The Maryborough Showgrounds & Equestrian Park is owned and operated by the Fraser Coast Regional Council and is one of the largest multi-purpose public venues in regional Australia. The venue hosts numerous festivals, community activities, exhibitions and equestrian events each year.

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Major events held at the venue have included AJ2013, Scouts Queensland Cuboree in 2014, 2016 and 2018, Ulysses National AGM Rally, Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia National Rally and the Australian Street Rod Federation 2019 Nationals. The venue is open 7 days a week to the general public and community groups and hosts a wide variety of events and activities exclusively and/or simultaneously.

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The purpose-designed fully fenced 105-hectare reserve is filled with assets and is divided into two major areas:

• The exhibition area which accommodates halls, stadium, arenas, camping sites and other buildings. The site includes car parking space for 1,800 vehicles at any one time, while still allowing for the safe flow of buses to and from the site; and

• The second area is bushland for cross-country horse riding, horse trail riding, outdoor recreation, challenge valley and incorporates further camping areas.

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AJ2013 Jamboree utilised both areas for camping, camp facilities and some of the smaller daily Jamboree activities. The venue allows for approximately 250 troop sites.

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Maryborough is a city within the Fraser Coast Region located on the Mary River in Queensland, approximately 255 kilometres by road north of Brisbane. The coastal city of Hervey Bay is approximately 30 kilometres northeast. Together they form a large part of the area known as the Fraser Coast. In addition to private car, public transport to the Fraser Coast is possible by multiple daily bus, rail and air services.

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It is an excellent site because it already has extensive infrastructure such as water and sewerage with ample capacity for the Jamboree. The connections available to this infrastructure suit the layout of a Jamboree site. These features, along with its location, size, layout and ease of access make the venue the ideal site to transform into a mini city. The Fraser Coast is an intriguing and unbeatable mix of stunning landscapes, islands, cities and towns. From K’Gari (Butchulla word for Paradise) Fraser Island – the world’s largest sand island – to the heritage streetscapes of Maryborough; from the rich farmlands of Tiaro; to the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay, one of Australia’s most popular beach destinations; from old mining villages to peaceful seaside retreats set on the shoreline of the Great Sandy Strait.

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Settled in 1847, Maryborough is one of Queensland’s oldest cities and was one of the busiest immigration ports in Australia in the second half of the 1880s. With such a rich history, the city offers many impressive heritage experiences. The original port district is now a heritage precinct with gloriously preserved colonial buildings, sensational riverside parks, outstanding museums, historic pubs and steam trains.

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Since AJ2013, the City has embraced its significant links with the ANZACS and Australia’s early military history. This has resulted in another dimension of exploration and discovery open to be included in the AJ2025 experience. Maryborough also has a unique connection to Mary Poppins as the birthplace of her creator, author Pamela Travers. The Story Bank is a new visual and virtual experience that encompasses the art of storytelling past and to the future and will be a unique addition to the Scouting experience in Maryborough.

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Fraser Coast is the ancient home of the Aboriginal Traditional Owners, the Butchulla People. In 2019, the Butchulla People were granted Native Title over their Traditional Lands throughout the Fraser Local Government Area. Council will work with the AJ2025 organising committee to ensure a meaningful ‘Welcome to Country’ is conducted and support for other meaningful cultural experiences on and off site that would highlight the Butchulla People connectedness to Country and showcase other proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People that call the Fraser Coast home.  It is a known fact that some Butchulla descendants include world renowned artists, actors and academics in their own right.