Laidley Pioneer Village History – Who We Are

Queensland’s first pioneer village, officially established in 1972 and run entirely by the volunteers of the Laidley District Historical Society Inc.

Our purpose

The Laidley District Historical Society Inc.

The Laidley District Historical Society Inc. is a non-profit organisation dedicated to collecting, preserving, researching, exhibiting and interpreting objects that best illustrate past human habitation and the settlement and development of the Laidley district, for current and future generations to enjoy.

The Society operates Laidley Pioneer Village & Museum as a not-for-profit organisation, run solely by its members and volunteers. Alongside the buildings and collections, the Society provides a local and family-history research service and an education program that has welcomed countless school children, seniors’ groups and clubs.

A large crowd gathered in front of a house with a red roof, with several parked cars in the foreground. There are people on the front porch and the yard, and a sign that reads 'No Parking Turn Side of Road' is visible. The sky is partly cloudy.

The original Laidley Shire Council building, now the Village entrance and office.

OUR STORY

Queensland’s first pioneer village

Laidley Pioneer Village grew from the vision of Eb Cook, who dreamt of a place where visitors could step back in time and experience life as it once was. With a group of friends, he set out to secure land at the corner of Drayton and Pioneer Streets and to gather the buildings and objects that tell the district’s story. Volunteers from across the region, often accompanied by their children, gave their weekends to constructing and maintaining the Village.

Laidley Pioneer Village was officially established in 1972 and holds the distinction of being Queensland’s first pioneer village, making it significant historical village in the region. Thanks to the dedication of its founding members and countless volunteers since, the Laidley District Historical Society Inc. was formed, and the Village has grown into the heritage complex it is today.

Read the story of the creation of the Village

A historic site

The Village stands on the site of the teamsters’ first overnight camp after crossing the Little Liverpool Range from Bigge’s Camp in Grandchester. At this spot, the flat sandstone bottom of Narda Lagoon provided a safe crossing for horses and drays.

Early Laidley settlement was originally near the Laidley Pioneer Village. With the arrival of the railway in 1866, 2.4 kilometres to the north, businesses and residents gradually moved to what is now the town of Laidley. Today, the site remains a significant part of Laidley and the Lockyer Valley’s history.

Read more about the town of Laidley

What we do today

  • Preserve and share the historic buildings, objects, machinery and stories of the Laidley district — see the Village Attractions.

  • Educate through school excursions and group visits.

  • Research local and family history using the Society’s records and archives — see Local & Family History.

  • Restore machinery and buildings through our projects.

  • Welcome the community to special days such as Pioneer Day and Australia Day — see Events.

Everything is done by volunteers. If you would like to be part of it, see Volunteering.

THROUGH THE YEARS

Building the Village

Photographs from the Society’s collection: the first buildings arriving in 1971, the opening in 1972 and the Village as it grew. Select a photograph to see it larger.

Black and white photo of an old wooden barn with a tiled roof, two men standing in front, a few cars parked nearby, utility poles in the background, and trees in the distance under a clear sky.

The Pioneer Slab Hut on the Village site, 1971.

Image of a raised house with a corrugated roof, surrounded by people and horses, in an outdoor setting with a clear sky.

Moving the Old Mortuary building to the Village.

A small wooden post office store with a slanted red metal roof, situated in a rural landscape with open fields, trees, and utility poles in the background.

The Post Office Store in earlier years.

A wooden house frame under construction with a peaked roof, set in an open field with distant buildings and trees in the background.

Building the Pioneer Slab Hut, 1971.

A vintage photo of a crowded outdoor event with cars parked in the foreground, a house in the middle ground, and a large gathering of people under umbrellas, with a cloudy sky above.

Village, 24 September 1972.

An old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon parked underneath a covered structure with a corrugated metal roof, with trees in the background.

The Rural Life display.

A black and white photo of an unfinished wooden house on stilts, with a roof partially built, in a rural area with other houses in the background.

The slab hut takes shape, 1971.

A busy outdoor scene with a crowd of people and parked cars. Bunting flags are strung across the sky, and there are buildings and a rural landscape in the background.

Crowds at the opening of the Village, 1972.

A small wooden building labeled 'Butcher' with a metal roof and surrounding trees.

The Butcher Shop after its relocation.

Black and white photo of a house under construction with unfinished walls and construction materials around, set in a rural area with utility poles in the background.

Jim Crack’s building in Vaux Street.

A yellow wooden house with a red roof, white trim, and a front porch with white stairs and railing, surrounded by grass and bushes.

The original Laidley Shire Council.

A small tan wooden house with a red corrugated metal roof, stairs leading to a front porch, and surrounded by trees and open land.

The Jail after its relocation to the Village.

Plan your visit

Open Monday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, with last admission at 2:00 pm. Adults $10, concession $8.

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