One of the most picturesque villages in the Blackall Range, Flaxton is a rural/residential locality between the villages of Mapleton and Montville.

Location: 113 km north of Brisbane; 10 km south of Nambour; 30 km from Maroochydore.

Situated in the heart of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, the scenic drive to Mapleton from Maleny, taking in Montville and Flaxton, is one of the best in Queensland. Throughout this beautiful district, art and craft galleries abound, along with potteries, antique shops and museums. Buy fresh local fruit and vegetables from the side of the road and make sure you stop to dine at one of the many interesting and different restaurants and cafes which have opened in recent years.



Flaxton is a tiny village where you will find lovely arts and crafts and excellent devonshire teas and lunches. Surrounding the many avocado orchards is a town of restaurants, guesthouses, art and craft galleries and private dwellings. It is an ideal place to picnic and enjoy life. Flaxton is sometimes considered the prettiest of the Blackall Range settlements. It offers a wide variety of beautiful mountain accommodation.

Places of interest: Mapleton Falls National Park (Mapleton Falls, 120 metres high; Pencil Creek; The Wampoo Circuit Walk); Mapleton State Forest (11,000 ha., The Pilularis Walk); Flaxton Barn and Model Railway.


Mapleton Falls Lookout

Mapleton Falls National Park

Mapleton Falls National Park is part of a network of parks and forests that protect the Blackall Range's remnant forest communities, provide essential wildlife habitat and scenic places for nature-based recreation. Rainforest and open eucalypt forest communities are protected here. Pencil Creek forms Mapleton Falls, plunging 120m into the valley below. During warmer months listen for frogs in the pool beside the causeway. Take a close look at rocks around the pool and you'll see distinctive hexagonal shapes formed by volcanic activity 25 million years ago. To access the Park, take the Obi Obi Road and travel 3km further to the signposted turnoff to Mapleton Falls.

Brief History

Like other areas of the Blackall Range, the district was first subdivided into small agricultural lots in the 1880s. The town was established at that time. From its beginning Flaxton was a farming locality, relying on nearby villages for supplies and schooling. In 1902 the post office directory recorded seven farmers and selectors at Flaxton, together with a sawmill. By 1925 there were many more farms, all of them orchards. Bananas and citrus were the main crops, although these tended to be displaced by pineapples in the 1930s. There were a local fruit growers association and a fruit-packing shed (1931).

The Blackall Range began drawing tourists and holiday makers in the early 1900s, mostly to Flaxton's neighbouring villages, but in the postwar years Flaxton's natural attractions and uncluttered roadside had increasing appeal. There are now numerous craft outlets, the Flaxton Barn (antiques, gifts), accommodation places and a motel. Locals have a community hall. The Maleny Forest Reserve and the Kondalilla National Park are west of Flaxton's main road.

Origin of name: Flaxton was named in 1890 when the Postal Department set up a Receiving Office at the residence of JC Wyer, recalling a place 12 km north of York in North Yorkshire, England, where he was born.