Cooroy is in the hinterland of the northern Sunshine Coast hinterland about west of Noosa Heads. The Bruce Highway runs through the locality from south-east to north-west, bypassing the town. The Cooroy Noosa Road runs north through the town from the Bruce Highway, then turns east.
History
Cooroy's name came from Mount Cooroy, which was originally called Coorooey, from an Aboriginal word for possum, kurui. The area was explored by timber-cutters as early as 1863. Cooroy's main industry developed from timber, having two operating sawmills, into dairying and fruit growing. In 1915, a butter factory opened. Cooroy railway station was opened in 1891 and in the same year a post office opened. A town survey was conducted in 1907. Cooroy State School opened in 1909. Cooroy West State School opened in 1911 but closed in 1962. The Anglican Church of the Holy Nativity was dedicated on 21 March 1914 by Archdeacon Henry Le Fanu. That church was destroyed by a cyclone on 19 February 1954. On Sunday 7 November 1954 ArchbishopReginald Halse dedicated the new church. On 23 January 1961 a secondary department was added to Cooroy State School until the Cooroy State High School was opened as a separate school on 23 January 1963. In 1967 it became Noosa District State High School. In 2007, it was Cooroora Secondary College at Pomona which was merged into Noosa District State High School, with the Pomona campus being used for the younger students and Cooroy campus being used for the older students. Noosa Christian College opened on 28 January 2003 as a primary school with 37 students. In 2007 it expanded to offer secondary classes. The town was bisected by the Bruce Highway until a bypass was built in 1994. The Cooroy Library opened in 2010.
Cooroy has one hotel, a library, a police station, a golf club, a bowls club, the RSL club and sub branch, a selection of cafes and restaurants, unique retail outlets and a range of accommodation options. Noosa Botanical Gardens is situated on Lake MacDonald just outside the town and several of the Noosa Trails are accessible in Cooroy. An RV parking area has opened adjacent to the town sewerage works. The Shire of Noosa operates a library at 9 Maple Street. In 1991 Noosa Shire Council purchased former Butter Factory buildings for use as a community centre.
Cooroy State School is a primary school for boys and girls operated by the Queensland Government at 59 Elm Street. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 545 students with 40 teachers and 24 non-teaching staff. Noosa District State High School is a secondary school for boys and girls operated by the Queendland Government over two campuses, one at 120 Summit Road, Pomona, for Years 7-8 and the other at Tulip Street in Cooroy for Years 9-12. In 2016, the school had a total enrolment of 1335 students with 111 teachers and 48 non-teaching staff. Noosa Christian College is a primary and secondary school for boys and girls operated by Adventist Schools Australia at 20 Cooroy Belli Creek Road. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 243 students with 21 teachers and 14 non-teaching staff. Cooroy Community Kindergarten is at 13-15 Maple Street.
