[4] After James Venture Mulligan's discovery of gold on the Palmer River in August 1873, a rush followed and was sustained for several years by further alluvial finds.

It was regarded as an ideal "small man's field" for diggers without capital and experience had the opportunity to get rich quickly.

The most substantial were Palmerville, on the eastern edges of Kokomini territory, Maytown and Byerstown, whose establishment reflected an eastward movement of the mining population along the river.

[2] Originally called Edwardstown after the local butcher, John (Jack) Edwards,[1][6] the town was surveyed in 1875 by Archibald Campbell MacMillan.

The sheer size of the population, estimated in May 1877 at 19,500 for the field, kept money circulating among commercial houses for essentials and luxury goods, but at the same time, there was little financial investment in the permanent manifestations of settlement.

Buildings like the school, which closed in 1925, remained abandoned until World War II in the hope of a mining revival.

A stone commemorative cairn and an (inaccurate) replica of a miner's hut have recently been constructed in the centre of the town site.

Founded beyond the frontier of pastoral occupation, it became an important centre for administration, communications and cultural contact with local Aboriginal people and Chinese miners.

The presence of stone kerb and channelling is rare on far northern goldfields and survives as testimony to the desire for a permanent settlement in the region.

Maytown cemetery is a significant cultural heritage component of the place and contains important historical documentation for the interpretation and understanding of those who lived in the area whilst gold mining operations were thriving along the Palmer River.

As the commercial centre for the Palmer River goldfield, Maytown Town Reserve still demonstrates an extensive coverage of historical archaeological remains including campsites, graves, pig ovens and charcoal kilns.