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.

Story of Minnie Kemp

The second small booklet that the Watsonville folk published for this year's annual Pioneer Women's Day event is another great addition to their collection and is worth the effort to obtain.  Entitled 'The Story of Minnie Kemp nee Roos' it was also compiled by Watsonville historian, Jane Chapman.  This little book tells the tale of a local lady who was left with seven young children to rear on her own after the death of her husband in 1928 and how she soldiered-on during those hard old days.  The booklet includes a number of short memories of life with Minnie which was shared by her descendants.  Another great addition to anyone's collection of short stories of life in early North Queensland produced by the Western Progress Association.

Heather Joan Howe's Story

The family of Mrs Heather Howe was pleased to be able to present a snapshot of Heather's life in this small booklet which was featured at the recent Watonville Pioneer Women's Day event.  Entitled 'Heather Joan Howe's Story', this story was compiled by Jane Chapman from an eulogy written by Heather's daughter, the Cairns historian, Kay Earl.  Heather spent much of her life on the coast particularly about the Gordonvale-Aloomba area before she and her husband moved out west to manage cattle properties including their own small station 'Red Bend' on the Herbert River.  The Western Progress Association was pleased to produce this booklet to pay tribute to Heather who, until her passing in 2016, was a regular at their Pioneer Women's Day where she was well known for her enthusiasm for bush poetry.

Kuranda Historical Society

A new group is welcomed to the local heritage movement.  The new Kuranda Historical Society is now officially constituted and incorporated and proudly proclaiming their objective 'to receive and preserve historical items from or relevant to, the Kuranda region and display them appropriately to as wide an audience as possible.'  The committee is in place with Dugg Stratford as President and Anne Clarke as the Secretary and the position of Treasurer filled by Gayle Hannah.  Now that the Society is legally up and running, they will begin to seek a 'home' for the group and start pursuing funding.  They are also to organize their first public meeting and be able to open up a membership drive in the near future.  The committee wish to thank everyone who has expressed interest in being involved and with the administrative tasks finished, they hope soon to be in a position to begin receiving donations of historical materials.  Anyone with queries can contact the Society via email on kurandahhistory@gmail.com or c/- P.O.Box 66 Kuranda 4881. 

Cooktown Historical Society

The Cooktown Historical Society is trialing a series of history nights this year and May saw the inaugural 'History Evening' at the History Centre in Charlotte Street.  The twenty people attending made a full house in the available space.  The presentation by Bev Shay was enthusiastically received and led the way to several lines of discussion.  This month saw the second evening, presented by Marge Scully and entitled 'Tommy Ah Kum, His Legacy'.  It looked at the life of one of Cooktown's Chinese merchants from the 1880's.  One of the visitors said they, "found it fascinating in the amount of 'detective archaeological' efforts to acquire the presented information and the discussions on the types of opium medications we used to take was very humourous."  Disappointingly, attendance numbers were down but perhaps they should check as to when the football is on when planning these event!  Next public event will be the opening of the Sam Elliot/John Hay display.  There was a busy Monday recently at the History Centre.  It started with a visit by sixteen pensioners from Brisbane and finished with a VIP visit.  The French Consul-General Mr Crozier, the German Consul-General Mr Freischlader, the Honoray Consul from Cairns Mrs Indorato accompanied by Marie-Claude Nicot from the French Benevolent Society of North Queensland.  They had requested a meeting with the historical society.  The purpose of the visit was to lay wreaths on the memorials to the French sailors who died of disease here in Cooktown in 1879 and on the grave of Dr Korteum, Cooktown's resident doctor for many years and the German Vice-Consul from 1886 to 1914.  The Society would also like to make contact with anyone associated with the old Palmer River Preservation Society which was operating in the 1980's.  If they could make contact it would be much appreciated.