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.

SNIPPETS FROM THE QUEENSLAND TIMES

• The first man to open a bakery in Ipswich was Martin BYRNE. This was in the 1840s and the bakery was situated n Bell Street.
• On 27^th September 1862 the Government made a Grant of half-an-acre of land in Roderick Street Ipswich, to Lutherans connected with the German Lutheran Church.
• The Department of Works called for tenders in February 1877 for the erection of a benevolent asylum in Ipswich. The “site chosen was a pleasant position at Sandy Gallop about three quarters of a mile from town”.
• Tenders were called in May 1886 for the erection of a hotel and shops at the corner of Down and Lowry Streets North Ipswich, North Ipswich. The hotel was to be known as Cooper’s Imperial hotel.
• Tenders were called in July 1892 for the erection of an iron footbridge over the Bremer River at Wide Gully Woodend.

NEW HOME FOR HISTORIC BRICKS

There are plans to incorporate the bricks which have been collected from Hughes Lane at Blackstone into a display at “Brynhyfryd Park” on the corner of Thomas and Mary Streets at Blackstone. These bricks have come from the site of “Brynhyfryd” the castle on the hill built in the late 1800’s by the “King of Coal” Lewis Thomas, and had been used as a road in Hughes Lane before being saved.

Another piece of history which has just come to light is the Foundation Stone of the Blackstone School of Arts, laid in 1891 by Lewis Thomas. Hopefully this will also be placed in in the  Park in the future, as this was the site of the School of Arts. The Stone is at Cooneana Heritage Centre.

 

WAR CEMETERIES IN AUSTRALIA

Many Australians travelling abroad visit war cemeteries where Australian service personnel are buried or are commemorated. Unfortunately few Australians visit any of the 70 war cemeteries scattered throughout Australia.

The Office of Australian War Graves maintains 11,416 graves (half of which are in war cemeteries and the remainder are scattered throughout 900 different civil cemeteries). There are also memorials to 132 missing personnel.

In all Australian capital cities except Canberra, there is a major war cemetery containing the graves of Commonwealth service personnel and a limited number of Allied and enemy military dead. The German Military Cemetery at Tatura, Victoria and the Japanese War Cemetery at Cowra, New South Wales, contain the graves of 250 and 523 war dead respectively.

Throughout the world war cemeteries that have monuments such as a Stone of Remembrance, indicates more than 500 war graves. The Sydney War Cemetery is the only one with a Stone of Remembrance in Australia.

A Cross of Sacrifice is present in all cemeteries with 50 or more war graves, and the size varies according to the number present. Most war cemeteries also contain a Register of the names of those buried or commemorated, and a Historical Notice at each gives the origins of the personnel.

In 1918 there were a number of boarding houses and hotels which provided accommodation in the main business district of Ipswich.

At the bottom of Nicholas Street Mr STANFIELD had the North Australian Hotel, and further up on the opposite side and near the railway line was the Central Hotel with mine host E.M. WALSH.

In Union Street opposite the Railway Station, stood the Commonwealth Hotel, and close by was the Boarding House run by Mrs AJAX, with Mrs T. McMULLINS “Clifton House” on the corner of Union and Bell Street. On one side of Bell Street stood J.T. LAISTER’s boarding house “Regis House” and on the opposite side of the street was the Caledonian Hotel with mine host M.E. STEWART, and the “Lorna Doone” Boarding House of Miss WALSH.

There was a boarding house in East Street, and Mrs AYLOTT was the owner of a boarding house in Ellenborough Street.

Opposite the Queensland Times building on the corner of Brisbane and Ellenborough was the grand North Star Hotel. Further up Brisbane Street [the area now known as The Top of Town] there were three hotels – The Club – Mr J. BARLOW, the Union – Mr C. NASH, and the Metropole Mrs E. RYAN.

On the other side of Brisbane Street were three boarding houses – Mrs G. WALTERS, Miss REED and the City Boarding House of Mrs M. BLUNT.