Paronella Park - The story of a Spaniard's Dream

As we left Palm Cove at 8:30, the winds were still blowing as they had for the past four days. Unfortunately, they were blowing from the south-east, which had us driving into a severe headwind.
 
Today's 137 km drive takes us to Paronella Park, situated 17 km south of Innisfail on a section of the old Bruce Highway beside Mena Creek Falls.
 
Powered caravan accommodation is free if you purchase a ticket to tour the park. For $76.00, we enjoyed the day, night, and hydro-electric tours. They even included free Wi-Fi.
 
We received a very warm welcome from Mark Evans, who shook our hands upon arrival. We later found out that he and his wife, Judy, actually owned the park. Talk about great PR.

Jose Paronella arrived in Australia from Spain in 1913. He was a pastry chef by trade, but he had a burning desire to build a castle. This desire came from stories told by his grandmother when he was young.

 

For eleven years, he worked cutting cane on farms around Innisfail. He never spent his money on alcohol or gambling like the other cane cutters did, but saved every cent he could. With the money he saved, he started buying cane farms, which he would improve before selling. This was one of the ways he gained his wealth. He also engaged in money lending to help increase his wealth.

 

With this money, Jose purchased 13 acres of land in the rainforest next to Mena Creek Falls.

 

He had promised to write to his fiancée, Matilda, who was in Spain, but this never happened. When he returned to marry her after eleven years, she had married someone else. He then married her younger sister, Margarita, and returned with her to Australia.

 

Before his grand plan could be realised, Jose needed a way to move materials from the lower level to the higher level. He achieved this by building a grand 47-step staircase.

The picnic area beside the waterhole, including the picnic tables.

He then constructed their stone cottage.

His castle was the focal point of the park. It’s hard to understand how a pastry chef could accomplish so much. In 1933, he installed the first hydroelectric scheme in North Queensland to power his park and the castle grounds. 
 
The first two photos were taken from the entrance of the hydro plant.

The opening in this photo is the entrance to the hydro plant, and the pipe below it returns the water to the creek after passing through the turbine.

By 1935, he was prepared to host the public.
 
Connected to the castle, he created an entertainment area that included a cinema. On weekends, this space was transformed into a ballroom with live bands.

More than 7000 trees were planted in 1933, including the smooth-barked Kauri pine that makes up the Kauri Avenue.

The lower refreshment rooms were constructed and included changing rooms for swimmers, overlooking the tennis courts that were built using crushed termite mounds.

In 1946, logs from a clearing upstream blocked the creek before it could flow over the falls and damage the refreshment rooms. The Paronellas were undeterred by this setback and, within six months, had resumed operations.

 

Tragedy struck again when Jose passed away in 1948 from stomach cancer. His wife, Margarita, daughter Teresa, and son Joe carried on. Margarita died in 1967, and Joe, from cancer as well, died in 1972, with the park eventually being sold in 1977.

 

In 1979, a fire destroyed the castle, leaving only the Turret and walls. Plans are now underway to reopen the ballroom within the next three years and restore it to its former splendour.

In 1993, Mark and Judy Evans purchased the rundown park and have been gradually restoring it. In 2009, the hydro turbine was refurbished and is now supplying enough power for the entire park once again.
 
Back in 1993, the park employed ten staff, but that number has since increased to sixty-five. During the holiday season from June to October, Mark mentioned that they need between 200 and 300 visitors daily to keep the park viable.
 
Our night tour was scheduled for 8 pm. We experienced some minor showers in the late afternoon. Just before the tour began, heavy rain started falling, continuing throughout most of the hour-long tour.

The castle with its original stained glass windows.

Mena Creek Falls.

The refreshment rooms have a fountain that is gravity-fed from the stream.