TIARO - 1842 TO EARLY 1900'S

1842 - 1867
Tiaro was probably known to the aboriginals as the place where they found water — lily roots. Actually the first white man in this district was Jem Davies. At 16 years of age Jem stole 2/6 from a church collection plate in Glasgow. For this dreadful offence he was transported. But he escaped from the Moreton Bay Convict Settlement and for fifteen years made his home with the blacks who liked him and knew him as Duramboi. In 1842 Petrie sailed his whaleboat up the Wide Bay River and re-captured Jem Davies at Tiaro — now a man in his thirties who had forgotten his native tongue and had to re-learn English. Later that year John Eales settled on the land from Tinana to Tiaro, six years before the first Maryborough settlement. Duramboi was back again too, but this time he helped guide Mr Joliffe, in charge of Eales' sheep, all the way from the Hunter River to Tiaro. The sheep were brought safely overland, thanks to him. You might like to know that Duramboi afterwards worked as a blacksmith in Brisbane and then opened a successful crockery shop. He died worth £10,000. In the meantime, Eales sheep station was faring badly. Dingoes killed many sheep and blacks speared sheep and shepherds. Two of his men lie buried in the lane behind Mrs T Jamieson's and one of his bullock drays was tipped into the swamp where it lay for many years. The station was abandoned in 1843.
There were various unsuccessful attempts in the years that followed, but the first, which lasted, was when Mr John Eaton brought cattle in 1853 and took up a grazing area of about three hundred square miles. The Tiaro part of his property was managed by his son-in-law, Mr Thos Cornwall. In 1863 the first farms on the bank of the river were established at Kooringa, and in 1864 the township of Tiaro was surveyed into town allotments and a few sold. Among the early settlers at the time were Thos Lawrence, James Nash (discoverer of Gympie gold), John Cunningham, Magnus Steven, the Gordons and Henry Ross.

1867 - 1881
In 1867 gold was discovered at Gympie. All gold was taken by road to Maryborough, and as a staging centre, Tiaro began to grow. The gold itself was kept overnight at Tiaro Police station under guard, in the building which is now the CWA Rest Rooms. Those were the days of bad roads, no bridges and hard travelling. The settlers grew horse feed and sold it to the carriers. The surplus went by punt to Maryborough, taking three days to get there. Down the river too, floated huge rafts of cedar, pine and other logs. But Bullock and horse teams and Cobb & Co coaches were the main means of transport. Mr Inman opened the first hotel but by 1881 there were four hotels flourishing. In 1875 the population was given as between three and four hundred inhabitants, much the same as today. It increased even more after the railway was built in 1881. A post office was first established in 1868, the year after the gold discovery. Over the first year there were Postmasters, Mr T Cornwall, Mr J Inman and Mr J O'Connor, but then Mr E A Ferguson ran it for six years, in conjunction with his shop on the corner opposite what is now the Memorial Hall, and next to present Connor's butchery. The salary, by the way, was £12 per annum, increased to £25 and then £65 after the railway was built and the full postal services established. In 1881 the mail to Cootharaba was taken by packhorse.

SCHOOLS
The first school was opened in 1870 in a slab hut near the big fig tree at the swamp, with Mr Bridge as headmaster. Pupils paid l/- a week for their education. In 1873, it was moved to the Protestant Hall and in 1878 to its present site on the hill. There was also a private school of a dozen or less pupils run by Miss Anderson, aunt of Sir William Glasgow. This was in the house across the railway line from the Protestant Hall. The wife of our Shire Chairman was a pupil there.

1881 - 1900's
After the railway was opened in 1881 the township grew apace with new settlers arriving and buildings going up. In 1880 cheese was first made in Tiaro under government supervision and in 1890 a shingle-roofed cheese factory was built on the heights above the river. The directors were Messrs Forbes, Scougall and Hamil. Mr MacDougal later bought it for a butter factory. Later it was sold to a Downs Company, later still it became a Co-operative. In 1913 it was transferred to Murgon. At first local affairs were administered by a Tiaro Divisional Board, but in 1884 the Tiaro Shire Council was gazetted with Nathan Frail as Chairman; and councillors appointed were Messrs Drain, Marcus Boge, G Dart, T Lawrence and J Job. Another very early member of the Council was Mr J Dale. Tiaro was a busy town at this time, with four hotels — Railway Hotel (Edmunds), Queens Hotel, Royal and Victoria Hotels (Nathan Frail). The old lamppost in front of this still stands to mark its place. There were three blacksmiths shops — Woodhouse's (later Waldocks), Bertelsen's (later Bolderrow's) and Hauritz's which still functions as an up-to-date garage catering for the fast modern tourist as the original did for the Cobb and CO's horses. Lawrence, James Nash (discoverer of Gympie gold), John Cunningham, Magnus Steven, the Gordons and Henry Ross.
Besides a sawmill there were two butchers, Harwood and Hopper. Mr Hopper had a young assistant called Connors (father of our present butcher), who used a boat for meat deliveries. There were also Axelsen's bakery, McKewen's store (run by John and William), Job's store, Douglas the saddler, Ellis and Ahearn auctioneers, Poole wheelwright and carpenter, other carpenters were James Cook, Christensen and Petersen, and Larsen's boot shop. This shop was opened as a result of the 1893 flood. Mr Mils Larsen had a farm at Deborah and in the flood worked to help some of his neighbours' possessions. Then he went back to his Old Country trade of making and repairing boots and shoes. Soon he bought out the saddlers next door and prospered. Today his son serves the discerning customers not only in Tiaro but also from Gympie and Maryborough and beyond. Another boot repairer had started much earlier. He was Mr J Dale who had built a two-story place opposite the Post Office. Later this became a hotel (the Royal). Shortly after the 1893 flood Mr Dale built a cheese factory at the foot of Hopper's Hill. His cheese maker was Mr William Young, and his part-time secretary was John Maslen. Tiaro also had a doctor, Dr Bailey, who left his house as it was washed away in the flood.

 CHURCHES
The Protestant Hall built in 1873 served as a meeting place for all Protestant denominations. The Roman Catholic Church was built about 1879, with Father John Reilly as pastor. The Church of England Church opened in 1884 with the Rev. G Hall as resident vicar and in 1886 the Presbyterians held their first service in their own church, Rev. J K Aitken being minister. Note that men of all denominations worked together to build each church. For that was how the pioneers got things done. Later there was a Methodist Church in Tiaro and a Salvation Army Band. A Christian Endeavour group flourished too. Tiaro police included some worthy men — Pickering, Casey, King and Sergeant McMullan are examples. For recreation there were dances every week, sports meetings and picnics. very Boxing Day there was a big race meeting. More and more settlers were coming and taking up land as it was divided. Here are some names not so far mentioned — Samuel Reid, Hall, John Hunter, Gilchrist, Ingham, Bishop, White, John Copson, W Dowling, John and Henry Maslin, Nellaman, Jacobsen. All had farms on the river. Mr B H Jacobsen was the first to irrigate from the Mary River. He used a hand pump. There was Joe Wade, Robert and Thomas McKewen, W. Andrews, Murray family and Andrew Jessen, Douglas's, Wilson's and Joungs. At Netherby were the Biddles family and the Jamieson's. Other names mentioned among the early settlers are — T & C Pyne, Sinclair, Groundwater, Raynor, Ponting and Dowser. (Mr Dowser had a lovely home at the "Oaks" and later was Mayor of Maryborough.) The Wagner's had property at Viewmount. Mr Wagner Sr. was teacher at Deborah and later at Little Bauple School. There were too, Larse Andersen, Richards, Brims, Philpott, Missing, Geysing, Christensen and Phillips. Mr Hansen and Mr Madsen once grew tobacco near Tiaro and hand-made cigars sold at 10/- per box of 100. Then there were the timbermen and teamsters, successors of the Cunninghams and others of the earliest days. Such men as Alex Read, John Hammell, Bob Whannell, Steele Greer, Denis Sheehan, Isaac Hetherington and William Barriskill. And of course the railway men — Jeppesen, Bourke, Lourigan, Slattery, Rethamel, Turner, Williams and others. The farmers, in particular, by dint of hard work and perseverance were making a success of the land although some blocks must have been very small. We cannot visualise the hardships they took as a matter of course. Repeated floods culminated in the record 1893 flood that swept the banks clear of homes, stock and possessions. There was no government aid then. The folk helped themselves and one another. Mrs Stockwell Sr. lived as a child then at Kooringa railway gates. Her father pick-a- backed his children one at a time across the bridge to safety. He carried the last one across with the water lapping at his feet. There must be many such stories as family after family lost all they owned. Although some left, those who remained did not give up. They simply built again, a little better than before and further from the river, In 1902 drought showed what it could do. Remember it is because of what they endured that we can prepare for droughts and floods today. The farmers used the lessons learnt so bitterly and now although modern speed and modern roads have drained the town itself, Tiaro district is one of the best farming and grazing areas in Queensland. From Tiaro have gone men and women who have made their marks in the world. A statesman Sir William Glasgow a soldier Colonel Paterson of the 47th Battalion, religious leaders — Colonel Paterson's brother and other ministers of religion. Among scholars, we produced Professor Gordon of the Queensland University and numerous teachers. Among nurses, Tiaro representatives are found everywhere, Sisters Victoria Christensen and Ida Axelsen went overseas in World War I and in modern times Nessie Wilson of Birdsville Flying Doctor Base. Tiaro will always be a good place to live with its healthy climate and lovely view of mountain and river, its combination of city amenities and country friendliness and privacy. Never let us forget those who paved the way.
Thanks for help and information to late Mr John Steven, Mr S A Cunningham, Mr Wagner, Mr Maynard (Shire Clerk), Mr R S Mc Kewen, Mr Geysing and especially to my collaborator Mrs Geo Willimott and her mother Mrs Lawrence.
M Burgess
International Officer
Tiaro Branch Country Women's Assoc

Camping Spots
Royal Hotel : Free camping for two nights, toilet and shower facilities Memorial Park
Petrie Park : Free overnight camping located off Van Doorm Rd facilities include toilet, wood BBQ, boat ramp to the Mary River.
or stay in self contained cabins at Tiaro Tourist Stopover.
Tiaro District Motor Inn.

Tiaro Vistor Information Centre Mayne Street 07 41292599