Woombye is located on the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the Brisbane CBD. The name is derived from words from the localAboriginal language - a place of black snake, or black myrtle or axe handle made from black myrtle. The Bruce Highway forms the eastern boundary of the locality. The North Coast railway line runs from north to south through the western part of the locality,; the town is centred around the Woombye railway station in the west of the locality. Woombye is accessible by Translink trains and buses. There are numerous rail services departing for Brisbane daily. The small township of Woombye is surrounded by what were once pineapple farms, which today are acreage properties and gated communities. The first pineapple farm was owned and operated by Hugh and Alice Moorhouse, located on Moorhouse Road, which overlooks the township. The Woombye Light Horse Memorial is also named after MAJ Hugh Vardy Moorhouse.
History
The town has its roots in a settlement first known as Middle Camp, and later Cobb's Camp. It was established in 1868 as a staging depot and hotel for Cobb & Co stagecoaches at the halfway point on the road between Brisbane and Gympie, after the discovery of gold at Gympie. Cobbs Camp Provisional School opened on 17 August 1885. The town was renamed as Woombye in the 1880s. The name of Woombye is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word "wombai", which means black myrtle tree or black snake. The school was renamed Woombye State School in 1892. In 1891 the North Coast railway from Landsborough to Yandina was opened, and it became a rail centre until 1914. The Woombye War Memorial was unveiled on 18 June 1925 by the Queensland Governor, Matthew Nathan. In 1977, a preschool was added to Woombye State School. On 5 February 1979 the Christian Outreach College was established by the Nambour Christian Outreach Centre on a pineapple farm. The church and school were later renamed Suncoast Church and Suncoast Christian College respectively. In 2004, an adjoining pineapple farm was purchased to expand the school. On 29 January 1980, Nambour Christian College was established with 36 students by the families of the New Life Assembly of God Nambour church. The name was changed to Nambour Christian College in 1992. In the, Woombye had a population of 2,094.
Education
Woombye State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 95 Pine Grove Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 506 students with 41 teachers and 21 non-teaching staff. The school includes a special education program. Suncoast Christian College is a private primary and secondary school for boys and girls at the corner of Schubert & Kiel Mountain Roads. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 803 students with 67 teachers and 70 non-teaching staff. Nambour Christian College is a private primary and secondary school for boys and girls at McKenzie Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1,131 students with 87 teachers and 95 non-teaching staff. There are no government secondary schools in Woombye, but there are government secondary schools in neighbouring Nambour and Burnside.
Amenities
Woombye is home to one of the longest established soccer clubs on the Sunshine Coast, the Woombye Snakes.
