STREETSCAPE COLLECTION

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Walking the Village main street is like literally stepping back in time. Our history is brought to life in a streetscape of genuine historic structures carefully relocated from the surrounding district and filled with authentic memorabilia and replica buildings created to perfectly mimic their original counterparts. The buildings and collections date from the late 1860s to the 1950s and illustrate the living and working conditions of the local district’s early beginnings … the businesses, services and endeavours of the locals.


Stroll the main street as our ancestors would have, stopping in at the coach house and post office to learn about the Cobb & Co mail runs, the bakery where everything was a manual labour, the chemist with its striking range of bottles that once held medicinal concoctions, and the hospital that showcases just how far modern medicine has come. Get a glimpse of life as a school kid before pen and paper, take a ‘mug shot’ at the old jail, or read some of the newsworthy stories of a bygone era at the printery. There is so much to explore!

WAR MUSEUM COLLECTION

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Heroes, hardships, and heartfelt stories… these themes are beautifully captured in our War Museum collection, a comprehensive display of graphic panels, audio and visual mini-stories, and informative texts that present a grand narrative of the war journey. Follow the personal and local stories of Miles District people across various conflicts. View hand written letters, original documents and uniforms worn by our local heroes that bring a truly human experience to the collection.


Of particular interest is the mystery of the World War II Japanese Fuselage. An incredible artefact inscribed with the service number and signature of 29 identifiable Australian RAAF Servicemen. The piece is a section of fuselage of an Imperial Japanese Forces plane from World War II that some theorise could be part of the last plane shot down over Australia. See the exhibit for yourself to learn more of its ambiguous story.

NORMAN DONPON LAPIDARY DISPLAY

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With over 4000 lapidary items including petrified wood from local sites, semi-precious and precious gemstones, mineral specimens and even fossils, this collection is acknowledged as being THE LARGEST of its type in regional Queensland. Some of the items date back to the Jurassic Period, making them 135 to 180 million years old!


Many of the specimens on display have been cut, polished and donated by Mr Norman Donpon, a local to the region, hence the namesake of this collection. They are all presented in their natural state with no lacquers applied so their beauty is truly profound. Seeing is believing and we highly recommend you allocate some time to experience this incredible display.

THE SHELL HOUSE COLLECTION

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The Shell House contains a spectacular collection of shells, coral and marine items from Australia, the Pacific and other parts of the world. The collection was originally compiled and donated by locals Godfrey and Justine Morgan, who spent countless hours sorting, naming and meticulously arranging the shells for display.


The shells on display range from under 1cm in length to about the size of a football! You just don’t see shells this size anymore, which is testament to their age.

THE HIPPONG HOMESTEAD

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An icon in the village streetscape, this beautiful slab hut dates back to the 1890s and derives it’s name from one of it’s early residents, a Chinese shepherd called Hip Pong. Originally situated at the head of the Dogwood Creek on a property north of Miles, Hippong is a testament to the resilience of our early pioneers. The slabs that form its walls were hand cut on the original site from Grey Gum. The largest board is 31 inches wide!


Inside we get a glimpse of what life was like in the late 1800s, with simple furnishings and resourceful decorations. Fancy cut out newspaper lines the shelves (a customary decoration of the era) and a curtain made of 1000 pieces of paper, individually rolled and threaded, hangs in the doorway. Early pioneers lived in primitive conditions, but took immense pride in their homes which they kept scrupulously neat and clean.

STEAM TRAIN

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When steam was replaced by diesel this mid 1900's C17 locomotive was literally left on the lines at the Miles rail yards. In 1971 the railway department made it available to the Historical Society and a group of 25 rail workers helped move the engine to its current spot. Over the course of 6 hours they laid a temporary line across the Warrego Highway and used a tractor, motorised railway pumper and even a Council grader to push it into position.


Years later the Dalwogan Railway Siding was donated to the museum and positioned beside the steam engine. Fitted out with antique pieces including a railway porter and morse, the siding forms an authentic railway station where you can literally climb aboard!

GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN INTERPRETIVE CENTRE

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This modern and contemporary display creates a connection between our First Australian ancestors, the Great Artesian Basin, our early pioneers and the modern industries of mining and gas exploration. Stories of the Great Artesian Basin and it’s journey through time are beautifully told through a variety of mediums including imagery, videos and tangible collections that allow you to get up close and personal with one of Australia’s greatest resources. 

 

Come on in and learn about our Ancient Guardians and their connection to the land, the geological forming of the Basin, the challenges our early pioneers faced in finding ground water and the environmental changes that come with modern agriculture and mining!

MUSEUM MAP

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Miles Historical Village Museum is located along the Warrego Highway on the eastern entrance to the town of Miles, just 3.5 hours inland from Brisbane. You can find a range of historical collections throughout the village.

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