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A Little of Laidley's History 

In the 1840's, the present Laidley Valley was part of Franklyn Vale Station, owned by Mr Henry Mort. In 1846, Mort married the sister of Mr James Turquad Laidley (a son of the then Commissioner General in Sydney, NSW), and the two men set up partnership of the property in 1849.
In 1863 the first bridge was built across the Lockyer Creek, enabling the area to be opened up to settlement, by both squatters and legitimate landholders.The first school in the district opened on February 1 1864.
By this time, the Laidley township was becoming firmly established, helped along by the new railway line, which opened in 1866. The first businesses in the new town were the Railway Hotel, a general store and a butcher shop; followed by Mann's Baker Shop (1883),Wyman's Store (1884) and Dunn's Shoe Store (1898). The majority of these early buildings are still standing and in use today. The architecture in the main street of Laidley town bears witness to these early pioneers and their vision.
On December 22nd 1902 under the new Local Authorities Act of the same year, the Division of Laidley became the Shire of Laidley, and the Burrough of Laidley became the Town of Laidley. (The latter was abolished by Council in 1917 and included in the Shire of Laidley).
By 1904 the population was 800 and growing.The Australian Handbook of that year gives this information:
"there is now also an Empire Hotel and a Central Hall. Tradesmen include two painters, two plumbers, nineteen storekeepers, two watchmakers, two cabinetmakers, two saddlers, four blacksmiths, three butchers, two ironmongers, two chemists, two bakers, two dentists, two tailors, two bootmakers, two stationers and five auctioneers. The School of Arts library has 1 400 volumes. There are Lodges of the Masons, Hibernians, Oddfellows and Foresters. Two doctors and two solicitors are in practice in the town. There is now a Farmers Union. Industries now include a sawmill and timberyard".
Today, Laidley retains a lot of its early history. Visitors can enjoy old-fashioned Australian hospitality and become involved with the heritage and pride of the Laidley Valley.