The name Mooloolah comes from the Kabi language meaning either place of black snakes or place of snapper.
In early 1861 the tender of Edmund Lander was accepted, by the Commissioner for Crown Lands, for the pastoral run of Mooloolah Plains in the Wide Bay and Burnett District. A year later the lease was transferred to John Westaway.
Lander went on to select 80 acres (32 hectares) in 1869 on the main coach road between Brisbane and Gympie at the Mooloolah Bridge. On this property the Mooloolah Post Office was established in 1872.
The town of Mooloolah was surveyed in 1884 by J.E. Palisser. The locality was originally called Mooloolah but this was changed to Mooloolah Valley on 2 June 1995.
Mooloolah Provisional School opened on 6 February 1894 with an initial enrolment of 28 students under head teacher Agnes May Black. On 1 January 1909, it became Mooloolah State School.
St Thomas' Anglican Church was dedicated on 22 April 1927 by Archdeacon Glover.
Glasshouse Country Uniting Church opened its church at Beerwah on 16 December 2000. It was a result of the merger of the Glasshouse Uniting Church, Beerwah Uniting Church, Landsborough Uniting Church and Mooloolah Uniting Church.
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Mooloolah Valley had a population of 3,321 people.
In the 2021 census, Mooloolah Valley had a population of 3,629 people.
There are no secondary schools in Mooloolah Valley. The nearest government secondary schools are Maleny State High School in Maleny to the west, Beerwah State High School in Beerwah to the south, Chancellor State College in Sippy Downs to the north-east, and Nambour State College in Nambour to the north. Palmview State Secondary College in Palmview to the north-east is another option, but, having opened in 2023, will not offer all years of secondary schooling until 2027.
Tourism
Mooloolah Valley has a quiet rural setting in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, situated in miles of countryside below the lower foothills of the Blackall Ranges. The town is small and full of natural beauty and attractions include a regional conservation park with an abundance of eucalypt woodlands.
Amenities
Mooloolah Valley Community Association is a not-for-profit organisation based at Mooloolah Community Centre, raising money, providing services and events to the local community including:
Op Shop
4 Seasons Markets
Community Assistance Program – providing practical help for residents who find themselves in difficult circumstances
a program of community events (e.g. Emergency Services Day, Community BBQ, Christmas celebrations).
a Men's Shed is in the development stage.
Mooloolah Public Hall was officially opened in 1905 and provides a space for community events (e.g. concerts, markets, exercise classes, clubs).
^"TRANSFER OF RUNS". The Courier (Brisbane). Vol. XVI, no. 1300. Queensland, Australia. 8 April 1862. p. 2. Retrieved 4 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CROWN LAND SELECTIONS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXIV, no. 3, 723. Queensland, Australia. 8 September 1869. p. 3. Retrieved 4 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Telegraph (Brisbane). No. 451. Queensland, Australia. 11 March 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 4 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Current News". The Queenslander. Vol. VII, no. 340. Queensland, Australia. 10 August 1872. p. 2. Retrieved 5 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MORAL UPLIFT". The Brisbane Courier. No. 21, 603. Queensland, Australia. 23 April 1927. p. 19. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Parish profile"(PDF). The Anglican Parish of Caloundra-Glasshouse Country. pp. 3–4. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.