Montville

Montville, a small town in the Blackall Range, is 90 km north of central Brisbane and 23 km inland from Mooloolaba. It is thought that it was named after Montville, south-east Connecticut, USA, the girlhood hometown of the mother of Henry Smith.

Farm selections for orchards and plantations were taken up in the Range in the 1880s, and Montville's settlement is generally dated from 1887. In addition to its fertile hills, Montville's elevation gave welcome relief from the muggy conditions on the Maroochy Coast. That, and its panoramic views, brought Montville under vice-regal notice when the Governor, Sir William MacGregor, visited in 1912. By that time the town boasted several guesthouses, motorcar services and holiday facilities. In addition to tourism there were the rural pursuits of fruit growing, dairying and timber cutting.

With the development of Sunshine Coast tourism Montville has become the best-known place in the Blackall Range, billing itself as the 'creative heart of the Sunshine Coast'. Numerous art and crafts outlets have opened in refurbished premises. To some tastes the refurbishment and decoration are excessive, a mélange of faux-Irish and Bavarian forms, but as against coastal theme parks, the town's style is positively understated. The 'villagey' look complements the miniature English village at neighbouring Flaxton. There is a heritage trail in the town, and the Kondalilla Falls are a few kilometres to the north.

In addition to its tourist attractions Montville has a State primary school (1896), two churches and a public hall. The memorial precinct at the corner of Main Street and Razorback Road, comprising Montville Hall (1903), the memorial hall (1941), memorial gates (1921) and memorial trees (1923), is listed on the Queensland heritage register. Montville's census populations have been:

Its annual visitations number tens of thousands.