Duke Street, Gympie runs a good length north from Commissioner’s Hill on Upper Mary Street through to meet the commencement of Corella Road at the Gympie Cemetery. Duke Street was a busy thoroughfare of stores and residences and used as a connection road to Maryborough.

View 1870 Gympie Goldfields Map / Knight & Hacket

Settlement of Duke Street (excerpt from ‘Gympie and its Cradle Days’, p. 61)
From the Freemason’s corner down to where the Presbyterian Church now stands there were:
-The Masonic Hall (Widgee Shire Council)
-Charles Rowe, the first undertaker in Gympie
-a Chinaman’s shop
-a brewery cellar belonging to Finselbach’s Brewery Tap Hotel in Reef Street (later Union Hotel)
-Mrs Simpson’s Private School
-Dwelling occupied by Tebbutt family (later Mrs Arthur’s family)
-Mr Donohue’s Private School

In 1964, Mr George Thomas compiled a history of “How Gympie’s streets were named” and for his Duke Street entry he wrote:

“Duke Street: Origin obscure, but I am informed it was named for the Duke of Normanby, one of the early Governors, who visited the field”

Here we showcase some beautiful views of early Duke Street, and some of the advertisements of the business houses of Duke Street…..