Millaa Millaa Waterfall

Millaa Millaa Falls is the name given to this quite remarkable plunge waterfall surrounded by a lush rainforest in the Tablelands Region of Queensland, Australia.

The flowing water drops from a height of 60 feet (18.3 meters) down to the pristine pool of water that lies below. This spectacular natural feature lies on the land of the regional Mamu Aboriginal population and was used as a food source for many years before the arrival of European settlers. The name “Millaa Milla” comes from the Aboriginal word “Malay Malay,” a term referring to the Elaeagnus triflora, a rainforest vine that produces seasonal fruit.  

In the late 1800s, the falls were discovered by European settlers who marked and built tracks through the surrounding rainforest in search of gold and other natural resources. There is a small stone monument with a plaque at the site that commemorates the Australian explorer and prospector Christie Palmerston, who first visited in 1882. 

The natural beauty of the falls was threatened in the 1920s when a stone quarry was built a short distance from the waterfall for the purpose of building roads. The blasting and excavation work put the waterfall under threat before the Millaa Millaa Progress Association intervened to advocate for the protection of the site and the quarry was shortly abandoned in 1927. 

Due to the historical, geographical, and cultural significance of the site, Millaa Millaa Falls was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in December 2005 to help protect and conserve this remarkable water formation.