Laidley, the second largest of the Lockyer Valley’s towns is located 85 kilometres west of Brisbane (Queensland’s capital city) in the Lockyer Valley of SE Queensland. Steeped in local history and folklore, Laidley greets road trip explorers with good old fashioned Queensland country hospitality all set amongst fertile farmlands and breath-taking scenery.
Leaving the Warrego Highway (the main highway that connects Brisbane to Toowoomba) we ventured further west travelling the Cobb & Co Tourist Drive motoring through the picturesque Lockyer Valley. Known as “Australia’s Salad Bowl”, this area grows a huge diverse range of fruit and vegetables being rated as one of the most fertile farming areas in Australia. Driving along, the road conditions are excellent, what a stunning Queensland day as are the picture-perfect vistas of rural western Queensland.
Laidley is a few kilometres off the Cobb & Co Tourist Drive, the turn off to the town is well sign posted. Park the car, stroll along the town’s historic streetscape, a mixture of old and new, but still retaining a feeling of yesteryear evident by the heritage shop fronts and classic period style lamp posts.
From gift shops, news agency, florist, cafes, and the iconic country “Aussie Pub” (a top spot for a coldie, steak or chicken palmy”, there is such a wide range of things to do, you’ll wonder where your time has gone.
We timed our visit to perfection; market day was on with the locals displaying a huge range of hand-crafted goods, arts and crafts and jewelry in the Laidley Village Mall. I just love browsing country markets, you never know what special gift you might come across in your ferreting around.
We always make time for a coffee stop when we are travelling. There are several options in town to choose from, my travel buddy and I chose the Laidley Florist and Tea Room.
Situated in Laidley’s historic main street, located amongst old-world shops we discovered this homey little spot – specializing in “High Teas,” also serving a great selection of Coffee, cakes, cold drinks, and light snacks. This is a fantastic business, the service was excellent, the High Tea delicious and the Tea Room also shares a space with a florist full of colourful and fragrant blooms. 🔥Tip: The flowers are available for sale. 🔥Tip: Contact the Tea Room for opening times & as we did pre-book your High Tea before arrival.
No visit to Laidley would be complete without paying a visit to Das Neumann Haus. 🔥Tip: Free entry. Free Parking. Toilets are situated close by.
Located on the corner of Patrick Street and William Street, Das Neumann Haus Museum is a colonial style timber building originally built by German immigrant Hermann Neumann as his private residence in 1893. During its lifetime the house has been restored in the style of the 1930’s afterwards opening to the public in1998 as a museum, cafe, information centre and gift shop.
Spread over a number of floors, immersing yourself in a by-gone era, the Museum showcases the lifestyle, pastimes, and special interests of the family during the early 1900’s. Also situated inside, you’ll find Annie’s Place Coffee Shop, named in memory of Annie Neumann (Herman’s wife) in remembrance of her hospitality, with a good menu of hot and cold snacks, coffee, drinks and famous Devonshire Tea (The ladies running the coffee shop told me I had to try one before leaving – I agree it was definitely Yum. 🫖🍰😋😋
Situated a short drive from town is Cunningham’s Crest Lookout. It’s very easy to access (bitumen road all the way) and plenty of parking when you arrive. From here, you’ll enjoy sweeping views across what Cunningham named Laidley Plains in 1829. We stood in the same spot that Allan Cunningham (English botanist and early Australian Explorer) and his party did while they stared across this vivid landscape surveying these wide-open plains stretching all the way to the horizon.
The Lookout features 2 undercover observation areas, with the second one slightly higher up the mountain with the entrance staircase featuring murals and poetry celebrating the Aboriginal and European History of the site. Both have sensational views. 🔥Tip: This is a top spot for a picnic lunch 🌞 but there are no toilets here. ☹️
Situated just a short drive out of town on the road to Toowoomba, located on former resting paddocks for the Cobb & Co horses the Laidley Pioneer Village Museum has a huge collection of old buildings and artifacts from the early days of the area. Established in 1972, this Pioneer Village is one of the first of its kind in Queensland and has developed into an outstanding reflection of the past contributing to the education of many thousands of visitors and schoolchildren.
The Pioneer Village is extensive, so allow yourself plenty of time to fully explore this larger than life collection. You can wander through the whole village, in and out of the buildings, take as much time as you like and if you want some further information the onsite staff will be there to help.
This treasure-trove of buildings includes an Old Jail, Post Office / General Store, Old Tractor Shed, working Blacksmiths Shop, Chapel, fully furnished Slab Hut + more. Other displays include Old lawn mowers and washing machines, soda fountains and medical equipment. Can you imagine the looks on the younger generation faces when they see how it was done in the “old days”- priceless
🔥 Tip: There is an admission fee to tour the Pioneer Village. I would suggest contacting them to ensure that they will be open on the day of your visit.
Contact Details
- Phone – 07 54652516
Laidley enjoys hot / warm summers, mild winters, and pleasant weather throughout the rest of the year, making it an ideal destination for a day trip away from the city. It also has a significant history with the Cobb & Co Tourist Drive in Queensland where the company Cobb & Co travelled the outback bush tracks and by-ways delivering mail and passengers between Ipswich and Toowoomba – Were There Any Bush Rangers🤔🤨
🔥Stay Tuned – Blog Coming Soon: The Dust, Dirt, Bumps, excitement, and history of travelling the Cobb & Co Tourist Drive.
ROAD TRIP'N 