Land on Mena Creek
José Paronella first saw the land along Mena Creek in 1914, the year after he arrived from Catalonia. In 1929 he bought 13 acres there for £120.
Built by hand
With Margarita, José built a stone house, then the castle, the Grand Staircase and the other structures, mostly from poured concrete reinforced with old railway track. The park opened to the public in 1935.
Light from the falls
In the 1930s José built a hydro-electric plant on the creek, the earliest in North Queensland, to power the park. It was restored in 2009 and lights the grounds for the evening experience today.



