Community
6 December, 2022
Plans for park almost sunk by swimmers
PLANS for the award-winning tourist attraction at Mena Creek Falls were almost undone by a school swim class.
On November 6, 1928, the “Johnstone River Advocate” mentioned that a “well known citizen” intended to “construct a café, establish a park, and provide concrete steps to the bed of the creek for sightseers”.
José Paronella was that citizen, and his “elaborate plan” was to establish a “tropical garden of Eden” as a tourist resort but first he had to secure the land and gain access to part of a gazetted recreation reserve.
He had lodged an application with the District Lands Office at Innisfail for a special lease of a portion of Recreation Reserve R421 in the Parish of Japoon.
The “Johnstone River Advocate” reported on February 24, 1931, that the Lands Office had written to the Johnstone Shire Council seeking their views on the matter.
Paronella wanted the public picnic ground included in the lease and that if it wasn’t, his plans for the whole enterprise would be jeopardised.At that time, the Council couldn’t see any issue with the application and recommended that it be approved. Two years later it would emerge there was indeed an issue with Paronella’s plans.
On August 29, 1933, it was reported that the Johnstone Shire Council intended to object to the Lands Department’s approval of the special lease due to public access concerns.
Council had received a letter from the Mena Creek Progress Association which stated: “it was understood that Mr. Paronella was averse to people going to the swimming pool there unless they paid.”
The Association wanted local school children to be able to receive swimming lessons from their teachers at the creek. Paronella had argued that he did not charge the children to take their swimming lessons there. In response to council’s objection, Paronella launched a media campaign to address the issue, penning letters to the editors of several northern newspapers.
He pointed out that Mena Creek falls had only become a popular tourist destination due to the “considerable expenditure” he had invested. He also suggested that council should direct its attention to roadworks and let him focus on the resort business.
A Public Notice was also placed in the “Cairns Post” on September 6, 1933, advising “Head Teachers of all District Schools, that all children accompanied by their Teachers” would be admitted to Paronella Park at Mena Creek “free of charge, every Friday so as to enable the children to learn to swim.”
His campaign appears to have worked. It was reported in the “Townsville Daily Bulletin” on January 17, 1934, that the Shire Council had applied for a section of road to be metalled from Thomas’ Hill, South Johnstone to Miskin’s Creek. “Owing to the importance of Mena Creek as a resort this undertaking if accomplished will be a valuable asset.
Sources: TROVE, Queensland Archives, State Library of Queensland (SLQ), Paronella Park.
