Paronella Park, Nth Queensland
You won’t want to miss this top tourist attraction if you are road tripping or holidaying in North Queensland. There is just so much to enjoy at Paronella Park, and purchase of a ticket has the following inclusions:
- Tour with knowledgeable and friendly guides
- Evening sound and light show and guided tour
- One night free at nearby The Paddock Van Park
- Cup of fish and turtle food
- Validation of your ticket for two years, so you can have day entry for free during this time
The inspiration behind the creation of Paronella Park was José Paronella, who was born in the Catalan region of Spain and migrated to Australia in 1913.
During his early days in Queensland, José worked hard cutting sugar cane and also dabbled in mining. By 1924 he had amassed quite a sum of money and travelled back to Spain to marry. In 1929 he purchased 13 acres of land for £120 along Mena Creek and at the time it was all-natural scrub. Remarkably, there are now five hectares of tropical gardens at Paronella Park!
José’s vision was inspired by the Moorish architecture that was found in Spain and he set about replicating this style from his homeland. He first built a home for himself, Margerita and their future children. Then he set to work on the castle. The park opened in 1935, and facilities included a ballroom (doubling as a movie theatre and function venue), café and ice cream parlour, the tunnel of love, waterfalls, picnic areas, tennis and bocce courts, and a swimming and boating area (complete with dressing rooms). There is also ‘The Grand Staircase’ and bridges and balconies in the Teresa Falls area. There were over 7,000 trees planted at Paronella Park, with most being planted by José Paronella himself back in the 1930s!
The addition in 1933 of a hydro-electric system, harnessing water from Mena Creek Falls, was the first of its kind in North Queensland! This system was extensively damaged in the 1946 flood. On a positive note, the current owners managed to get this repaired in 2009 and it now powers Paronella Park, including the amazing evening light show.
Unfortunately, during the wet season of 1946, a fifty-foot wall of water carrying huge cedar logs engulfed Paronella Park, causing significant damage. (At this time in north Queensland’s history, timber was still being cleared for the expanding sugar industry.)
The logs had floated downstream and wedged up against the nearby rail bridge, creating a dam. Mena Creek Falls slowed to a trickle, then stopped. Soon enough, the pressure of the growing pool of water and debris caused the bridge to give way, with Paronella Park in its path.
Very sadly, José died in 1946. The family sold the park in 1977. And in 1993 the current owners purchased Paronella Park and have continued to beautifully maintain and restore the property and have gone on to win many awards.
Take a closer look at Paronella Park with us here: https://youtu.be/F3Z503NcFSo
