Killarney & District Historical Society Inc.

The Killarney and District Historical Society Inc., has been in operation for about 5 years, it has a small membership of about 30. The Society's rooms are called the Heritage Centre, and consist of the two rooms and a strong room that were the business area of a bank built in 1913. The aim of the Society is to stimulate awareness and understanding of the district's past. To met this aim, the society has published several smaller books on local history, and it maintains a collection of items significant to the area. It had also erected sixty markers marking sites that were important in 1901. Killarney is located in what was Canning Downs, the first settlement on the Darling Downs, by the Leslie Brothers in 1840, so is an important meeting place in the early history of Queensland outside what was known as the district of Moreton bay. Over the years the area has largely depended on primary production of timber, mixed farming and dairying, with some tourism, centred on Queen Mary Falls. In the 1890's a trout hatchery was established and successfully operated in the area for a number o years.