Pomona, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Pomona is a town located at the base of Mount Cooroora at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast
, Queensland
, Australia
. The town was originally called Pinbarren siding and was renamed Pomona in 1906, after the Roman goddess
of fruit and orchards. Pomona is 166 kilometres north of Brisbane
, and approximately 30 minutes driving time from Noosa Heads
.
to Pomona was opened in 1891. The town became the administrative centre of the Noosa Shire
in 1909.
The original headquarters for the Shire were constructed in Pomona in 1911 on a site now used (since 1985) by the Cooroora Historical Society and Noosa Museum.
Pomona is notable for three things: a relaxed streetscape of distinctive timber and art deco buildings, the heritage-listed Majestic Theatre and the annual King of the Mountain race up the nearby, Mount Cooroora.
The Majestic, http://www.themajestictheatre.com.au built in 1921, is claimed to be the world's oldest continuously operating silent movie theatre built for that purpose. Although not the first theatre in the world in which silent films
were screened. The Majestic has been a community-owned enterprise since October 2006.
Australian musician Darren Hanlon
's album "Fingertips and Mountaintops" was entirely recorded in the Majestic Theatre.
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The town was originally called Pinbarren siding and was renamed Pomona in 1906, after the Roman goddess
Pomona
Pomona was a goddess of fruitful abundance in ancient Roman religion and myth. Her name comes from the Latin word pomum, "fruit," specifically orchard fruit. She was said to be a wood nymph and a part of the Numia, guardian spirits who watch over people, places, or homes...
of fruit and orchards. Pomona is 166 kilometres north of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and approximately 30 minutes driving time from Noosa Heads
Noosa Heads, Queensland
Noosa Heads is one of the three major centres of the Noosa region on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is located north of Brisbane, the state's capital. The Noosa River forms one boundary of the town, the headlands of the Noosa National Park another...
.
History
Now a heritage and lifestyle town and formally declared the region's 'friendliest town' (2004 and 2010), Pomona was first settled by Europeans in the late 1880s, but had been home to the Gubbi Gubbi indigenous peoples for thousands of years before that. The railwayNorth Coast railway line, Queensland
The North Coast railway line is a narrow gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It runs from Brisbane, along the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton...
to Pomona was opened in 1891. The town became the administrative centre of the Noosa Shire
Noosa, Queensland
The Shire of Noosa was a Local Government Area located about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia...
in 1909.
The original headquarters for the Shire were constructed in Pomona in 1911 on a site now used (since 1985) by the Cooroora Historical Society and Noosa Museum.
Pomona is notable for three things: a relaxed streetscape of distinctive timber and art deco buildings, the heritage-listed Majestic Theatre and the annual King of the Mountain race up the nearby, Mount Cooroora.
The Majestic, http://www.themajestictheatre.com.au built in 1921, is claimed to be the world's oldest continuously operating silent movie theatre built for that purpose. Although not the first theatre in the world in which silent films
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
were screened. The Majestic has been a community-owned enterprise since October 2006.
Australian musician Darren Hanlon
Darren Hanlon
Darren Hanlon is an Australian singer/songwriter who plays urban folk music. He has released five solo albums, three EPs and eight singles on Candle Records and Flippin Yeah industries , as well as several compilation tracks...
's album "Fingertips and Mountaintops" was entirely recorded in the Majestic Theatre.