Located about a five minute drive from the town heart of Petrie, on Brisbane's north side, nestled on the outskirts of the Old Petrie Town village, is where you'll find the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.
Old Petrie Town; and in turn the
Pine Rivers Heritage Museum; is located on the left-hand side of Dayboro Road, heading north. There are a few inconsistencies in regards to which Moreton Bay suburb both Old Petrie Town and the museum belong to, with Kurwongbah, Petrie and Whiteside all laying claim to the area. As the
Moreton Bay Regional Council website lists the space under Whiteside, that's what I'm going to go with.
The beautiful landscape of Old Petrie Town is home to many historical buildings (some dating back to the late 1800s), specialty shops and services, the
North Pine Country Markets, the Twilight Markets and of course, the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.
Tom Petrie's Restaurant and Function Centre, also located on the grounds, is an establishment known to host weddings, private, community and corporate events, and even live music.

The Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.

The Pine Rivers Heritage Museum, Old Petrie Town.
The Pine Rivers Heritage Museum exhibits a sizable chunk of the history of the Moreton Bay Region. Utilising both permanent and ever-changing displays and encouraging visitors; adults and children alike; to participate in workshops and hands-on learning experiences, the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum presents and communicates the region's story. Recreations and demonstrations serve as education tools – teaching patrons the important histories of their local area.
As well as temporary exhibitions, touring exhibitions and the animated theatrette; the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum features a number of permanent displays. These displays are designed to tell the communal stories of the Moreton Bay Region's first explorers and early settlers.

Pine Rivers Heritage Museum: 1940s room

Pine Rivers Heritage Museum: 1960s-1970s room
Permanent Displays:
•
Object Theatre – Interactive story of a young boy, an early settler.
•
Mountains to Mangroves – Natural habitats found in the geographical region of Pine Rivers.
•
Explorers – How 3 runaways, Parsons, Finnegan and Pamplett, helped
John Oxley discover both the Pine and Brisbane Rivers.
•
The Migrant Experience – The who, what, when, where, why and how of the area's pioneering ancestors.
•
Supplying the Building Trade – The importance of the building industry to the area's early settlers.
•
Historic Yebri House – restored and presented in the 1920s era as a glimpse of life before electricity and reticulated water.
The
State Library of Queensland, Australian War Memorial,
Questacon Science Museum and the National Archives of Australia are just some of the key names that regularly curate touring exhibitions with short stays at the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.

Historic Yebri House
School Bookings:From Tuesday to Friday all year round, schools from the Moreton Bay Region and beyond are able to book school excursions with the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum. Through specialised displays, activities and exhibits, the museum provides school tours with the opportunity to explore the history of the local area. As well as whole-day options, school tours can be arranged for temporary exhibitions, multimedia presentations and scheduled interactive activities.
It's a Kids Life: Life in the early 1900sUntil September 1, 2013, the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum is hosting the informative exhibition: It's a Kids Life: Life in the early 1900s. This showcase focuses on the lives of children in Australia, mainly within the Pine Rivers area, from the early 1900s until the end of the
Second World War. The exhibition concentrates on three key subjects: life at home, life at school and playtime. Educational and collaborative, this presentation has a whole range of associated activities for school tours to participate in.
It's a Kids Life School Tour Activities:
•
Settler's Stories – 20 minute multimedia presentation telling a short history of Pine Rivers and a guided tour of the displays, highlighting objects used by the early settlers.
•
Old School – Discovering the classrooms of old; write on slates, learn about nib pens.
•
How Did They – Learn, and attempt to mimic, how people performed 'simple tasks' in the past: mincing, butter-making, washing-up using a soap suds maker.
•
Wash Day – Wash clothes like they did in days long gone.
•
Yebri Home Life – The days before electricity; hands-on experience with museum objects.
•
Living With Trees - Discover how Aboriginal people and early European Settlers used trees for food and shelter.

It's a Kids Life: toys and games in the exhibit.
Volunteers:The Pine Rivers Heritage Museum is constantly seeking enthusiastic new volunteers to help keep the museum running smoothly. Positions are open for: customer care officers, maintenance officers, collections administration officers, collections care officers and school-activity guides. Training is provided for all roles. To register your interest, fill out the appropriate
volunteer selection forms on the Moreton Bay Regional Council
website.

Antique Grandfather Clock at the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.
The Pine Rivers Heritage Museum is fully air conditioned throughout, and with free entry, a multitude of exhibits and plenty to learn about, is a great, interactive and inexpensive place to whittle away a few hours with the family. The education potential is an added bonus. There's even a small section right at the very front of the museum where local history books, games and craft items can be purchased, if you're keen to take a bit of the history home with you. So for your next family outing, consider taking a stroll through the history of the Moreton Bay Region at the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum in Old Petrie Town.
Opening Hours:Wednesday to Friday: 10.00am - 3.00pm
Saturdays: 10.00am - 2.00pm
Sundays: 9.00am - 2.00pm
Contact Details:
P: (07) 3285 7213
F: (07) 3285 7412
Email: museum.pinerivers@moretonbay.qld.gov.au