Shearing – Moreton Bay and More

The early days of Barcaldine, in colour.

The Wool Industry A sheep station was set up in the district in 1863, and named Barcaldine Downs. The owner of that station had been a slaveholder in British Guiana, and employed South Sea Islander labour on the station in the early years. Presumably, the man had seen a successful business model in operation, andContinue reading “The early days of Barcaldine, in colour.”

The early days of Charleville, in colour.

Out and about in Charleville. Sadly, Clement Lindley Wragge (left) was not involved in the breaking of the drought in 1902. Meteorologist Wragge visited Charleville in September of that year, to fire off some Steiger Vortex Cannons, which he was convinced would draw the rain from the clouds. (If fired directly at said clouds.) MrContinue reading “The early days of Charleville, in colour.”

The Station Where John Hayes was The Odd Man at the Shed

This article was published in the Western Star and Roma Advertiser in 1875, the year before John Hayes and Kaspar Hahn had their fatal confrontation. It was the story of the Lansdowne Station and the hardships endured by the people who set it up. THE BARCOO—LANSDOWN STATION “Lansdown is one of the principal stations inContinue reading “The Station Where John Hayes was The Odd Man at the Shed”

The Odd Man About The Shed

John Hayes was an Irish labourer who had arrived in Queensland in 1873 on the Landsborough. There might well be a fortune to be made by a man who would work hard. Perhaps after a few years he could own some land, have a family. Perhaps he could send some money home to Ireland. ItContinue reading “The Odd Man About The Shed”

STRAY LEAVES FROM THE NOTES OF A “NEW CHUM.”

Some of Windmill’s finest writing is to be found in this wild flight of the imagination, published in the Moreton Bay Courier on April 14, 1849. Our Windmill Reporter conjures up an imaginary journal of a recent arrival, detailing the New Chum’s journey to the Alpine region of the Northern Darling Downs. Windmill anticipates flyingContinue reading “STRAY LEAVES FROM THE NOTES OF A “NEW CHUM.””

The Hard Times

Tales from Early Queensland The first European inhabitants of Queensland consisted wholly of those who had no choice in their destination. They were the convicts, soldiers and officials who made up the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement. Upon its demise in 1842, very few remained to take part in the opening-up to free settlement. The ColonialContinue reading “The Hard Times”

The Shearers’ Strike in Images

In the early 1890s, a strike took place in the wool shearing industry that brought about the beginnings of the union movement in Australia. Important concessions were made by both sides before the strike collapsed. Shearing work in the 1860s and 1870s These photos, taken by itinerant photographers during the 1860s and 1870s, show theContinue reading “The Shearers’ Strike in Images”

How we lived and worked – 1859-1865

Separation from New South Wales occurred in 1859, and the new Colony of Queensland was proclaimed. It was a time of rapid social and economic change, and intrepid photography enthusiasts set about capturing and preserving daily life with an authenticity never seen before. Go west! Goondiwindi, on the border with New South Wales, was whereContinue reading “How we lived and worked – 1859-1865”