Menu

Capella

Located within the famous Peak Downs District, Capella is renowned for its productive fertile soils and spectacular scenery.

Things to Experience

Capella Pioneer Village Explore the Central Queensland Highlands’ agricultural and pastoral history at the Capella Pioneer Village. More than 5,000 items are grouped into exhibits including: settlers, the wool industry, railway, wartime, Queensland – British Food Corporation 1948-56, grain farming and Capella life. The village features the 1869 Peak Downs Homestead; Australia’s largest restored drop-plank homestead.

The Village has closed for summer and will re-open in April 2024. 

Don’t miss the annual Capella Pioneer Village Heritage Day held on the second Saturday in September.

1925 Bakehouse Oven View the big brick oven used by Capella’s last baker until 1967. The baker would start the oven’s wood fire at midnight so it would be hot enough six or seven hours later, when the fire and coals were removed, to bake the daily breads.

Dragline Bucket At the northern end of town is the huge green Eartheater bucket. It was used on a Marion 8050 dragline (an enormous excavator) that scooped up over 83 million tonnes of overburden (the rock and soil that sits above coal in the ground) at BMA Gregory Open Cut Coal Mine, starting in 2001.

Australian Light Horse Monument According to local lore, the first time Australian troopers wore the now famous emu feathers in their slouch hats was at Peak Downs station during the Great Shearers’ Strike of 1891. The locally constructed monument in the Capella Parklands is a striking dedication to the area’s contribution to the history and tradition of Australian armed forces. Explore More of its story.

Lilyvale Waterhole, named after the Crinum lilies that grow around the waterhole, was once a thriving town on the Cobb and Coach route from the coast to Clermont until the railway bypassed it. Now only a few remnants of broken ceramics can be seen at the Lilyvale Waterhole.

A shelter was built on the original location of the Lilyvale Hotel as part of Australia’s 1988 bicentennial celebrations. Townsfolk had clung to the hotel roof during floods. Floods also washed away the headstones in the cemetery so a plaque has been mounted listing those who were buried.

In addition to its historical interest, Lilyvale Waterhole is a great out-of-the-way spot to camp.

Peak Range Lookout Travel 1km south of Capella to the Peak Range Lookout and take in the beauty of The Peaks; a chain of prominent and picturesque mountains.

Capella Covered Arena Located at the Bridgeman Park Sporting Complex, the arena is the largest arena of its type in Australia. It is the venue for concerts and sporting events, such as cutting, campdrafting, rodeos and gymkhanas.

Capella Aquatic Centre Relax at Capella’s ‘beach’, which features five solar-heated pools, gym, squash courts, barbecues, waterslide and café.

Point of Interest: 30 murals depicting Capella’s history are painted on light poles and walls along Peak Downs Street.

Essentials…

Visitor Information Get Directions Get Weather Report CQH Visitor Guide + Touring Map

Explore More…

Instagram YouTube

Copyright © 2024 Central Highlands Queensland | Disclaimer + Privacy Policy | Designed by Almost Anything