Maryborough, sitting on the Mary River, is a sizeable historic town about 40KM from our base at Urangan, Hervey Bay. We passed through here on our way north from Coolum Beach and had planned a visit to find out more about its claim to fame, a somewhat unexpected and surprising one.

You cannot fail to spot the many typical Queenslander style houses that line the roads approaching the town centre. It’s great to see so many in such a good state of repair especially given their age and the weather they have to survive here every year.

Troubled Past

Sadly, Maryborough has a troubled early history with the local aboriginal tribes being mass poisoned twice and the following skirmishes resulting in many deaths on both sides as settlers moved further into aboriginal land. Further deaths followed in 1905 when Australia’s only outbreak of pneumonic plague killed ten people all linked to the same house in town. Fear took hold in the community, which led to the property being set alight and destroyed. Fortunately the cause of the disease was identified and contained but not before two nurses died while aiding the first cases. They were subsequently honoured with a memorial fountain being erected in the grounds of the City Hall.

Mary Poppins – Australian Roots

Maryborough has a close tie with the children’s storybook character, Mary Poppins, and it makes the most of the link, and a tenuous one at that, if you know where to look.

Author P.L. Travers, born Helen Lyndon Goff, came into the world on the second floor of the bank building on the corner of Kent and Richmond Street in 1899. But Helen and her family moved away from Maryborough when she was only 5-years old. Two years later the family again moved, this time to New South Wales following the death of her father. In 1924 she emigrated to England where she took on the pen name of Pamela Lyndon Travers and, following a further move, she settled in Sussex where in the Winter of 1933 she began to write the story of Mary Poppins. So, a very tenuous link indeed.

In 2005 a life-size bronze statue of P.L. Travers was erected next to her birth place, and anyone standing beside her will realise she was tiny and looked very much like the Mary Poppins pictured in the 1964 version of the Disney film – complete with umbrella.

A nice touch in town, at each pedestrian crossing, is Mary Poppins featured in each crossing light. A great way to get children to pay attention.

Instructions too for visitors not familiar with the story or the all important Poppins magic umbrella. All this has got me thinking… what else of Australian origin or fame could be used at pedestrian crossings in other towns and cities. Come on councils, be creative.

Suggestions on a card to…