IN THE HINTERLAND TOWN of Maleny, perched high
in the rolling green hills behind Queensland’s famed
Sunshine Coast beaches, village life starts early. On Maple
Street, crisp mountain air mingles with the aroma of
coffee and friendly chatter is exchanged alongside fresh
produce direct from the farm gate.
Maleny has come a long way since its sawmilling days.
The former timber town, an hour and a half’s drive north
of Brisbane and around 40 minutes from Sunshine Coast
Airport, has a broad main road that accommodated oxen
turning wagons in the late 1800s. Street names like Cedar,
Myrtle and Bunya redolent of its history. However, this
lush, laidback village in the Blackall Range is now home
to a progressive, eco-conscious community that thrives
on creativity and collaboration.
Ascending from the south along scenic Landsborough
Maleny Road, or entering from the north via equally
picturesque Maleny-Montville Road, the air becomes
heavy with the scent of rich soil and lantana. Honesty
boxes crop up on the roadside, trading coins for avocados,
strawberries, pineapples and macadamias that relish
the subtropical climate. Classic Queenslanders with
wraparound verandahs stand tall and proud as dairy
cows graze happily in the paddocks below.
Today, Maleny comprises about 3700 residents living
on undulating dairy farm country. After much of the land
had been cleared for timber in the early 1900s, rich soil and
abundant rain turned the focus to milk. Butter and cheese
co-operatives f lourished and, by the 1950s, the Maleny
region supported around 300 dairy farms. Deregulation
decades later reduced this number significantly, however
the area still supports a collective of passionate farmers,
producers and co-operatives.
In the heart of town, Maple Street Co-operative has
been going strong since it was established in 1979, the
store a hive of activity as people fill tote bags with local,
organic produce. In either direction you’ll find homemade
cakes, artisan soaps and cafés snipping herbs from the
garden to toss through spring salads. Along with the
slow grown and vine-ripened there are wood turners,
glass blowers, authors and artists. The common thread
is an unmistakable bohemian spirit that has seen the
town become a shining example of what a prosperous
co-operative community looks like.
“Maleny has always been a special place,” says Kelly
Robson, owner of Shotgun Espresso. “People here really
care about the food they eat and supporting local growers.”
After two decades working as a barista in the area, Kelly
opened her own café in 2014 with her husband Adrian
Anderson. “It was something I’d wanted to do for ages
— when both the kids had finished school it seemed like
a good time,” says Kelly, whose son Jack, 19, and daughter
India, 21, helped get things started. Kelly and India now
run the café together and love that the customers care
about the product as much as they do.“We put a lot of effort into sourcing our produce,” says
Kelly, whose menu uses free-range eggs, grass-fed beef
and local honey. A garden out the back supplies the kitchen
with herbs, salad greens and vegetables. “This industry can
be quite wasteful,” says Kelly of the hospitality business.
“We really try to do everything we can to minimise our
impact on the environment.”
An eco-conscious approach and strong sense of provenance
extends beyond the menu, the café’s interior is decorated
with a mélange of secondhand finds and locally made
pottery. “I’ve always loved op-shopping and collecting,”
says Kelly. “I wanted the space to feel like my home
— as though I am having my closest friends over for tea.”
Maleny’s restorative qualities attract city dwellers seeking
relaxation and holiday makers wanting to escape the
busyness of the beaches. While tarot readings and reiki >114 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2017