Kooralbyn was first settled in the 1830s as timber millers sought the quality hardwoods of the area. In the 1840s pastoralists migrated to the region and Kooralbyn became one of South-East Queensland’s most significant estates, the land used predominately for cattle grazing.
Kooralbyn, whose aboriginal name means the place of the copperhead snake, was subsequently owned by William Barker who sold to John Haygarth in 1870. William Barker employed Queensland's first poet, James Stephens, as a private tutor for his family and it was at Kooralbyn that his first published poem was written ("Convict Once"). The town consists of a shopping complex, 4.5 star hotel, 18-hole championship golf course, world-class polo fields, an airstrip, a light commercial area,
The Kooralbyn International School, and other facilities. In 1933, Kooralbyn was sold to the Redmonds who held it until 1950, when Mr and Mrs King purchased the property. In 1963, it was sold to the Australian Estates (Pastoral) Company Pty Ltd. In 1969 Henry Clarke acquired Kooralbyn in its entirity and he held the property for about four years. In 1973 the total area of Kooralbyn was acquired by Sir Arthur George and Sir Peter Abels who master minded the development of
Kooralbyn as a planned residential resort community with funding support from the Australian Guarantee Corporation (AGC). A few years later the project was taken over entirely by AGC who developed much of the infrastructure we see today including the championship 18 hole golf course, airstrip, country club, Motel and private villas. In 1979 work began on a resort that featured a diverse range of recreational facilities. 55 holiday homes designed by Harry Seidler were completed in 1982. In 1991 a new hotel was added to the resort. In July 2008 the resort and golf course closed and went into liquidation its owner Kooralbyn International Resorts was reported to have debts of $60M. In 1986 AGC sold part of the western valley comprising some 1800 acres to the Gordon family who held adjoining substantial land holdings. At the same time the remaining land holding, comprising some 11,600 acres was sold to Towa Resorts Australia, a company associated with a Japanese leisure and resort property company, Towa Kohmuten. In 1991 the new resort and par 3 golf course was completed at a cost of over $28 million. The Kooralbyn Hotel Resort now provides visitors and residents with an international standard resort hotel from which to explore the many and varied delights of the 'Valley of Hidden Pleasures' as Kooralbyn is now referred to by many. In September 1997 a New Zealand company under the ownership of Ray Schofield an accomplished horseman and hotelier, acquired 800 acres comprising of the gold course, equestrian areas, Motel, country club and The Kooralbyn Hotel Resort from the previous Japanese owners for $12M.
Kooralbyn offers its residents a picturesque array of mountain slopes and lush valleys. Ultimately the affordability of
Kooralbyn Real Estate makes it an attractive investment for Property Investors in the current market. According to the latest census, Kooralbyn’s population is 1,082 and consists of mostly couples without children (52%) and couples with children (35%). 79% of the properties in Kooralbyn are houses. There are 419 properties in Kooralbyn. The median sale price of properties in Kooralbyn in 2010 was $162,500. The Post Code for Kooralbyn is 4285. Kooralbyn is 125 metres above sea level.
