Stop in at the historic tiny town of Murphy’s Creek. You can travel there via Toowoomba from the New England Highway or via the Warrego Highway. Today, Murphy’s Creek is little more than a general store, coffee shop, and a historic cottage called Jessie’s Cottage. By the cottage, there are picnic tables that make picnicking in this quiet rural setting easy.
Nearby is beautiful Spring Bluff Railway Station. See the award winning gardens and have a cuppa at the cafe, open every day in September and Thursday to Sunday all other months 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Although it is hard to imagine, around 100 years ago Murphy’s Creek was a thriving business centre with a tannery and bookmaker, blacksmith, bacon factory, wool scour, brickyards, pit sawmill, stone quarries, two stores, a butcher, two hotels and a bakery, a police station, court house and three churches. There were over a hundred children in the school. First called Fingal, the settlement grew when the railway line pushed up the range to Toowoomba.
The nearby creek gave its name to the town just as Peter Murphy had given his name to the creek when he built his station nearby in 1841.
There is a fiery flavour to Murphy’s Creek these days with the annual Chilli Festival held in October. With over 90 chilli themed vendors plus non chilli offerings, the community fires up to welcome visitors for a wonderful day out in the country.