QLDFarming
Montville
Orchards on a cool volcanic ridge, then a mountain resort.
1887First selectors settle on the ridge
WHAT STARTED IT
Red volcanic soil and cool summers on the Blackall Range drew selectors in the 1880s; Peter and Isabella Weitemeyer were the first to live on their land, in 1887. The settlement grew on the steep Razorback ridge, where bananas, citrus and pineapples replaced the rainforest.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Storekeeper Henry Smith proposed the name Montville, after his home town in Connecticut, when he applied for a mail receiving office. From about 1900 the cool climate and views made it a mountain resort with several guesthouses, while orchards, dairying and timber kept the farms going.
TURNING POINTS
1887Peter and Isabella Weitemeyer become the first selectors to live at Montville.
1896Razorback Provisional School opens.
1912Governor Sir William MacGregor visits a town that already has several guesthouses.
1916The Montville Farmers’, Fruitgrowers’ and Progress Association hears advice on orange culture.
1930Alfred Bowser plants the first macadamia trees.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A Blackall Range village of about 1,100 people, known for galleries, cafés and views to the coast. Its memorial precinct around the 1903 hall is heritage-listed.