Yungaburra Village has a total of 17 places of historic interest in Yungaburra listed on the Queensland Heritage Roster. A vibrant mix of alfresco café culture, boutique shopping, and famous Yungaburra Markets.
The former Gillies Range Road, Yungaburra Village Chapel building is now privately owned operating as ‘Yungaburra Chapel’. The building was relocated from Atherton some years ago. It has not been used as a church building in Yungaburra. A plaque high up on the gable records: 1901 ~ 2002 and it is assumed it was used as a church building in Atherton between those years, prior to being moved to Yungaburra.
The origin of the name 'Yungaburra' is local Yidindji language meaning 'meeting place' or ‘questioning’. Originally named Allumbah Pocket, Yungaburra was on a track formed by John Atherton and John Robson in 1878. Robson's track proved to be a good means of access to Cairns and was joined to others when mining discoveries were made at Herberton in 1880.
You can also drive to Yungaburra via the Palmerston Highway from Innisfail taking you through the rolling hills close to Millaa Milla or come from the northern towns of Kuranda or Port Douglas. Visit the map to Yungaburra here.
Anglican and Catholic churches were opened in 1911 and 1913, and a Methodist church in 1925. Pugh's Queensland directory (1925) revealed something of a timber town - two sawmills, a timber merchant and a cabinet maker - as well as the hotel. A change came in 1926 when the Gillies Highway from Gordonvale was opened. Lakes Barrine and Eacham were serviced by tourist boats, the hotel installed tennis courts and a golf course, and visitors could marvel at the giant fig trees with an arch and a curtain wall formed from their aerial roots.
Yungaburra became the tourist centre of Eacham Shire (Malanda became the administrative centre), and the creation of Lake Tinaroo for irrigation and hydro-electricity (1958) provided a recreational destination about a kilometre from the town centre. The heritage-listed Lake Eacham Hotel has retained a strong profile, complemented by five motels, Airbnb’s, restaurants, as well as art and craft galleries.
Cedar Street has nine of Yungaburra's sites listed on the Queensland heritage register. They include the courthouse and police station (1921) and the post office (1926). A plywood and timber mill complex in Eacham Road (1910-86) is heritage-listed, as are the Anglican and Catholic churches (1912, 1914).