MEMORIES

The older generation would perhaps remember the fresh hot bread being delivered to the door by the baker with the horse and cart.  Nothing beat the smell of the fresh bread, and the horse knew when to move to the next house and wait. The transactions were by cash and it the late 1940’s a loaf cost 6d (pence), about 5c today. There was no such thing as sliced bread – that was done at home. High Top loaves broke apart in the middle – you could buy half a loaf, and children liked to eat the ‘kiss crust’, the soft centre when the halves were pulled apart.

It was common to call to the bakers and buy the bread from the bakery door, and the cream or fruit buns were very special. In those days Hot Cross Buns were a treat at Easter – available only at that time.

In some families it was said that “Girls could not get married until they could cut the bread straight.” It was not easy, especially as fresh bread was soft (and delicious).

Some bakers would cook the Christmas ham for their customers in the country.  The ham would most likely be from their own pigs, and smoked at home, and then wrapped in dough by the baker, and cooked in his oven.  A special treat at Christmas, the only time most families had ham.

The  Ipswich City Council election is due to be held in March this year,

160 years since the first election.

The Municipality of Ipswich was declared on March 2^nd 1860 and published in the Queensland Government Gazette March 3^rd 1860. The boundaries of the Municipality were proclaimed on March 16^th.

A notice dated March 17^th 1860, in the Gazette – “the Corporation shall consist of a Mayor and Alderman”. It nominated Henry Buckley as the ‘First Running Officer” and that the first meeting of electors shall be held at noon at the Court House at Ipswich on Thursday, the twelfth day of April, in the year, one thousand eight hundred and sixty”.

A large group of people gathered at the Court House on the day and with Henry Buckley presiding, the election was held by a show of hands. Shortly after the returning officer began to declare the winners, a group of people demanded a poll which Buckley declared would be held on April 19^th.

There were 25 candidates and those elected were: John Murphy, John Johnston, Charles Watkins, Donald Bethune, Christopher Gorry, John Thompson, John Pettigrew, Francis North and Thomas Stanley. 

The first meeting of the Council was held in the Old Court House on April 12^th 1860, with the newly elected Alderman present. At this meeting John Murphy was appointed the first Mayor of Ipswich.

Ipswich applied on 22 November 1904 to become a City; the status being conferred by the Government of Queensland on 1 December 1904 and its first mayor was Hugh Reilly. On its declaration, the City of Ipswich covered only the central area of Ipswich itself – even what are today considered inner suburbs were parts of different entities.

On 13 October 1916, a rationalization of the local government areas in and around Ipswich was implemented. It involved the abolition of five shires: Brassall, Bundanba, Lowood, Purga, Walloon

This made a larger City of Ipswich, by including part of the Shire of Brassall and part of the Shire of Bundanba.  A new Shire of Ipswich by amalgamating part of the Shire of Brassall, part of the Shire of Bundanba, part of the Shire of Walloon and all of the Shire of Purga. An enlarged Shire of Rosewood by including part of the Shire of Walloon. An enlarged Shire of Esk by including all of the Shire of Lowood.

(Bundanba now  Bundamba)

Behind a new high solid fence on Brisbane Road Ebbw Vale Ipswich, stands a brick home that is said to have been built for Mr C. Agnew a brickworks proprietor about 1875, and the bricks are unusual as they have flecks of a purple colour.

In the 1890’s “Sandhurst” was bought by John STAFFORD, who was the owner of the nearby Whitwood Colliery. He with his wife and thirteen children lived in the home and some of the children were married at “Sandhurst”. John died in 1911 and by 1914 the home was occupied by Major William CLATWORTHY, Manager of the Ebbw Vale Brick Company.

There have been a number of owners over the years, and at times the home looked very sad. Today the house is surrounded by a high brick fence at the front, perhaps in the hope of cutting out some of the noise of passing traffic, and wooden fences on the other sides. The house is basically as it was first built, with wide verandahs and little change to the exterior.

Still growing in the front of the house is a very unusual tree – an African Sausage Tree. The fruit on the tree grow very big and resemble a sausage, on a long stem.  It would appear the tree has been there for many years, perhaps as far back as the early 1900’s.  Some of the other old trees have been lost, as have the original buggy sheds. Over times the large grounds have been sold off and the house stands now in the centre of a large suburban lot.

Since the house was built, it has seen many changes, from the days of horse and buggy and a dirt road out the front, to a narrow bitumen road and now to a busy four lane carriageway.

Hopefully “Sandhurst” will remain a part of Ebbw Vale for many years.

Photo Courtesy Picture Ipswich 

Brassall, which was originally known as Hungry Flats, was a Parish named by surveyor James Warner in 1851. One of its earliest residents was George Harris before he moved to Woodend.

In 1887 a Rifle Range was established and a red flag was hoisted to warn people they were in the line of fire if they passed between the flag and North Ipswich.

The school was erected in 1893. Brassall formed a separate shire from 1860 to 1917, when it became a suburb of Ipswich.

IPSWICH SAVINGS BANK.  It was in December 1861 that Government approval was given to start a Savings bank in Ipswich – the Ipswich Savings Bank. This was the first institution of its kind under the new statute. The Trustees appointed were – Richard Joseph Smith, Charles George Gray, John Murphy and Christopher Gorry.

QT 14/07/1922

FIRST COTTON CROPS  (By “Red Gum.”).

Cotton is now styled “the goose that lays the’ golden egg’ for the farmer in Queensland.” Years ago during my youthful days it laid many a “golden egg” for the pioneer farmers of West Moreton, in which large agricultural area, the cultivation of cotton was carried on during the latter part of the ’60 and the early ’70 decades.

In its further comments on the production of the four bales above referred to the “S.M. Herald” of 60 years ago, said:- Our neighbours look no doubt upon their establishment as a separate colony as likely to advance their commercial interests, and it will certainly accomplish this if it arouses the settlers to sow their land with cotton seed and export the produce. We are warranted in anticipating this as one of the first fruits of separation. The cotton was grown by the late Mr. John Panton, one of Ipswich’s principal business men in the early days, on his plantation comprising 12 acres in the centre of the thriving suburb of Woodend, at the west end of this city, having a frontage to the Bremer River, and on the 17th of May, 1862, Mr. Panton wrote to the ” London Times” as follows:-“Having forwarded from Ipswich, via Sydney, four bales of Queensland cotton, I shipped per Light of Age, for London, and it being the first cotton exported from Queensland as an article of commerce, I am anxious to have it taken notice of, as I am clearly of opinion that this colony is capable of suppling any quantity of cotton required, with the assistance of labour and capital, which England can supply.

This cotton was grown by me at Ipswich on a piece of land of 12 acres. In the neighbourhood of this town the Ipswich Cotton Company have nearly 100 acres under crop, which promises a fair yield. A number of parties are now preparing their land for cotton next season.” Thus wrote Mr. John Panton in 1862. So the “cotton ball” rolled on. Sixty years ago the eyes of Great Britain and Europe were turned towards the young two-year-old Colony of Queensland, which then seemed destined to become one vast cotton-field, for, in consequence of the American War, great distress prevailed in the cotton manufacturing districts of Lancashire, and Manchester through the scarcity of cotton. The London “Times” wrote in reference to the Queensland Court at the International Exhibition of 1862:–“Queensland, the latest born of the Australian colonies, jukes an excellent show here, and, to judge from the variety of products exhibited, there are few colonies blessed with a more seductive soil, or greater diversity of resources. The first object which attracts attention on entering the court is the COTTON, of which there are numerous samples, and there can be no doubt that Queensland possesses an enormous area capable of growing cotton of .the best quality.”

• Martin Byrne had the first bakery in Ipswich, in Bell Street in the 1840’s
• Doctor William McTaggart Dorsey opened the first hospital in Ipswich in 1842, a rough
building at Little Ipswich [West Ipswich].
• Henry Wade was the surveyor who surveyed the site for the “Township of Limestone”, in 1842.
The street names included East, Bell, Nicholas, Bremer and Brisbane Streets.
• The first sale of Ipswich allotments, took place in Sydney in October 1843.
• The first Wesleyan minister to visit Ipswich was the Rev William Moore in 1847.
• Robert King established a salting and boiling down works for cattle and sheep in
Ipswich in 1847.
• In 1848 men could have a suit made to measure in 10 hours by the tailor, D.W. Elder.
• The first cricket club formed in Ipswich had 20 members, and played their first game
23rd October 1848.
• In the 1850s the area at the corner of Limestone and Nicholas Streets, was a brick yard,
then later the Water Reserve; this covered the block bordered by Nicholas, South,
Ellenborough and Limestone streets and became in 1894 the Central Gardens.
• In the 1850s the area from Limestone Hill to Thorn Street was the stock pound yard.
• The North Australian Jockey Club was formed in Ipswich at a meeting on 11th June 1852.
• A Branch of the Bank of New South Wales opened in a small cottage on the corner of East and
Union Ipswich on 24th September 1853.
• John Clune was the leasee of the North Australian Hotel in Nicholas Street in 1854. His
sister was the wife of the explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell.
• The North Australian Ipswich and General Advertiser newspaper began on 2nd October 1854, by
twin brothers E.J. and A.C. Bays.
• The population of Ipswich in 1859 was said to be 3,732 with 807 houses.
• Harry Hooper and C.C. Cameron found gold at Tooloom in 1859.
• In 1859 Queen Victoria signed Letters of Patent creating the new Colony of Queensland.
• The first iron letter box in Ipswich was in Brisbane Street near the cutting, in May 1859.
• The first Governor of Queensland Sir George Ferguson Bowen and his wife Lady Bowen, visited
Ipswich 21st December 1859.
• The Mary Tregear Hostel in Limestone Street was built before 1860.
• Mr T Makepeace was the first patient admitted to the new Ipswich Hospital in 1860.
• In 1860 there were four Cotton Ginning Establishments in Ipswich; J.& G. Harris,
Rowe & Lennon East Street, John Pettigrew and Cribb & Foote.
• The first army established in the new Colony of Queensland was in Ipswich on 19th May 1860.
• The Queensland Government made a Grant of half an acre of land in Roderick Street, to the
German Lutheran Church on the 27th September 1862.
• A public notice in the newspaper on 7th January 1862 stated that “Manure and rubbish can be
shot on my ground at the corner of Wharf and Brisbane Street.” T.H. Brenneke.
• The wardens of St Paul’s Church Ipswich in 1862 recommended the use of kerosene lights
instead of the candles in use at that time.
• The Criterion Hotel which was close to the Court House on Warwick Road in 1862 was for
lease.
• “The Yard” on the corner of Bell and Brisbane Street, was a stone mason W. Trotter in April
1862.
• H.M. Reeve was an outfitter and hosier at the corner of Brisbane and Bell Street 1863.

• Doctor Mactaggart Dorsey was appointed as the first Magistrate in Ipswich 30^th September 1846
• In the late 1850’s there was a shortage of coins for small change, and several private firms minted their own “tokens” which were mainly pennies and half-pennies.
• Turkey Opium – A case of this, a very fine sample, is available at the Medical Hall Ipswich. M. Barnes Proprietor, February 8^th 1861.
• A shipment of 4 bales of cotton was sent from Ipswich to England in 1862.
• A United Free Church was opened in Canning St. North Ipswich on March 22^nd Built of pine it could accommodate 50 persons.
• In 1871 Frederick W. Whitehouse baker and caterer opened his business in Nicholas Street Ipswich.
• Henry Walker opened his Queensland Boarding House in Brisbane Street Ipswich in 1873.
• Mr Charles Pitt purchased 30,000 bricks from Mr Shepherd of the * Bundanba Pottery to erect a sugar-mill at Redbank Plains in * Correct spelling in 1875
• Miss Eleanor Elliott was a lady preacher who conducted Divine Service at the Primitive Methodist Church East St Ipswich in October 1879.
• The Ipswich Town Clerk in May 1887 J. Kendall, called for applications in May 1887 for the office of Street Lamp Lighter.

Sir George Ferguson BOWEN the first Governor of Queensland officiated at the Opening of the Ipswich Grammar School, the first in Queensland on the 25th of September, 1863.
Mr Stuart HAWTHORNE M.A. was appointed as Headmaster until the end of 1868, when John McCRAE M.A. held the position until replaced by Donald CAMERON M.A. in July 1875 until December 1900.
From “Red Gum” Queensland Times,27th September 1921