GYMPIE

city, southeastern Queensland, Australia, lying on Gympie Creek and the Mary River. It was first known as Nashville, after James Nash, who discovered gold there in 1867; its present name comes from gimpi-gimpi, the Aboriginal word for the stinging tree. Proclaimed a town in 1890, it was made a city in 1905. In addition to gold, which was mined until 1930, limestone and silver have been worked in the locality. The Borumba Dam (completed 1964), on Yabba Creek, mitigates floods and impounds water for irrigating the area, which yields dairy products, tropical fruits (especially pineapples), vegetables, and beef cattle; there are also state plantations of pine trees. Situated on the Bruce Highway and the main northern rail line to Brisbane (90 miles south), Gympie has sawmills, a joinery works, and food-processing plants. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 10,786.