Scenic Rim Story Trails

The Scenic Rim Story Marker project incorporates elements of public art, signage, storytelling and place-making at key locations across the Scenic Rim. The project is an initiative of the Scenic Rim Regional Council and upon completion a selection of significant local stories and landmarks will be highlighted through story boards and uniquely designed story markers.

To create cultural trails across the Scenic Rim that tells the Indigenous, environmental, settler, migrant and contemporary heritage of the Scenic Rim for residents and visitors, the interpretive signage and public art explains meaning behind place names and gives insight into natural and cultural heritage of our towns, villages and significant related sites.

The Story Marker Project links with the Scenic Rim Regional Council’s Vibrant and Active Towns and Villages strategy which seeks to animate and activate the towns of our region with spaces for communities and visitors to gather, recreate and engage with our unique landscape and villages.

The Story Marker Project commenced in 2016 with Way-Finder Artworks developed for Gallery Walk, Tamborine Mountain and in Canungra. The Scenic Rim is fortunate to have a strong Museums and Heritage sector located throughout the region. Manned by dedicated passionate historians, the Museums hold a wealth of knowledge of the people, places and objects in their area. Through the Scenic Rim Story Marker project each Museum has contributed to sourcing stories and photographs to form a cohesive, informative and entertaining Scenic Rim Trail.

Up to 800 stories have been collated across the region and fall into five themes: the Natural World, First Nation, Pioneer, 20^th Centenary and Modern World.  The themes are described as following:

The Natural World,  Stories of the  Environment – Stories that reflect the natural world of the Scenic Rim, from the geology of the land and the formation of the Mountain ranges, the rivers systems that flow through the region, its animal and birdlife and its iconic rainforests and national parks

First Nation, Stories from our Indigenous People – Stories of the Indigenous people that settled the lands of the Scenic Rim,. The stories and culture of the Mununjali, Ugurapul and Wangerriburra people, their traditions, families and connection to country.

Pioneer, Stories of the Pioneers and Colonisation of Queensland – Settler history explores the timeframe from colonisation in 1770 until 1859. Stories of the early explorers mapping the region, the experiences of convicts and free settlers  on arrival in Queensland, the establishment of  close settlements, early transport systems and early townships.

20^th Centenary, Migration, Federation and  the War Years – Stories that explores the timeframe from 1860 until 1945. Stories of the development towns and cities, the growth as a global economy and the great wave of migration. The new century and  life as a federated nation. The impact of the World Wars at home and overseas.

Modern World, Contemporary History since 1945 – Contemporary stories relate to living, belonging to, or occurring in, the scenic Rim in the present. Stories  that are being written in the now about the now. Contemporary literature is defined as literature written after World War II through to the current day.

On Saturday 11 June, 2022, the Story Trails project was launched at a special exhibition at The Centre, Beaudesert. A suit of 26 stories were unveiled. Each story is loaded into a special website that geotags the physical story markers with the images, providing the user with the unique opportunity to build their own story trail out of personal interest, and physical location.

Click through to begin your own investigation of interests across the Scenic Rim today.