Darling Downs – Moreton Bay and More

The early days of Allora, in colour.

Allora is a picturesque town in the Southern Downs region of Queensland. The district became home to two large squatting runs – Glengallen and Talgai – that were established through overland stock movement. Allora’s name is believed to come from the Giabal language word “gnarrallah,” or waterhole. The town was formally surveyed in the lateContinue reading “The early days of Allora, in colour.”

The early days of Dalby, in colour.

The Dalby Races, 1859 Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld.: 1858 – 1880), Thursday 11 August 1859, page 3 The Ipswich Observer and West Moreton Advocate (Qld.: 1870-1879), Saturday 10 June 1876, page 2. Festivities in Dalby. All images are from the digital collection of the State Library of Queensland and are outContinue reading “The early days of Dalby, in colour.”

The early days of Warwick, in colour.

Warwick is one of Queensland’s oldest inland towns, having been chosen in the late 1840s as a township to support the various squatting runs in the region.

The Plebian Tyranny.

Or, how Moreton Bay dealt with the Servant Problem in the early years. Tackling the subject of the 19th century “servant problem” conjures up ideas of exacting upper- and middle-class ladies bemoaning a few specks of dust left on the mantelpiece. In our first years of free settlement, a servant could be a shepherd, labourer,Continue reading “The Plebian Tyranny.”

Tales of old Dalby.

Newspaper stories of the Plough Inn era. The Wild Scotchman not apprehended at Milstead’s. A young man who, for more than a twelvemonth past, has been peaceably occupied as storekeeper on a station in the district, was captured at Milstead’s as Macpherson, by Mr. Sub-inspector Appjohn and his men, and in spite of the remonstranceContinue reading “Tales of old Dalby.”

The Milsteads of Dalby – the Plough Inn.

After travelling to Brisbane in February 1858 to support her daughter’s failed assault charge against a teacher, Theresa Whalin took stock of her life. She was a widow with a country hotel to run, a lot of land, and a wilful daughter to raise. There was another land sale afoot in Dalby in March, andContinue reading “The Milsteads of Dalby – the Plough Inn.”

The Milsteads of Dalby.

Part 1 – The early days of Dalby, and the creation of the Plough Inn. This was the beginning of the town of Dalby in 1853 – a plan that showed the selections of land made by the township’s earliest European inhabitants. All of the storied names of 19th century Dalby are there – CharlesContinue reading “The Milsteads of Dalby.”

And who might you be, Sir?

The colonies in the 19th century provided a delightful playground for any number of bounders, rogues, rascals, and cads. All one really needed was an English accent and an air of authority, and the far-flung, gullible colonials would open their pocketbooks and parlours. An Englishman who liked to pose as an aristocrat married a goodContinue reading “And who might you be, Sir?”

Twaddle, Nonsense and Scurrilous Doggerel: Social Media Wars in Colonial Queensland.

Rants, scurrilous personal attacks, incoherent fury – colonial Queensland’s social media had it all. The medium was not the billionaire-owned, algorithm-powered app, but the Letters to the Editor column of the newspaper of your choice. One could put fountain pen to paper, pay one’s postage, and sit back in anticipation of one’s Views being broadcastContinue reading “Twaddle, Nonsense and Scurrilous Doggerel: Social Media Wars in Colonial Queensland.”

The Further Hazards of Old Brisbane

More threats to public safety and happiness from the early days of European settlement in Brisbane. Termagants The Victoria Hall seemed to be the only part of Brisbane that welcomed termagants, and that was for theatrical purposes only. The idea that women might get drunk and/or fight was simply too much for the Courier. InContinue reading “The Further Hazards of Old Brisbane”