PortsideWalk through Portside and you’re stepping on history… Around 150 years ago, Maryborough was one of Australia’s largest and busiest ports. When the Port of Maryborough was at its zenith in the last half of the 1800s, it was Australia’s second largest port and a gateway for 22,000 immigrants. While the port has long grown dormant, its history and gloriously preserved buildings remain as Portside, by the Mary River, which winds and bends around the City of Maryborough. To one end of the Portside reaches of the river is the magnificent Brolga Theatre, a $11 million world class theatre, host to national and international artists. Book-ending the precinct is the historic marina. Two magnificent parklands - Queens Park botanic gardens and the Mary River Parklands - connect the Brolga Theatre to the marina, and to stunning streets of preserved colonial architecture. The Mary River Parklandsare a hub for community activities in the city, including the annual Australia Day party, monthly Sunday in the Park celebrations and the Moonlight Movies under the stars. The parklands provide a natural avenue into Wharf and Richmond Streets, where 13 heritage listed buildings are open to the public as museums, restaurants and galleries, and as a daily witness to the city’s past. The Portside Centre on the corner of Wharf and Richmond Streets is the place to start your visit to Portside. Several restaurants line Portside’s historic Wharf Street in distinctive heritage buildings, leading the city’s charge towards fine cuisine and tastes to suit every palate. |
