New Port Douglas History

Mr Noel Weare of the Douglas Shire Historical Society, recently presented his latest book at the Mossman Library where it was launched by the shire Mayor Julia Leu.  Entitled 'This Upstart Port Douglas - A different view of Port Douglas, as reported by newspapers between 1873 and 1911.'  This new book contains some 95 actual newspaper reports from the days of the old cedar-getters of 1873 to reports from the disastrous 1911 cyclone which destroyed some fifty houses out of the 57 which made up the town at that time.  While researching the district's local history over many years, Noel found one of the most useful internet resources to be the National Library of Australia's Trove digitized newspapers website.  Certain caveats apply of course, and like the press of today, all their reported information has to be viewed in a discretionary manner, but from another point of view maybe these newspaper editions give rise to accurate time stamps.  It seems to Noel then that the time-line of events can be read by using the actual text of theses digitized images, sometimes partial fragments, together with his own historical comments and attached notes.  An interesting new way to view a history and a good read to save you from Netflix in this time of corona-virus lock-down. 

Douglas Shire Historical Society

The Douglas Shire Historical Society announced that their Court House Museum in Port Douglas is temporarily closed in response to the current pandemic as Museums and Galleries QLD is encouraging all volunteer-run museums to colse to the public.  These recommendations recognise that volunteer groups are largely comprised of an older demographic and refer to the risk to which older people are exposed to if they contract the coronavirus.  They are sorry to inconvenience their visitors.  The meeting scheduled for Monday 6 April has also been cancelled due to current health advisories.  Hopefully in this year, the group will try to achieve a Queensland Heritage Register listing for the 'Dixie's Shed' (the former Customs Boat House for which Dixie May was Port Douglas' last employee there) which, together with the Douglas Shire Council, the Society were able to save from demolition by the then owner Queensland Fisheries in 2015.  For any queries, please e-mail the Society.

Cairns Historical Society

The Cairns Historical Society's Research Centre and Museum is closed to the public from 24 March 2020.  Rest assured they are still working.  If you have a history research or photographic request, please e-mail and they will follow it up.  The next set of local history lectures which was to be held on the 18 April has had to be cancelled because of the Covid19.  These lectures will still be presented when it is appropriate for the Local History lecture series to resume.  Nominations are still being called for this year's SE Stephens History Award with the closing date being the end of June.  The Museum will be working to shift their child-friendly activities online.  So please keep an eye on their social feeds and on the website for updates.  They will keep you informed but due to the rapidly changing nature of the situation, they are not announcing a re-opening date at this time and will provide update on a week-to-week basis on their website and social media channels.  Keep an eye on these pages as they are exploring a range of ways to stay in contact and to save you all from Netflix.  

Cooktown Historical Society

The Cooktown History Centre will close their doors to the public for the foreseeable future.  This does not mean that they won't be manning their e-mails or taking research requests or book orders.  Those volunteers who wish to and feel well, will continue to work behind the close doors.  The Cooktown Historical Society apologises in advance for the inconvenience but are sure you all will understand.  It has also been announced that the big Cooktown Exop 2020 will be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Plans are under way for the rescheduled of the event which was to be held in July to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the landing of Captain James Cook and the first recorded act of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Eacham Historical Society

A quick review of the year 2019 showed that the Eacham Historical Society had another busy year and has again well fulfilled the aims and objects for which the Society was formed way back in 1976.  The Society was sadden by the news of the passing during the year of several of its very earliest members who had help to shape the group over the years, founding member Henry Tranter and Judy Fitzsimon.

Their museum at Millaa Millaa ran well over the year with their Curator reporting that they had seen some good visitor numbers to the museum over the years's tourist season with between 500 and 600 monthly visitors viewing the collection.  It's lovely to see so many people coming through the doors of the museum although the never-ending problem of staffing the museum continues to plague the group.  The Society continued their proud tradition of publishing local history with the launch of a new booklet on the early years of Peeramon.  This new publication began with the research done for the Peeramon Honour Board project which grew into a full study of the township.  This is their twenty-second publication and now gives those interested in local history a booklet on all the towns of the old Eacham district.

The Society also maintained their tradition of supporting annual public heritage events with the Rocky Creek Memorial Day stall again been set up in their little shelter shed at the park.  The stall was quite successful with many people viewing the display and good book sales making the effort well worth while.  They have been attending this event for about fifteen years now but it has been winding down over recent years so it is not sure how much longer the Society will continue to attend.  The group's volunteers were also happy to report a great Malanda Show stall again for the year.  Book sales were good, especially with the new Peeramon book and the railway display very much a talking point for the show-goers as was the mystery item.

Three field trips were held over the year with the first been to view the buildings and businesses of Atherton which was enjoyed by members and their guests; the Northern Motoring Club.  Several Atherton historians were also able to attend and share their knowledge.  This was part of a project to document the buildings and various businesses of the town over the years.  The next field trip was to the Mount Garnet district and was enjoyed by all.  What a great day; from a Innot Hot Springs morning stop to a drive and walk around the Mt Garnet township visiting the heritage sites to a drive into Battle Camp to view old building from the Tin dredging days to finish the trip off.  The last field trip for the year was to explore the Carrington and Herberton area.  First stop was the Robson Track junction and Hastie Swamp along with various sites of Carrington before they travelled up the Herberton Range to have a stroll around the town visiting the many heritage sites with a visit to the Herberton Mining Centre to finish the day.

Other projects over the year included an event which the Society was very happy to be part of was the Peeramon Honour Board (found, restored and re-hung) being viewed once again at the Peeramon Hotel.  The Society also started a project to collect information on the early houses and buildings of Malanda.  They are often asked by the new owners for some history for their properties.  Again over the year it was Family History research that filled much of their research time.  It is interesting to note that family history is now recognized as the biggest hobby in the world.  The 2019 year ended with their traditional Xmas dinner party held once again at the Malanda RSL Club.  Plans are now been made to make the new year just as successful.      

A Herberton Mystery Solved

Often we would talk around the campfire about a little local history puzzle.  Way back in 2002, I was part of a group of history buffs who were researching and restoring an old bush cemetery near the site of a long vanished mining town not realizing that the answer to a local mystery was literately at my feet but we didn't make the connection.  The answer to this story unfolded recently when Herberton historian, Mary Searston was looking so chuffed because an elderly lady name Mrs Lee had come into the Herberton Mining Centre and stated that she was long lost John Brown's grand-daughter.  This now answers one of Herberton's longest standing mysteries - whatever happened to the Mr John Brown who was one of the team of prospectors who found the tin in Prospector's Gully at Herberton.  The story of the other three men of this team is quite well known to history but what of John Brown.  Well, Mrs Lee had the answer and I can now tell you that after he sold his share in the Great Northern Tin Mine and disappeared into the mists of history, in fact he had gone on mining and later owned two more local tin mines and is buried at the Stannary Hills cemetery.  Yes that very cemetery that I was working on.  Mrs Lee looked too young to be the grand-daughter of one of the original four men who found the tin in Prospector's Gully and so started the town of Herberton off way back in 1880.  But John married and had his last children late in life after he returned from nearly a decade of mining when he followed his old colleagues, William Jack and Christie Palmerston to south-east Asia.  So thanks to Mrs Lee's generosity with her family history research, the Mining Centre will now be able to finish the last panel of the town's founders board - an important museum item that the folk at the Centre have been waiting more than fifteen years to finish. 

Peeramon History Book

The Eacham Historical Society launched a new booklet about the early years of Peeramon at this years Malanda Show.  This publication began with the research done by Petrina Callaghan for the recent Peeramon Honour Board project but then grew into a full study of the township history.  It includes information on the Railway Station and Belsen's wooden timber tramway, businesses of the village such as the Hotel, Hall, Post Office, Bank, Williams store, AL&S store, Butchers, Bakers and Blacksmith.  There is also the story of the School and Church and sporting groups.  It covers the story of the ANZAC tree plantings and has a list of the early settlers.  The booklet includes a photograph gallery of early and not so early photos.  There is the story of the murder-suicide tragedy at the hotel which gave rise to the story of the ghost.  The 1935 wheelbarrow race and mining at Peeramon at the small nearby wolfram and gold mines is looked at as well as the story of the first climbing of Mount Bartle Frere in 1919 by local residents.  There is also a list of the men whose names are on the Peeramon Roll of Honour Board with a short profile about each of them.  This booklet is a great addition to the Society's list of publications.