trust news queensland march 2012

A Snapshot in Time

2 | AUTUMN 12 | nationaltrustqld.org

Contents

President’s Message 3

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 4

Heritage Awards 6

A Walk in the Park 8

South Brisbane Cemetary 10

Local History Groups 12

Hettie Lynch’s Exercise Book 16

National Trust News 17

Cover: Hou Wang Temple Atherton- Photo Tim Nemeth

This Page: Year of the Dragon - Hou Wang

Temple - Photo Tim Nemeth

Design: Adam Richards

61612

17

810

nationaltrustqld.org | AUTUMN 12 | 3

President’sMessage

It only seems yesterday that the NTQ year began and it has been galloping at high speed ever since.

The Heritage Festival 18 April – 18 May is in full swing. This date coincides with the National Heritage Week, World Heritage Day and ICOMOS day and the theme this year is Amazing Stories: Innovation and Invention. The theme reflects the way innovation and invention has shaped our past, present and future. Events have been organised across the State, so I encourage you to attend as many events as possible and fly the flag.

I thank the office staff for producing the Heritage Festival Program of Events yet again. Also a special thanks to Tim Nemeth for the photo on the front cover, this page, and the great job he has done in bringing our photograph library up to date

On 29 February 2012, David McLaughlin convened a meeting of persons interested in heritage in Rockhampton. I was interviewed by the local radio station and the newspaper published a short article promoting the public meeting. Both David and I flew to Rockhampton and attended the meeting held at St Pauls Anglican Church. David presented a powerful Power Point presentation of the activities of the Trust and I was encouraged by the interest of those who attended, by their attitude, and keenness to establish a working group which has subsequently occurred. Special thanks are extended to David McLaughlin and Dean Lindsay Howie for their wonderful contribution.

Furthermore, the working group established last year in Toowoomba is working very well and they have now been converted into a branch and the local members are keen to continue the good work at the Royal Bulls Head Inn, Drayton. We look forward to them continuing with this good work.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has been through some difficult times in recent years when visitor numbers declined. Thankfully a ray of hope has shone between the clouds and visitor numbers are now up, as is the cap rate, or the amount of money spent by customers. My personal thanks are extended to all the wonderful staff members who have performed admirably during these difficult times.

Another reason for a glimmer of hope is the establishment of the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital Foundation. Additional funds have been raised by donations at the car park, at bird feeding time functions and the fundraising efforts of the local community. The entire National Trust Council is delighted with the first real indications of a turn around.

This message is being written on the same morning that I am to leave for Canberra to attend a board meeting of the Australian Council of National Trusts. The State Presidents of each of the National Trusts are the directors of the national body and we meet regularly. It is well acknowledged that the financial positions of each State Trust is different, Western Australia, for example, receives a substantial annual government payment, whereas others States are not so advantaged and barely cover their costs. The financial sustainability of the entire movement will be a matter for discussion. Another issue that will be discussed are the reasons why the NSW Trust appointed Queenslander, Clive Palmer as a National Trust Icon.

We are looking forward to a great year.

Stephen Sheaffe

President of the National Trust of Queensland


Currumbin Wildlife SanctuaryCEO Report

The summer of 2011/12 was certainly kinder to us here at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary than the year before but it has not been without its challenges. Heavy rainfall returned at the end of the January school holidays, flooding our tunnel connection to the larger Western Reserve area where most of our exhibits, our kangaroo feeding paddock, our world class Free Flight Bird Show, our giant salt water crocodile, the Green Challenge high ropes course by Adventure Parc and the ‘big red tent’ hosting ‘Yanguwah’, the Gold Coast’s only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dinner show are all situated. But we are a resourceful bunch here at the Sanctuary and we managed to keep the Eastern Reserve around our famous Lorikeet Arena open and move some of our shows to entertain our visitors despite the poor weather.

We enjoyed at the same time record numbers of Chinese visitors as it coincided with the Chinese New Year. We were particularly buoyed by the return of strong Japanese numbers in February – a testament to the hard work of our sales teams and the good relationships they have with our international markets. As I write our focus is on strengthening our appeal in all our markets, including the all important Australian markets, our traditional appeal as a holiday destination for the southern states and of course our local visitors.

Our National Trust Green Guardian pass or membership represents the best value for any visitor however is particularly appealing to locals able to return many times in a year. The ability to ‘cost effectively’ visit the Sanctuary while hosting visiting friends and relatives is so very important. Membership of the Trust is the lifeblood of the organisation - free or discounted entry to so many properties across Australia plus hundreds of properties internationally, gives the organisation a real competitive advantage over some of the theme park alternatives here on the Gold Coast. But we will only realise this advantage if we spread the word about all the wonderful opportunities and experiences that membership of the National Trust can bring. Thankfully our membership base is growing very well here at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and we appreciate the support of our Green Guardians.

Yanguwah the Sanctuary’s new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dinner Show at has been getting fantastic feedback. It is wonderful to see the Jaran dance troupe present such a great night out and educate locals and visitors alike about two of the indigenous cultures of Queensland in such an entertaining way. Yanguwah is a must see experience. We can cater for up to two hundred a night so why not bring along a group of friends or even suggest to colleagues at work Yanguwah as a themed dinner team building experience?

nationaltrustqld.org |AUTUMN 12 | 5

Indigenous culture is an area of tourism that benefits from the National Landscapes programme. I have written before about National Landscapes, particularly the opportunity ‘Australia’s Green Cauldron’ offers to strengthen tourism and conservation partnerships and support Indigenous opportunity. The ‘Green Cauldron’ describes the land surrounding Currumbin and the Gold Coast. A draft ‘Experience Development Strategy’ for Australia’s Green Cauldron was released recently and is available for public comment until 30 April. By the time this magazine is in your hands I hope the comments received will be taken into account in the final strategy. In this ‘Yanguwah’ will feature as an example of the kind of opportunity National Landscapes encourages.

Southern Gold Coast Drives

Another example of the influence of National Landscapes is the emergence of the guide to ‘Southern Gold Coast Drives’, produced by a subsidiary company of Gold Coast City Council ‘Connecting Southern Gold Coast’. This promotes, for example, the ‘Tumbulgum Drive’ starting at the mouth of the Currumbin Valley enticing visitors on one of the most scenic drives, in my

view, in the world! Wow, big call! But climbing up over Tomewin Mountain Road with glimpses of sheer rock faces clothed in rainforest, bananas hanging from plantations remnant from pioneer farming days, then opening up distant views across the caldera of Wollumbin Mount Warning with its sea of cane fields is so very different from the beaches and high rises the Gold Coast is arguably more famous for. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is well positioned as a Gold Coast Gateway of Australia’s ‘Green Cauldron’ and our hospital I describe as the ‘beating heart’ where we care for the native animals of the landscape needing our help.

If you have time I recommend you visit www.southerngoldcoast.com.au for more information of the Southern Gold Coast Drives as part of your planning a visit to Currumbin Wildife Sanctuary. If you are interested in the bigger picture of National Landscapes then start with http://australiasgreencauldron.wordpress.com/ - comments most welcome!

I look forward to welcoming you again to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary soon.

Jonathan Fisher


National Trust of Queensland Heritage Awards 2012

Nominations are now invited….

The National Trust of Queensland and the Queensland Heritage Council invite individuals, businesses, government authorities, professional bodies and community organisations to nominate projects for the 2012 Heritage Awards.

These Awards recognise the range of cultural heritage work that takes place across all areas of the State, including conservation planning, research, education, all types of physical conservation works on structures or places, as well as interpretation or presentations.

The Queensland Heritage Awards are held in recognition of John D. Herbert MLA, President of the National Trust of Queensland, 1971-1974. Awards presentations will be held at an official function on Thursday, 30 August at Old Government House. There is no nomination fee. Nominations close Friday, 6 July 2012.

For more information and to view the 2011 Award winners go to our website www.nationaltrustqld.org Contact the National Trust of Queensland for nomination forms T 3223 6666 E [email protected]


Old Government House

150th Celebrations

On Tuesday 6th May 1862, the Queensland Guardian reported that, ‘Government House has been, it may be said, completed, inasmuch as His Excellency, family and suite are at present in occupation and have been for several days....The structure is highly creditable to the Colony’.

Governor Sir George Ferguson Bowen’s appreciation for his new residence was unmistakable in his May 1862 despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Duke of Newcastle:

I have this month entered into occupation of the handsome and commodious official residence….The new Government House is beautifully situated on a promontory surrounded on three sides by the River Brisbane…. Besides good public reception rooms, and private apartments for the Governor and his family, the Government House contains also the Executive Council Chambers, and offices for the Private Secretary etc. All public rooms and offices have been appropriately furnished in pursuance with a vote of the Queensland Parliament. 1

Lauded by the Governor and by the general public, Queensland’s Government House had the additional accolade, the architect Charles Tiffin later noted, of being ‘the most economical vice-regal residence in the Australian Colonies.’ 2 Tiffin’s design was an astute and accurate articulation of the social and economic aspirations

of the young colony and it marked the beginning of a fine series of Tiffin designed government buildings that established George Street as the administrative core of the colony.

150 years on, Old Government House remains ‘handsome and commodious’ and is arguably Queensland’s most significant heritage building. On Sunday, 6th May 2012, as a key event in the National Trust’s Queensland Heritage Festival, the Queensland University of Technology will officially celebrate the sesquicentenary of this grand house.

Drawing on the ubiquitous influence of music during the nineteenth century and the social prestige attached to attending a ball or a reception at Government House, the 150th celebrations will focus on the House’s colonial heyday and feature colonial music, military, fashion and dance.

Katie McConnel – Curator Old Government House, Brisbane

1. Sir George Bowen to Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 14th May 1862, Queensland State Archives Item ID17671, Letterbook of despatches to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Volume 2:184-185.2. Quote cited in Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Pty Ltd (Architects), ‘Old Government House Management Plan’, prepared for the National Trust, 1989:10.

Join us in Celebrating Old Government House 150 years!

To celebrate the grandeur and the history of Old Government House we’re planning a day of pomp and ceremony! There’ll be brass bands and pipe bands, colonial soldiers and dancers! Free entry and no bookings required. So come along and join us – bring a picnic or grab a coffee and cake at Merlo’s cafe in the OGH Courtyard.

Sunday 6 May – 9am to 2pm More Info: www.ogh.qut.edu.au T 3138 8005

Photos:Old Government House 2011 - NTQOld Government House 1879 – State Library of Qld APU-049-0001-0005The Lamingtons and guests at Old Government House 1899 – courtesy of QUT OGH


Volunteers at the National Trust of Queensland have been helping to uncover stories relating to Queensland’s heritage trees as part of updating its register of significant trees of Queensland.

The logical place to begin was the cradle of horticulture in Queensland – the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. These gardens were established at the site where fruit and vegetables were grown for the convicts during the time of Brisbane’s penal settlement. Following Sir Thomas Brisbane’s directive to the Colonial Botanist, Charles Fraser, to visit ‘Brisbane Town’ to select a site for a public garden, Fraser and Allan Cunningham, the King’s botanist, marked out the boundaries on 3 July 1828. For 23 years, the Gardens were under the control of the military authorities until 1855 when Walter Hill was appointed Director of the Botanic Gardens and Government Botanist. Although the gardens have evolved through the years, many of the historic trees that were planted during the 26 years of Walter Hill’s curatoriship remain.

Take a walk in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and visit these, and many other grand old trees. The location, photographs and details of many of them will be available shortly in a Google Map link on the National Trust of Queesland’s website at http://www.nationaltrustqld.org/

Many thanks to our Volunteer Margaret Munro for this article.

Photo Top Right:This magnificent tree is just one in a long line of Bunya Pines (Araucaria bidwillii) which were planted to skirt the riverside walk in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens between 1858 and 1867 by Walter Hill to honour the death of a botanist friend, John Carne Bidwell. Bidwell was an important colonial botanist and Commissioner of Lands at Wide Bay. In his 1868 report, Walter Hill stated that the Bunyas ‘having been extended on a line up to the Edward Street entrance, are thriving rapidly’. Their characteristic beehive shape has been a feature of the city’s skyline since these early years and can be seen in photographs of the area of this time.

Photo Right:Portrait view of Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens from Parliament House to the Brisbane River, ca. 1889 Image State Library of Queensland

Photo Main: Present day view of Botanic Gardens and River 2012 – Photo courtesy of Parliament House, Queensland.

A Walk in the Park


St Patrick’s Convent, the oldest timber-and-tin public building in Townsville has recently been listed on Queensland’s State Heritage register as a place of significance.

This two-storeyed wooden structure was commenced in 1883 and extended in 1908 in a style best described as ‘Tropical Gothic’. Fibre cement cladding presently obscures some of the architectural elements but the pointed Gothic windows remain on view. Inside the main hall way is a fine timber staircase leading to the upper floor with a beautiful stained glass window above the landing.

This building is important in demonstrating the pattern of expansion of Roman Catholicism in North Queensland, particularly in regard to the educational role played by the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. St Patrick’s convent demonstrates rare aspects of Queensland’s cultural and architectural heritage.

St Patrick’s Townsville now heritage listed

Cooktown Transit of Venus Event

Join us on the 6 June 2012 for breakfast on Grassy Hill in Cooktown. Enjoy bacon and eggs and coffee - while watching the transit at 8:16 am. Plus a short humorous play written and co-acted by James Cook Museum staff with ‘Captain Cook’ and the ship’s ‘scientists’ explaining the reasons for the observation in 1770. In the evening, a lantern parade by the waterfront will be held.More Information & Bookings: T: 4069 5386 E: [email protected]

Why is the transit of Venus so special? A transit of Venus occurs when Venus passes directly between

the Sun and Earth. This alignment is rare, coming in pairs that are eight years apart but separated by over a century. The last transit of Venus was in 2004 but after June 2012 the next transit will not occur until 2117. Prior to 2004, the last one was 1882.

What is the connection to Cooktown and the James Cook Museum? • Observing the transit of Venus in Tahiti in 1769 was the ‘scientific event’ that lead Captain James Cook to discover Australia in 1770.

• The Endeavour was beached for repairs on the waterline below Grassy Hill in Cooktown for 48 days in June/July 1770.• The James Cook Museum is home to a tree stump, that according to local legend, the Endeavour was tied up to as well as an anchor and canon that was jettisoned overboard when the Endeavour hit the Great Barrier Reef on the 11th of June 1770.


South Brisbane Cemetery

The South Brisbane Cemetery, in the suburb of Dutton Park, is the city’s oldest surviving municipal cemetery. Its survival over the last 141 years has sometimes been uncertain, but recent developments indicate a secure future for this fascinating necropolis.

Before the introduction of the Cemetery Act 1865, southside Brisbanites ferried their dead across the river to the Milton cemetery. This inconvenient arrangement was a source of frustration for locals, who welcomed the 1866 decision to reserve 18 acres of land for a trustee-controlled cemetery in their borough. South Brisbane Cemetery was proclaimed open in May 1870, and the first recorded burial, that of Jane Hockings, took place a few months later. The cemetery was full to capacity by 1900 and an extra seven acres were added on the southern boundary. By the time the Brisbane City Council took over management from the trustees in 1928 the cemetery was almost full again, but nearby suburban development restricted any further expansion and it was eventually closed to new burials, except for those in family plots, in 1961-62.

Two problems faced by the cemetery over time have been plant growth and structural decay. In the early twentieth century untethered sheep were allowed to roam the grounds in an attempt to keep the chest-high long grass down. After complaints were received about sheep damaging graves, cemetery caretakers used periodic burn-offs, setting fire to the grass, but once again this caused damage to graves so the Council resorted to poisoning plant life with chloride spray. The many trees in the cemetery continue to pose a great threat to the heritage material, and although many of these trees are attractive and provide welcome shade, their roots are slowly damaging the headstones. Even worse harm is done when they fall or drop branches during storms.

Many headstones fell into disrepair as the cemetery aged and the relatives of the earlier ‘residents’ passed away themselves. Over 1,000 headstones, deemed to be ‘unsightly and dangerous’, were removed as part of the City Council’s ‘beautification programme’ of the 1970s. The stated intention was to eventually convert the space into a lawn cemetery, to effectively ‘smooth the dying pillow’ of the now-decaying Victorian cemetery. A majority of the removed headstones were used to infill the numerous gullies within the grounds. Others were simply laid down flat and covered over, and sandstone slabs from some graves were used to build the western boundary wall alongside the TJ Doyle Memorial Park Drive. The end result of this process was fewer headstones and more

green space, although the graves are still present beneath the surface.Despite the aims of the beautification project, events in recent years

have led to greater protection and appreciation of the cemetery’s heritage values. In 2005, two years after the site was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, the ‘Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery’ (FOSBC) was formed by a group of local women. This was the last major Brisbane cemetery to have such a group form, perhaps a measure of how much it was previously overlooked by historians. The FOSBC now work to protect the cemetery from a surprisingly wide range of threats, by documenting vandalism, monitoring illegal restorations, and taking action that led to boom gates being installed on cemetery entrances, thereby helping to restrict nocturnal trespass. In 2008 the FOSBC lobbied to ensure that old headstones excavated during construction of the neighbouring Eastern Busway were preserved and returned to their original location.

The FOSBC also organised two successful community clean-ups after the floods of 2011 inundated a large section of the riverside cemetery. Although the headstones are vulnerable to occasional flooding, such as in 1893 and 1974, no actual graves or bodies have ever been lost to the waters.

Another aim of the FOSBC is accurate historical interpretation, and they have published several history booklets, set up a website, hosted community open days, and are now conducting twice-monthly night tours. Many burial records for South Brisbane Cemetery are either missing or inaccurate, and FOSBC members are compiling a comprehensive database of burials and headstone photography.

The recent growth of interest in family history research has also benefited the cemetery. FOSBC secretary Tracey Olivieri has noted an increase in the number of visitors maintaining the graves of family members. She also receives many enquiries from around the world about historical burials in the cemetery.

South Brisbane Cemetery, with a population of 100,000 deceased, has survived as a fine example of a nineteenth century necropolis. With a dedicated volunteer group carin1g for it against a backdrop of renewed public interest, its future as an active heritage site seems assured.

Christopher DawsonFOSBC

South Brisbane Cemetery circa 1880 (John Oxley Library #APE-047-01-0025)


1. Near the Annerley Road entrance (Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery)2. Memorial over the grave of Jane Hockings, the first recorded burial (Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery)

3. Fallen tree damage in cemetery, 2010 (Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery)4. Centre of the cemetery during the January 2011 floods (Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery)

1.

3.

4.

2.


My local historical society has a small room in a suburban library. Members meet each month. One regular agenda item is what themes might be explored through placement of items from the society’s collection in the glass fronted cabinets near the counter. Some members have Seniors cards, a pocket sized indicator of the wisdom they bring to meetings. Over the years members have passed away and although their recollections are lost, the results of their involvement remain tangible.

Back in the small room off to one side at the library, space is becoming a problem. Tidy-up, let’s-remove-the-duplicate-copies-days have been organised. An electronic database is being planned. There is talk of more publications. The time spent in the sort out should prove useful. Meanwhile, the society’s website has just been activated.

Australia witnessed an upsurge in interest in local history in the 1980s. Public libraries expanded their ‘local history collections’. Students were encouraged to approach local history through methods described as ‘process’ or ‘enquiry’. Teachers crossed fingers and hoped that an interest in history and heritage might take hold. Local and centenary histories were written and heritage walks published. Special commemorative or community

grants proved useful. Museums were opened, and thankfully have remained so through the generosity of local members. Everyone gained.

In the 1990s those who had been researching family history came out of the archives, banded together and found their voice. Archive administrators noted this new customer base and tightened focus, making a further wealth of records regarding immigration and war service readily available through digitisation and the instant accessibility of the World Wide Web. Today there is so much available that sometimes a filtering process must be applied.

There is a passion for local history that lives within local history groups. Through steady and constant dedication to local projects, volunteers keep alive collective memory of the place in which they live. Why not join one and get to know your history at the local level?

Valerie Dennis Historian

The umbrella organisation for local and family history groups is History Queensland. You can find contact details for your nearest local history society at www.historyqueensland.org.au/members/members.htm

Keep it localLocal historical societies

Photos courtesy Tim Nemeth and The James Cook Museum Glass Plate Library


Chasing our HistoryStories from Mowbraytown and East Brisbane

When authors Geraint and Justeen Gregory wrote their recent book ‘Chasing Our History’ they said their aim was to “re-tell the many stories of residents who had lived and worked in the area over the past 130 years so future generations will appreciate the early history of Mowbraytown/East Brisbane.”

Now more commonly known as East Brisbane, this inner suburb of Brisbane was originally named after one of the first families that settled in the area, the Mowbrays. Arriving in Moreton Bay in 1847 Reverend Thomas Mowbray, a Scotsman, purchased land on the southern side of the Brisbane River where he built a stone house called Riversdale (c.1850). Here he lived and conducted a school. Often referred to by historians as the ‘Father of Presbyterianism in Queensland’, Thomas Mowbray was active in establishing the Protestant church. The district name of ‘Mowbraytown’ originated

in 1884 when Williamina Mowbray, the wife of the late Reverend Thomas Mowbray, sold the land between Lytton Road and Mowbray Terrace to Josiah Young who subdivided this area into 336 residential allotments. The Mowbraytown church and community hall were built by his wife in his memory.

Many local families, individuals and organizations contributed to the creation of this book, which is a compilation of photos, anecdotes and a brief history of the area. It allows us a fascinating insight in the lives of some of the people who once lived in the gracious old Queensland homes that still exist in Mowbraytown.

For more information contact Geraint and Justeen Gregory - T 33913002 E [email protected] Cost of the book is $10-00 (extra $5 if posted.) All funds are for the East Brisbane Neighbourhood Watch.


National Trust Volunteers enjoy themselves!

Townsville Branch volunteers enjoyed a Chinese Banquet towards the end of 2011, and also the Christmas Party at the historic West End Hotel (the local pub for the Heritage Centre) — a thoroughly enjoyable event, thanks to the organisation of Branch Vice-Chairman Anne Keen. The year 2011 may have started disastrously at the Centre but, as these photographs testify, cyclone and flood did not dampen our spirits.

Photo 1: Allan Bell, Chairman of the Heritage Centre Management Committee; Rae Siddells, one of our original volunteers in 1988 and now volunteer curator of the artefact collection; and National Trust member Margery Jorgensen – all enjoying our Chinese Banquet. Allan is also a member of the National Trust of Queensland Council.

Photo 2: Bill and Rosemary Henderson, recent additions to our volunteer team.

Photo 3: Margery and Roy Jorgensen. Roy, well known in the building industry in Townsville, is a valued member of the Townsville Branch Committee.

Photo 4: Santa’s helper, Anne Keen, and Mrs Santa, a.k.a. Dorothy Gibson-Wilde, presenting gifts to Judith and Geoff Jensen. All in this photograph have been National Trust members and volunteers for over 25 years.

Photo 5: Roy and Ronice Townson with a gift delivered by Mrs Santa. On the right is another Santa helper, Liz Gibson-Wilde. Roy and Ronice are long time Trust members. They work regularly at the Heritage Centre and every Christmas, Ronice makes many pots of jam that raise funds for the Centre.

Photo 6: Mrs Santa with, from left to right, George Pollock, Helen Stead and Graham Stead. George, a painter by trade, is a member of the Heritage Centre Management team along with Helen and Graham who also volunteer regularly at the Centre.

Photo 7: Left to right: Allan Stephenson, long serving volunteer now retired, Cr Ray Gartrell, Townsville City Council representative on Townsville Branch Committee; and Ray Holyoak, Townsville Branch Chairman who is also a member of National Trust of Queensland Council.

It is not all play and no work at the Townsville Heritage Centre. All members of Branch Committee and a number of members of the Heritage Centre Management team attended a meeting with our Brisbane Executive Officer, Stewart Armstrong on his recent visit to Townsville. We welcomed the chance to meet with Stewart and to discuss a number of matters of concern, and thank him for giving up part of his weekend to meet with us.

Photo 8: This photograph was taken under the Farmhouse, with the Worker’s Cottage in the background – from left to right, Bruce Gibson-Wilde, Roy Jorgensen, Margery Jorgensen, Dorothy Gibson-Wilde and Stewart Armstrong NTQ.

1.

3.

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.


Memories are made of this

Heatley Hall in the Townsville Showground is not just a hall, it is one where memories were made. If nothing is done this hall which was once one of the largest dance venues in North Queensland will become just that – a memory.

First opened in 1882, the heritage listed Townsville Showground has provided showground space for the city since that time. Heatley Hall, the largest pavilion on site, is significant as a purpose-built exhibition building. It has been used for annual shows and evening dances. It is an integral element within the Townsville Showground.

Constructed in the late 1930s to a design by local JG Rooney, the hall features timber buttresses and galvanised corrugated iron cladding. Oversize doors allow the breeze through. Three lantern lights along the ridge of each of the building’s two gables provide extra ventilation and additional lighting.

In April 1942 the Australian Army seconded the Showground for military purposes. The advance parties of HQ 5 Division and 29 Infantry Brigade arrived in Townsville and the Divisional HQ personnel were accommodated in the Showground. Although the annual Show was suspended for three years, dances were still held in the hall.

After World War II the hall became known as Heatley

Hall, in memory of TL Heatley, one of the longest serving members of and former president to the Townsville Pastoral Agricultural and Industrial Association. In the late 1950s a gala ball to welcome Princess Alexandra on her official royal visit was held in the hall.

Heatley Hall already was in need of maintenance when damaged by Cyclone Yasi early in February 2011. Its original decorative façade providing access to Ingham Road had been replaced some time previously by a flat sheeted wall. Now, over a year later, repairs to ensure its continued existence as a hall are needed. Memories are not enough.

Read more about Heatley Hall’s heritage significance at: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/chims/basicSearch.html Search for place ID 602650

Photos 1. Heatley Hall 2011 courtesy of Ray Holyoak2. Cummin’s & Campbell’s annual staff dance in new exhibition hall, Townsville showgrounds, 22nd June, 1939 – courtesy of local history collection Citylibraries

Townsville

Heatley Hall is just one of a number of sites NTQ is keeping a watch over through its Heritage Watch pages. Other sites include St Mary’s Convent in Townsville, the Boggo Road Gaol in Brisbane, Dixie’s Shed at Port Douglas and Mount Morgan Cemetery. To read more go to the Heritage Watch pages at www.nationaltrustqld.org

Heritage at Risk Nominations for the 2012 Heritage at Risk program have opened. For more information go to www.nationaltrust.org.au/Heritage-At-Risk


Included in a number of items donated in January to NTQ by Dennis and Jill Rose of Birkdale was the 1889 Home Exercise book of Hettie (Henrietta) Lynch. It was an item they purchased at auction in the 1980s and may have at one time been on display at the IC Gardner Museum in Drayton, since closed.

Born in February 1871, Henrietta Lynch was one of the seven children of Richard and Sarah Lynch who grew up at ‘The Terrace’, also known as The Royal Bull’s Head Inn. Members of the Lynch family occupied the former inn from 1879 until 1973.

Hettie’s exercise book shows what education was like at the time. Neat and tidy pages are dedicated to Parsing, Composition, Sums, Paraphrasing and Grammar. Within two years of finishing with this exercise book Hettie was employed as an assistant teacher. During the next decade she was transferred to state schools at Toowoomba North, Drayton, Boonah and Toowoomba East. She married teacher Hubert Patrick Jones in December 1898. Women often disappear into the everyday fabric of history and so, for a while, did Hettie. At least two daughters, Mercedes and Thelma, were born.

During the First World War, Hettie and Hubert Jones lived at Redland Bay, where Hubert was then teaching. There they were involved in patriotic fundraising activities for the Red Cross, one of her original paintings being sold for the cause. Hettie returned to live at RBHI some time after Hubert died, aged 51 years, late in 1917. During the late 1920s she was involved actively in the Drayton branch of the Country Women’s Association, as were her mother and sister who shared the running of the Drayton Post Office. Hettie Jones was seriously injured in a car accident in 1956 and died in January 1960, aged 89 years. She was buried in the Toowoomba and Drayton Cemetery.

Two of the artworks of Henrietta Jones, ‘The Terrace’ and ‘A distant view of Old St Matthew’s Church, Drayton’ hang on the walls at RBHI.

Valerie Dennis

Dennis and Jill Rose generously gifted a number of items related to the Royal Bull’s Head Inn at Drayton. Some of the items, purchased at auction, in 1984 were from IC Gardner’s Early Settlers Museum in Drayton. A model of the ‘Royal Bull’s Head Inn’, constructed by Laurie Rub and measuring 1 metre by 60 cm and standing 70 cm high was by far the largest of the items included in the gift. The Home Exercise book of Hettie Lynch was perhaps the oldest item.

The Trust wishes to extend its sincerest thanks to Dennis and Jill for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

Book returns home after 123 years.

Interior shot of the Royal Bulls Head Inn as it was when the Lynch family lived there. Photo Richard Stringer 16/9/1973

Pages from Hettie Lynch’s exercise book c1889.

The Lynch family left several paintings and photos in the building when it was acquired by the National Trust – Hettie Lynch’s painting of ‘The Terrace’ is in this photo on the right hand side in the middle.

Photo of Hettie’s mother Sarah Lynch with two of her grandchildren on the verandah of Royal Bulls Head Inn – early 20th century.


NTQ NEWS

The National Trust of Queensland recently received a bequest of $60,000 from the estate of the late Raymond Scott. His generous donation goes a long way in helping us to promote the care and appreciation of Queensland’s Heritage through education conservation and advocacy. We are extremely grateful for his support.

Please keep the National Trust in mind when you consider your will. After your family and friends have been well looked after, a bequest to help the National Trust will help us to continue our valuable work.

A donation via the Queensland Community Foundation’s National Trust of Queensland’s sub fund is a ‘gift that will go on giving forever’. For more information go to www.qcf.org.au or speak to the Public Trustee or your family lawyer.

A gift that keeps on giving

In January this year the National Trust farewelled one of its long serving volunteers. Toni Hildebrand had been one of the volunteers that had opened the Royal Bulls Head Inn at Drayton to the public. in January 2006 she took at a lease on the property and continued to manage the property for several years almost single-handedly. Toni served light lunches, and morning and afternoon teas while working mainly on her own, drawing on friends and relatives to help her in the kitchen when needed. Her husband kindly helped with mowing the substantial lawn and in the garden. In January 2012, Toni decided to retire completely.

The National Trust is very grateful to Toni for her hard work and dedication over the years which enabled the public to enjoy visiting this historic place. Many thanks.

With thanks

Gold Coast Public Meeting - All Welcome

The Council of the National Trust of Queensland is inviting Trust Members on the Gold Coast to come together and form a local heritage group. The Gold Coast region has the highest Trust Membership rate in Queensland and the formation of a National Trust Working Group will provide local Trust Members with the opportunity to influence the future of heritage on the Gold Coast.

National Trust Working Groups in other areas get involved in a wide range of Natural and cultural heritage issues. The Trust has recently formed working groups in Ipswich and Toowoomba, and each of those groups successfully hosted one of our recent annual conferences.When: Monday 21 May at 7.00pm Where: Art Activity room level 1 - Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre, 1 Garrick Street, Coolangatta


Out and About

Curious, quirky and bizarre items from the collections of Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network are currently on display in the Museum of Brisbane’s current exhibition Cabinet of Curiosities.

Each item, representing over 30 of Brisbane’s smaller museums and cultural organisations, has a unique connection to the City’s history from the royal wedding gift of 500 cases of tinned pineapple, to souvenirs of war and famous crime scene evidence - including a stuffed dog named Peter!

Monthly programs of public events are being run in conjunction with Cabinet of Curiosities and people are encouraged to visit the many smaller organisations, each with their own collections, who have contributed to the exhibition.

Cabinet of Curiosities runs until 30 Nov Museum of Brisbane, 157 Ann St Open 10am-5pm dailyAdmission free

For more information about Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network visit www.blhn.org

Curiosities on Showfrom Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network

We first visited ‘Hinemoa’ at Sadliers Crossing 3 years ago and many have asked for a return visit to see this delightful 1903 Queenslander lovingly restored by John and Christine Page, who won a silver award in the 2008 National Trust Heritage Awards. Christine will serve us a wonderful morning tea on the verandah and then we are free to wander around the house and garden. Lunch is a hot roast dinner with vegetables, dessert, tea and coffee at the 105 year old heritage listed ‘City View Hotel’ at Ipswich, designed by an important architect of the era, George Brockwell Gill. After lunch we will visit the Ipswich Antique Centre c1895 also designed by George Brockwell Gill and if time permits the Old Court House across the road, designed by Charles Tiffin.

When: 9.00am Friday 18 May 2012Where: Bus leaves Roma Street (street level) opposite Police HeadquartersCost: Members $56 Non Members $60RSVP: Book early to avoid disappointment PH: Fridays 07 3223 6666 E: [email protected]

Architects and Antiques in Ipswich

• The Cooktown Discovery Festival: 8 to 11 June www.cooktowndiscoveryfestival.com.au

• The National History Challenge: Closes August . An exciting contest that encourages students to use research and inquiry based learning to discover more about Australia and its past.

www.historychallenge.org.au

• NTQ Heritage Awards: Awards night 30 August. Entries close early July. www.nationaltrustqld.org

• Hou Wang Temple, Tastes of the Tablelands: Sunday Mid October www.tastesofthetablelands.com

• Brisbane Open House: Saturday 6 October www.brisbaneopenhouse.com.au

• NTQ Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting: 3-4 November at the Gold Coast, venue to be confirmed.

• Wolston House: New Opening Hours. Open 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sunday of each month.

Date Claimers 2012


Our Thanks to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s principal sponsors and partners.

A debate between Rosamond Siemon, author of controversial book ‘the Mayne Inheritance’ and Stephen Sheaffe, barrister and historian. Did Patrick Mayne murder Robert Cox and an innocent man wrongfully hang for the crime, or is it all myth making, with the tragic consequence that the reputations of the most significant benefactors to the university are being impugned and defamed?

When: Saturday 12 May - 1pm to 3.30pm Where: Level 2, Auditorium, Sir Llew Edwards Building (14) Cnr University Drive and Campbell Rd UQ St Lucia campus - free parking available. Cost: $20 (Discount for RHSQ members) RSVP: Wed 9 May, Royal Historical Society Qld T: 07 3221 4198 E: [email protected] (Refreshments included in the ticket price)

The Royal Historical Society of Queensland presents....

Did Patrick Mayne Murder Robert Cox?

The

Nat

iona

l Tru

st o

f Que

ensl

and

ackn

owle

dges

the

Aus

tral

ian

Dep

artm

ent o

f Sus

tain

abili

ty, E

nvir

onm

ent,

Wat

er, P

opul

atio

n an

d C

omm

uniti

es fo

r the

ir fi

nanc

ial s

uppo

rt.

Our

Tha

nks

to N

atio

nal T

rust

of Q

ueen

slan

d pr

inci

pal s

pons

ors

and

part

ners

.

Ja

me

s C

ook

Muse

um

, C

ook

tow

n

Vis

it th

e Ja

mes

Coo

k M

useu

m

in C

ookt

own,

th

e fir

st p

lace

of

reco

ncili

atio

n, a

nd

hom

e to

Jam

es

Coo

k’s

Ende

avou

r an

chor

and

can

non.

Fr

ee E

ntry

for

Nat

iona

l Tru

st

Mem

bers

.

A S

naps

hot i

n tim

e. M

any

than

ks to

pho

togr

aphe

r Tim

Nem

eth

for h

is fa

ntas

tic p

hoto

s of o

ur p

rope

rties

(fro

nt a

nd b

ack

cove

rs) a

nd th

e man

y tim

es w

hen

he h

as g

iven

his

expe

rtise

vol

unta

rily.

trust news queensland march 2012

Documents

national heritage week

heritage awards

national body

national trust news

world heritage day

entire national trust

david mclaughlin

local members