Malanda Falls

Malanda (including Peeramon)
Centre of the Antherton Tablelands dairy industry.
The name of Malanda is synonymous throughout North Queensland with milk. There are even places where 'Malanda' milk is slightly more expensive than 'common' milk. It is, in the opinion of the locals, the best in the world. The local tourist promoters have seized upon the fact that Malanda milk is sold in the Northern Territory and as far north as Weipa and declared Malanda to be 'the headquarters for one of the largest and longest milk runs in the world'. In fact the milk is also exported to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Located 85 km from Cairns and 732 m above-sea level Malanda is a small and pleasant town on the Atherton Tablelands. It was first developed in the 1880s when the discovery of tin at Herberton saw a steady stream of miners moving over the mountains from the coast.

In 1886 a decision was made to bring a railway into the area but the problems of construction were enormous. By 1890 it had reached Kuranda. It pushed on to Mareeba in 1893 and Atherton in 1903 and didn't reach Malanda until 1911. The line closed in 1964.

A few persons appear to have recognised the difference the railway would make because, in 1908, James English (later the publican of the Malanda Hotel) and James Emerson both moved into the area. Both also saw the district's dairy potential. English brought cattle from Kiama and the Richmond River areas in New South Wales and Emerson had a herd of 1026 cattle overlanded from Lismore. They took 16 months to reach Malanda and only 560 survived the journey. Despite this arduous start the industry grew and by 1919 Malanda had its own butter factory. In 1973 this amalgamated with the factory in Millaa Millaa to form the Atherton Tablelands Co-operative Dairy Association.

In 1910, in response to a developing local industry, John Prince established a sawmill in Malanda. It was from this mill that the boards for the Malanda Hotel (built in 1911) were sawn.

The northern entrance to the town passes the Malanda Falls. In comparison to the spectacular gorges of the escarpment these humble falls are something of a disappointment. They fall no more than a few metres and the town's swimming pool lies at the bottom. The name 'Malanda', according to some sources, was the local Aboriginal word meaning 'waterfalls'.

Things to see:  

The Malanda Environmental Park
Just opposite the Malanda Falls the park offers a short walk through the rainforest and an opportunity to see a wide range of rainforest trees.

The Peeramon Hotel
6 km to the east of the town is the Peeramon Hotel, once a siding for the Tolga-Millaa Millaa railway. Today the solitary pub is the only reminder of a once thriving town which was surveyed in 1907. The publican has a fine collection of antique telephones.

	Tourist Information
	Malanda Falls Visitors Information Centre Atherton Rd Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 6957
	Motels
	Malanda Lodge Millaa Millaa Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5555 Rating: ***1/2
	Hotels
	Malanda Hotel /Motel 12 English St Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5101
	Peeramon Hotel Main St Peeramon Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5873
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Grandview Country Accommodation 122 Hogan rd Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4095 1266 Facsimile: (07) 4095 1266
	Honeyflow Country Guesthouse Bed & Breakfast Heidke Rd Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 8173
	Cottages & Cabins
	Fur 'n' Feathers Rainforest Tree Houses 247 Hegan rd Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5364 Facsimile: (07) 4096 5380 Rating: ****
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Fairdale Farmstay Hillcrest Rd Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 6599
	Caravan Parks
	Malanda Falls Caravan Park 38 Park Ave Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5314 Rating: **
	Restaurants
	Malanda Hotel/Motel 12 English St Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5101
	Malanda Lodge Motel Millaa Millaa Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5555
	Peeramon Hotel Main St Peeramon Malanda QLD 4885 Telephone: (07) 4096 5873