Gatton & District Historical Society

A village of eighteen buildings on a 2.5 hectare site overlooking Lake Apex on the Southern edge of Gatton township. The buildings range from an 1890s house to a reused country dance hall now housing our Museum. The Museum displays items highlighting the history of Gatton and surrounds dating from the 1860s. A chapel that can be used for weddings featuring a 1800s German language bible bought to Australia by one of our pioneer families. A tiny general store with artefacts that older folk delight in seeing is also on site. They have a shed containing working stationary farm and industrial engines dating from the late 1900s including a rare charcoal burner that produces gas to run a very early irrigation pump. A range of working tractors from the 1930s are housed and are used on our open days. A true highlight of the village is a fully operational blacksmith shop with a forge built by one of the members and a bellows that is over 160 years old still operating the forge. The village also houses a family history section that contains information on district families and is in the process of digitising our extensive photo collection. A photo display depicting the Gatton Tragedy of 1898 is also in the Family History Room. A extensive escorted visit usually requires about two hours.