Thirsty Thursday - Secret Watering Holes - Ricks Garage Palmwoods

Ricks Garage Palmwoods

It may be the worst kept secret on the coast by now, but the first time we went there it was literally a cute lil' diner with a shop on the side and a garage out the back, with 2 very friendly people running it. 

It's now an example of what a small business can look like with some determination and local support, along with some real initiative and a feel for what people want.

The coast has had a real deficit of "real pubs" caused by bad decisions and bad taste, but this toxicity has not reached Palmwoods yet thank God!

 

On any day you can enjoy scenes like the above, or classic cars, a classic bike rally, or just go upstairs to the "no kids zone" exclusive whiskey bar, where the service is A++++.



Having said that, if you have kids, they can run around on the grass downstairs screaming their little hearts out, so no discrimination here ha! There are far too many facets of this place to list here, so if you haven't been there, make it happen, and if you have, remember to go back - lots of times ha!

 

Palmwoods - Did You Know?

Palmwoods, a rural township, is near the eastern foothills of the Blackall Range, 90 km north of central Brisbane and 17 km inland from Mooloolaba. Originally known as Merriman's Flat, the settlement's name was changed to Palmwoods when the North Coast railway opened. The uncleared scrub contained tall palm trees that could be split and used for guttering.

In the 1870s there was spasmodic farm-selection activity around Palmwoods, and a wave of new settlers in the Maroochy region in the 1880s led to tree clearing for rich farm lands for fruit crops. When the railway line was opened in 1891 Palmwoods became an important outlet for produce, particularly citrus and strawberries. It was the first opportunity for Palmwoods growers to sell on export markets. As nearby towns formed fruitgrowers' associations, Palmwoods fruitgrowers formed theirs in about 1899. Further expansion of farm lands led to an increase in banana growing, so by the 1930s Palmwoods' 328 growers constituted one of Queensland's largest banana growing areas. The Palmwoods Progress Association started in 1902.

Image Courtesy of Trip Advisor

With a population of about 400 people, and another 300 in the intensively farmed hinterlands, Palmwoods had an active local shopping centre, several tradespeople and a memorial hall. Its population showed steady growth, except for a dip in the 1970s, and in the next two decades the numbers doubled. Palmwoods has a primary school (1889), a public hall, a showground, a sports ground, a swimming pool (1993), and two churches. It is surrounded by plantations and orchards. A housing estate is on the south-west of the town and the Eudlo Creek National Park is south-east.

Information courtesy of the Queensland University Website Queensland Places