Scenic Rim icons mark a century of stories
Historic pubs and a rainforest retreat put Scenic Rim's heritage, hospitality and natural charm in focus this year.
What’s happening?
Five well-known Scenic Rim venues are celebrating milestone years in 2026.
They are The Royal Hotel, Harrisville, marking 151 years, The Dugandan Hotel at 140 years, St Bernards Hotel at 111 years, the Canungra Hotel at 100 years, and O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat at 100 years.
The group spans country pubs, a mountain hotel, and one of Queensland’s best-known rainforest stays. Each has helped shape the region’s tourism and community life over many decades.
Why it matters?
These milestones show how long-running venues can keep their place in local life while still drawing new visitors.
They also reflect the Scenic Rim’s wider appeal. The region offers more than scenery. It gives people places with memory, character and stories that still feel active today.
That helps keep locals returning and visitors making the trip from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and beyond.
Local Impact
These venues help keep money moving through Scenic Rim towns and tourism areas.
Visitors stopping for a meal, a drink, a night away or a day trip often spend time with nearby producers, shops and local operators too. That supports jobs and helps smaller townships stay visible in a competitive tourism market.
The milestones also give the region a strong tourism angle in 2026, with history, hospitality and place all tied together.
By the numbers
The Scenic Rim covers more than 4,200 square kilometres, showing how these five venues sit across a large and varied tourism region.
The region includes more than 30,000 hectares of parkland, which helps support its strong appeal for nature-based stays and day trips.
Six historic national parks and three dams, Lake Moogerah, Lake Maroon and Wyaralong Dam, add to the Scenic Rim’s wider tourism pull.
Zoom In
The Royal Hotel at Harrisville has stood since 1875 and remains the oldest pub in the Scenic Rim. It began as a stop for cotton and cattle workers and still trades on cold beer, hearty meals and a welcoming feel. Caravans and campers are also welcome on the grounds.
Its past is packed with stories. Owners say Margaret Wholey, who built the hotel in 1875, was one of Queensland’s first female publicans and is also said to be one of the resident ghosts. The hotel survived several fires throughout its history. In January 1887, floodwater entered the premises for the only recorded time, while later floods passed underneath. The Royal Hotel Harrisville, then known as The Royal James Hotel, was badly damaged by fire on 2 June 1916. Despite reports written later, no one died in that fire. The only recorded death at the hotel was in 1934, when boarder Mr Neaves died from a heart attack. In 2003, the hotel also featured in the ABC mini-series “Fat Cow Motel”, with locals appearing as extras.
The Dugandan Hotel, known as “The Dugie”, marks 140 years. The timber building was first established in the 1880s by Carl Stumer as a general store outside Boonah. It was converted into a hotel in 1913, with accommodation, cellar, kitchen and servants’ quarters. Today it still offers the same easy country pub feel, with Scenic Rim and Mt French views, a wraparound verandah, and a beer garden called “The Chook Yard”.
St. Bernard’s Hotel on Tamborine Mountain is marking 111 years as a licensed hotel. The property was first built in 1881 by Robert Muir, moved to its current site in 1898 and granted its hotel licence in 1915. Over time, it has served as a guest house, wartime accommodation and a convalescent retreat. Today it remains known for its broad views across Tamborine Valley, Guanaba Gorge and out to the Pacific Ocean. Guests are also greeted by the resident St Bernard dogs and a peacock.
The Canungra Hotel is marking 100 years as a township mainstay. It began as a timber guesthouse and became a licensed pub in 1928. Fire and rebuilds did not end its role as a social hub. It still trades on hearty meals, cold drinks, black and white paintwork, a wraparound verandah and its ties to Canungra’s timber and timber mill history.
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is also turning 100 in 2026. The O’Reilly family opened the guesthouse in Lamington National Park in 1926. It is recognised as Australia’s oldest family-owned ecotourism retreat and is now run by third and fourth-generation family members. Over time, it became a well-known destination for nature lovers, rare birds, and Australia’s first treetop walkway. Guests may also spot wildlife such as pademelons at dawn, along with birds including the regent bowerbird and Albert’s lyrebird.
Zoom Out
Taken together, these five milestones tell a bigger Scenic Rim story.
This is a region where old pubs, mountain hotels and nature-based stays still play a central role in tourism. The wider area stretches from Canungra to The Lost World, Beaudesert to Boonah, and Tamborine Mountain to Kalbar. It includes the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, rich volcanic soil, thousands of farmers and food makers, camping and glamping spots, breweries, wineries, ecolodges and local food experiences.
The Scenic Rim is not built around one attraction. It offers a mix of history, place and personality, and these five operators sit right at the centre of that.
What To Look For Next?
These venues are likely to remain a strong part of the Scenic Rim’s tourism story, giving locals and visitors more reasons to return for a meal, a stay, a view or a story.
Across 2026, their milestone celebrations will help keep the region’s mix of heritage, hospitality and nature in focus.