The story of Pioneer Park begins nearly 70 years ago when the then Main Roads
Commission released
plans in 1940
to reroute what is now known as Eumundi-Kenilworth Road with the building of a
new bridge over Gheerulla Creek.
This new bridge was to replace a “light traffic bridge” built in 1927 by the
community with the Council funding the ironwork necessary in the construction.
The Commission planned to resume 1.6 ha of land including the natural
rainforest on the bank of the creek.
The owner of the property, Mr Bert Sims requested the Kenilworth Chamber
of Commerce to advise the commission that he was prepared to donate the land on
the basis that it be made a lasting memorial to the pioneer farmers of the
Kenilworth District.
Bert Sims became councillor for Division 1 of Maroochy Shire in 1967 and was
able, through the utilisation of Federal Drought Relief monies and a great deal
of volunteer labour, to fulfil his dream of seeing the memorial park established
in 1979.
Unfortunately he passed
away in 1981 before the memorial plaque he had planned was in place on the rock
he had selected near the entrance to the park.
The following are the names of those pioneer farmers who contributed so
much to the development of, not only the first
1891
Mr Edward Pickering
Mr
1893
The three Hornibrook
brothers (Michael, John, and James)
1894
Mr William Hilder
Mr Andrew Purdon
Mr Thomas Sharry and
Mr Patrick Murtagh
1897
Mr Harry Fritz and
Mr Jacob Fritz
1900
Mr William Dellit
Mr William Sutton
Stan Adams
Charles Cole Harry Gordon Patrick Lillis
Loweke Bros J.D. McTaggart Isaac Moore
Chas Moreland Snr Charlie Moreland Patrick Murtagh
Parkinson & Fraser William Purdon Richard Smith
Gilbert Sutton Tamlyn & Rodgers Harry Welch