Beautiful Little Buildings

27/05/2026

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20/05/2026

Another little WIP project rolling through the workshop.

When we were drawing up our QR Class 2000 Rail Motor, the wonderful Wil from Wil & Mel’s Wil & Mel's Wild-Life — and driver of The Savannahlander — went above and beyond helping us with photos and reference details. So we figured it was only fair that he ended up with his own tiny railmotor.

What started as a “this won’t take long” project has somehow turned into one of those jobs that keeps growing extra details… funny how that happens. 😂

It’s finally nearly finished though, complete with a miniature Almaden scene and some very Wil-and-Mel wildlife touches. The plan is to have it heading north to Cairns before the end of the month.

That’s the deadline anyway… hold us to it, Wil.

18/05/2026

This might put into perspective why we're making all of these beautiful little buildings 😃 Enjoy the tour

17/05/2026

That’s Heritage Month done and dusted!

We’ve really enjoyed sharing our little HO scale versions of Bundaberg’s heritage buildings over the past month. The stories, memories and conversations along the way have been one of the best parts of the project.

And this definitely isn’t the end for us. There are still plenty more Bundaberg buildings planned for Little Queensland… plus a rather long “wish list” of buildings we’d love to include if only we had the room!

We’d love to know — which building was your favourite? And if you were building a miniature Bundaberg, what building would be on your must-have list?

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16/05/2026

As Heritage Month draws to a close, today’s feature is the former AMP building at 180 Bourbong Street — one of the most striking heritage facades in Bundaberg’s CBD, especially sitting alongside the pink School of Arts building.

Designed in 1927 and opened in 1928, the building was originally constructed for the Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP) as Bundaberg’s major insurance and finance office. The “Est. 1849” on the facade refers to the founding date of AMP itself — not the building.

Purpose-built with public counters, manager’s offices and strong rooms, it reflected Bundaberg’s confidence and growth during the 1920s.

Many locals would remember it as Bundy Coins & Collectables, later Bundy Coins, and only in the last few weeks it has rebranded again as Spencer Bullion Exchange.

The building’s beautiful colour scheme has become a real feature of Bourbong Street over the past decade. More recently it received a refreshed heritage-inspired repaint, with greys, charcoal and gold highlights. The work was assisted through Bundaberg Regional Council’s Our Stories Our Places heritage and character grant program, which supports owners undertaking heritage and character improvements to eligible buildings.

We’ve recreated the building in HO scale for our Little Queensland layout, with the colours that make it stand out so strongly in the streetscape today and is still a WIP with signage to be added.

15/05/2026

The Burnett Railway Bridge has carried trains across the Burnett River for well over 130 years and remains one of Bundaberg’s great engineering landmarks. Opened in 1891, it was the first permanent structure to span the river, finally linking the Mount Perry line on the north side with the rest of Bundaberg’s railway network.

Stretching more than half a kilometre across the river, the bridge is still part of the North Coast railway line today. Together with the iconic Burnett Traffic Bridge and the newer Tallon Bridge, it forms part of the trio of bridges that define crossings over the Burnett River.

Our HO scale version takes a little artistic licence — the real bridge is straight, but ours curves around the end of the room to carry the railway toward future scenes of Maryborough and Gympie.

Beneath the bridge we’ve also recreated a small section of Bundaberg’s Riverside Parklands, with its boardwalks, gardens and river-edge walkways that have become such a popular part of the city in recent years.

14/05/2026

Australian Heritage Month runs from April 18 to May 18 and today’s post is Bundaberg Railway Station — one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.

The railway reached Bundaberg in the 1880s, connecting the town to the growing North Coast rail network. The Burnett River rail bridge followed in 1891 and helped shape the growth of Bundaberg for decades to come.

What makes the station special is that so much of its original character still survives. The long bullnose awnings, decorative timber brackets, lamps and platform shelters are classic Queensland railway architecture and instantly familiar to generations of locals and travellers.

For our little HO scale version, we were less interested in copying every measurement exactly and more interested in capturing the atmosphere of the place — passengers waiting under the warm lights, hanging baskets along the platform and that unmistakable feeling of an old Queensland station late in the afternoon.

The night lighting might actually be our favourite part. It feels a little like a northbound train is about to arrive.

Many locals would probably remember the days of the Sunlander passing through Bundaberg on its long journey to Cairns. Did anyone here regularly travel by train or meet family at the station?

13/05/2026

The Terrace Place has to be one of Bundaberg’s most fascinating survivors.

Standing on the corner of Targo and Woondooma Streets for around 116 years, this early federation-era timber shop-house has seen just about everything Bundaberg could throw at it — floods, changing businesses, colourful characters and more than a few whispered stories over the years.

Originally built around 1908 for painters, glaziers and decorators George Penridge and Joseph Halley Gibson, the building later became home to Ernest Vollbon’s tailor shop from the 1920s — the era we’ve chosen to model. Even in old black and white photos the building has enormous character with its high verandah, lattice screens and classic Queensland corner-store style.

But it’s the stories people remember that really bring Terrace Place to life. Over the decades locals recall it as a banana storage shed, dress shop, photographer’s studio, cake shop, hairdresser and residence. Others remember the very popular cupcake café years. And then there are the stories whispered a little more quietly… “gentleman’s entertainment”, an alleged brothel upstairs and even references in old court records to a Japanese house of pleasure in the area many years ago. Whether every story is true or not, it all adds to the mystery and folklore surrounding the old building.

Our HO scale version is still very much a work in progress — currently unpainted and fresh off the printer — but we’ll eventually finish it as Vollbon’s tailor shop downstairs in its 1930s era, with a slightly cheeky nod to some of the building’s more colourful stories upstairs on the balcony 😄

It’s amazing this old single-skin timber building still survives after more than a century. So many people in Bundaberg seem to have a memory connected to it somehow.

Do you remember Terrace Place from any of its many different lives?

12/05/2026

The Bailey Gate at the old Bundaberg Showgrounds would bring back a lot of memories for locals. Built in 1939, this little rendered building with its ticket offices and turnstiles was the entrance to decades of Bundaberg Shows, community events and family outings.

Named after William Bailey, one of the early sugar cane farmers in the Miara district and a long-serving member of the Agricultural, Pastoral and Industrial Society, the gates became far more than just an entrance. For generations of Bundaberg families, this was the place where excitement started — walking through the turnstiles for sideshow alley, showbags, dagwood dogs, fireworks, rides and all the sights and sounds of show week.

Although the showgrounds eventually moved to a new location, the Bailey Gate remains as one of the few physical reminders of the old grounds and the memories made there.

We’ve really enjoyed adding this little piece of Bundaberg history to Little Queensland, complete with our giant poinciana tree beside it. And in the background there may just be a certain well-known Brisbane Queenslander that fans of a famous animated family of blue heelers might recognise 😉

Did you go to the old Bundaberg Showgrounds? Any memories of the Bailey Gates, the sideshows or favourite show treats?

11/05/2026

Today’s Heritage Month post is Bert’s Restaurant at 163 Bourbong Street — a building with a much longer and rather unexpected history than many people would realise.
Long before it became one of Bundaberg’s best known dining spots, this grand building was home to F.C. Brown & Co, a cabinet making and undertaking business established here in 1897 by Frederick Charles Brown. Designed by prominent Bundaberg architect F.H. Faircloth and built by N.C. Steffensen, it was described at the time as one of the latest “architectural beauties” of Bourbong Street.
The building originally housed furniture showrooms, workshops and undertaking rooms, with large barn doors at the rear opening onto Post Office Lane where coffins were transported out by horse and cart. F.C. Brown & Co became well known for its locally made furniture and quality craftsmanship and remarkably the family business still continues today through later generations of the Brown family.
These days the building has a very different atmosphere as the home of Bert’s Restaurant, named after Bundaberg aviation pioneer Bert Hinkler. If you’ve been inside you’ve probably noticed the spectacular chandelier hanging through the upper level void. We couldn’t resist trying to recreate it for Little Queensland. The tiny chandelier in our model has been 3D printed and will eventually be lit from inside the building — hopefully capturing a little of the elegance of the real thing.
One of those wonderful Bundaberg buildings that has evolved completely over the decades while still keeping its historic character intact.