Buderim

Buderim is an urban centre on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Buderim is an urban centre on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. It sits on a 180-metre (590 ft) mountain which overlooks the southern Sunshine Coast communities. In the 2016 census, the urban area of Buderim had a population of 54,483.The name "Buderim" is usually believed to be derived from a local Kabi Kabi Aboriginal word for the hairpin honeysuckle, Banksia spinulosa var. collina. However, as the environment on the mountain before British occupation was one of dense rainforest not Banksia heath, the name may have come from the Yugambeh word budherahm meaning sacred or spiritual.

Buderim is an Kabi word meaning honeysuckle or red soil. The name is also said to come from a Yugambeh word Budherahm, meaning sacred or spiritual.In 1862, Tom Petrie set out from Brisbane with 25 Turrbal and Kabi Kabi men including Billy Dingy and Wanangga to search for cedar in the Maroochy area.They ascended Buderim mountain where they saw forests of fine timber, then had the satisfaction of being the first to cut a cedar tree there.' Buderim was seen as a resource for timbergetters, as huge stands of Beech and Australian Red Cedar grew across the mountain. Some trees were so large they were wasted due to the lack of transport to carry them down to the river for despatch to Brisbane.

Once clear felled, the plateau was used for farming. The rich red volcanic soil found on Buderim made the area particularly suited to growing almost everything, from bananas to small crops.The most notable were coffee and (in the 20th century) ginger, the crop which made Buderim famous. The farming pioneer Burnett won awards for the quality of his coffee at shows in London during the late 19th century.

Buderim Mountain Post Office opened on 1 June 1884 (a receiving office had been open from 1874). It was renamed Buderim by 1897.In 1887 James Lindsay began to operate the Buderim Library from his home Ryhope. It is unclear when Buderim School of Arts was established but it was operating by 1889. In 1924 the old building was removed and a new building was constructed. The stump capping ceremony for the new building was held on Saturday 6 September 1924. The new building was officially opened on Friday 14 November 1924 by the Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly William Bertram and the Buderim Library operated from the new building. The hall was renovated in 1989 enabling the library to double in size.Buderim Methodist Church was established in 1907 on the corner of Gloucester Road and King Street. A new church was built in 1963. Following the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Buderim Uniting Church. The current church building was built in 1998. On 3 February 2013 the church established a Garden of Remembrance for the interment of cremated ashes.On 5 May 1917 Reverend C. Tunstall performed the stump capping ceremony for the new Anglican church. St Mark's Anglican Church was dedicated on Saturday 25 July 1917 by Bishop Henry Le Fanu. It was rebuilt and re-dedicated in 1988.In the middle of the 20th century the largest ginger processing facility in the southern hemisphere was built, and operated as the Buderim Ginger Factory until 1980 when operations were moved to a new facility near Yandina. As the value of their produce was eroded, many farmers left the land to find work elsewhere.The Buderim War Memorial Hall and Library was extended in 1966. The extension provided space for the Buderim branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association which moved into the extended facility.In 2011 the average value of Buderim real estate was $475,000 and, largely due to its altitude, its proximity to the Sunshine Coast beaches and its pleasant climate, has increased to $595,000, and this has pressured many others out of the rural lifestyle, as housing development increased in and around Buderim Mountain. Thanks to the huge leap in real estate values during the first decade of 2000, steep land was developed that was previously deemed too expensive to engineer for housing. Due to these developments, the remainder of the farming land and much of the secondary growth rainforest on the escarpment has disappeared. Substantial rainforest remnants remain, especially in the protected area known as the Foote Sanctuary which provides well-maintained public walking paths and BBQ facilities. There is also access to the Buderim Falls. The area is home to an abundance of native wildlife, notably king parrots and lorikeets. Brush turkeys are also a common sight, as are families of kangaroos and wallabies.

Nowadays, the Mountain is notable for the enormous variety of its architectural styles, which range from the classic 'Queenslander' to ultra-modern one-off designs. Some homes, especially those 'on top' with ocean views, sell for seven-figure sums. One celebrated 'mansion', straddling four blocks, has recently been on the market for 'offers close to $20 million'.

Buderim contains a significant heritage relic of the early days in the form of Pioneer Cottage, restored and cared for by the Buderim Historical Society.Between 1914 and 1935 a small gauge railway ran from Buderim to Palmwoods, to take produce from Buderim farms to market. The railway was closed down in 1935 when improved roads and truck transport made it economically redundant. A substantial section of the old track has been cleared and now provides a fine scenic walking trail running parallel to Mons Road. The magnificent old Krauss steam locomotive which previously hauled the carriages along this track is currently undergoing restoration and is planned for public display in the centre of Buderim, when sufficient funds are raised.Along with a number of other regional Australian newspapers owned by NewsCorp, the Buderim Chronicle newspaper ceased publication in June 2020.

The Buderim Heritage Walk introduces visitors to the history of Buderim through a walk through the historic places in the town.