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Gympie, QueenslandThe city of Gympie is located in south eastern Queensland, Australia, and is approximately 170 kilometers north of the state capital, Brisbane. It lies on the Mary River. Gympie is the administrative centre for the Cooloola Shire. Shire population was 33,000 at the 2001 Census. Originally settled for grazing purposes, the area became prominent when gold was discovered there in 1867 by James Nash. At the time Queensland was suffering from a severe economic depression and the discovery probably saved the colony from bankruptcy. Gold mining still plays a role in the areas fortunes, along with agriculture (dairy predominantly), timber and tourism. Its name is derived from an Aboriginal name for a tree (The Gympie-gympie tree). The tree has large, round leaves that have similar properties to stinging nettles. The translation for Gympie is roughly "devil".
The Mary Valley is a scenic location with rolling green pastures and many beautiful forests. The Valley Rattler leaves the Gympie Railway station on Saturdays and Wednesdays. This steam-driven engine stops at many of the small forestry towns that exist in the Valley. At the final stop, Imbil, visitors can explore the quaint town that includes a scenic lookout, a museum, an old pub, a dam with good fishing and recreational capacity and a small market (Saturdays only).
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