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

The National Trust and my local daily newspaper, The Gympie Times, have put together a great commemorative book—Heritage Wonders of the Gympie Regioncelebrating 150 years since James Nash made his famous discovery of gold near the Mary River. When James Nash came to Queensland in 1863 the colony of Queensland was a mess: the Bank of Queensland had closed, construction had come to a halt and the unemployed were marching down the streets of Brisbane. Nash's discovery of gold in Gympie changed all that, setting the scene for the biggest gold rush in Queensland's history and sowing the seeds of prosperity that we enjoy today. One hundred and fifty years on Gympie is still going strong.

This book showcases the best the Gympie region has to offer, with 50 stories about our culture, mining and the natural beauty of our region. It also pays tribute to the people of Gympie who have made a significant contribution to our community. Gympie, as it did then and still does, upholds Queensland's values and supports Queensland greatly. In an age when so many aren't aware of our past it's great to see our regional paper so proudly celebrate our shared history. I congratulate Bob Fredman, Abbie Grant-Taylor, the National Trust and The Gympie Times on this successful publication. I encourage everyone to make it a part of their collection.

See this speech in context