rush train and finishing with the return of the iconic Mary Street parade and community celebration.

Just like in the gold rush days, Gympie continues to attract people from all walks of life, drawn by the relaxed lifestyle, natural landscape and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Of course, putting on a festival like this takes funding and people power. I'll be working with the organisers to help with that so we can help bring this much loved event back and celebrate heritage of the town that saved Queensland. So please consider #can'twaitforgoldrush.

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