Near Mirani sugarcane forms a wall around the garden edges of a canegrower's house.

Mirani (including Marian, Finch Hatton and Eungella)
Sleepy rural town surrounded by fields of sugar cane.
Although Mirani is a small and rather inconsequential sugar town it lies at the heart of the beautiful Pioneer Valley which is described, with some justification, as the 'Showcase of North Queensland'.

Located 37 km west of Mackay and 1012 km north of Brisbane, Mirani is the centre of a shire with a population of over 5000 which includes some of the most dense aggregations of sugarcane anywhere in Queensland. So pervasive is it that it is commonplace to see sugarcane forming a wall around the garden edges of a small house block. The shire has two sugar mills (at Pleystowe and Marian), the beautiful Finch Hatton Gorge Falls and the cool rainforest beauty of Eungella National Park State Forest.

No one knows how Mirani got its name. It may have an Aboriginal origin or it may be, as local folklore suggests, a combination of the names 'Mary' and 'Annie' but there is no real evidence for this fanciful explanation.

The Mirani area was first settled in May 1860 when John Mackay, after whom Mackay is named, led a group of people into the area via Bells Creek and the Pioneer River. On 28 May the group started marking runs after drawing straws for the best lots.

In 1861 Mackay brought cattle and horses overland from Armidale in NSW. The area remained predominantly cattle until 1865 when John Spiller planted the first sugarcane on the northern side of the river. The southern bank followed suit the next year.

Sugar cane heading for the sugar mill at Finch Hatton

On 27 August 1872, 149 acres were reserved and gazetted as the Mirani townsite. In the early days it was known as Hamilton. In 1884 the township was surveyed and in 1885 a railway line, connecting Mirani to Mackay, was completed. The following year a school was established and in 1889 Eungella was proclaimed a goldfield.

Perhaps Mirani's most famous citizen in these early days was David Mitchell who arrived in Mackay in 1881. He was contracted to build the first sugar mill at Marian. Mitchell came with two daughters, Anne and Helen. Helen was to change her name and become known throughout the world as the great opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.

In December 1882 Charles Nesbit Frederick Armstrong married Helen Porter Mitchell. In April 1883 the couple returned to Marian and Armstrong became the mill manager.

Although it was Helen (Nellie) who became world famous it was Charles Armstrong who left his mark on the area. He blazed a trail up into the Great Dividing Range behind the sugar towns.

A nice historical vignette of the town is provided in the 1889 edition of Pugh's Almanack which records: 'MIRINI (sic) - A township at the terminus of the Mackay and Hamilton Railway 23 miles from Mackay and situated on the south bank of the Pioneer River about 200 feet above sea-level. There's one hotel, also a boarding house and a butcher's shop. There are a number of settlers in the neighbourhood and the ground is very rich alluvial suited for the growing of sugar and other tropical produce. Scenery is beautiful and Mirani [they got it right this time] is a favourite resort of pleasure seekers from Mackay. There is a Post Office at the Hollow (the residence of Mr Rawson) a quarter of a mile from the township and another at Hamilton, a cattle station owned by Dalrymple and Murray across the river two miles away.'

What is remarkable about this brief sketch is that, in most details, it is still an accurate description of the town over one hundred years later. It still is surrounded by sugar. It still has only one pub and it is still small.

Things to see:  

Mirani Museum
The museum has a fascinating collection of artefacts available for the curious visitor to inspect. It is located next to the shire council offices on the southern side of the main street and is open from 10-4 every day except Saturday.

Fog swirls through the rainforest at Eungella National Park

Eungella National Park
42 km west of Mirani is the beautiful Eungella National Park with extensive walking paths and the proud boast that, for the careful watcher, there is a rare opportunity to see platypus in the wild. The views are dramatic, the forest is dense, often the clouds bump up against the escarpment. This is an area of great beauty which is a must for anyone wanting to experience the grandeur of the Central Coast rainforest.

	Tourist Information
	Melba House Visitor Information Centre Eungella Rd Marian Mirani QLD 4753 Telephone: (07) 4954 4299
	Queensland National Parks & Wildlife Ranger Eungella National Park Dalrymple Heights Mirani QLD 4757 Telephone: (07) 4958 4552
	Motels
	Broken River Mountain Retreat Eungella National Park Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4958 4528 Rating: **
	Historic Eungella Chalet Mountain Resort Eungella National Park Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4958 4509 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Coronation Hotel Gargett Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4958 5106
	Criterion Hotel Eungella Rd Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4958 3252
	Mirani Hotel Alexandra St Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4959 1163
	Railway Hotel Eton Rd Marian Mirani QLD 4753 Telephone: (07) 4954 3223
	Cottages & Cabins
	The Cottage Gorge Rd Finch Hatton Mirani QLD 4756 Telephone: (07) 4958 3161
	Caravan Parks
	Eungella Holiday Park North Rd Dalrymple Heights Mirani QLD 4757 Telephone: (07) 4958 4590
	Kinchant Waters Caravan Park Kinchant Dam via Mirani Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4954 1453
	Mirani Shire Council Caravan Park Mirani Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4959 1239 Facsimile: (07) 4959 1275
	Orange Grove Caravan Park Mirani Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4954 3301
	Camping & Other
	Camp Site, (permit required) Eungella Dam Mirani QLD 4754 Telephone: (07) 4957 8724