John Ambertel - one of the oldest Australian South Sea Islanders in the Fraser Coast

As part of our Having a Voice oral history project we have interviewed John Ambertel,who will be 86 this year and is one of the oldest Australian South Sea Islanders living on the Fraser Coast. He has a rich memory of life as a drover, a horse lover, a car man and a cane cutter. His many fascinating stories will be uploaded on to our Youtube page found here

Historypin and Having a Voice; Heritage Week Theme 8-14th of May

An early Labour Day procession in Maryborough, Qld. The float has been prepared by the Butchers Union with the aim to reduce hours. Hours were 77 per week.  They were reduced to 68 hours and this was in place when this image was taken. The Union  are asking  for a further reduction to 48 hour week. 

Historypin is a platform where you can share your digital images. Fraser Coast Libraries have been working with Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc to populate our Having a Voice collection with interesting photos. These include images relating to the Eight Hour Day, the Town Criers and the Eisteddfods. This collection includes 67 images currently and can be found here .Our Historypin chat group will be adding information to the images. This group has been researching the Eight Hour Day and the Benevolent Society for three months.

Please join and add your own images or come along to the Historypin chat session in Maryborough on the first Tuesday of the month, at 12 noon. The next one will be held on the 2nd of May in the Maryborough creative space.

Look for more displays, the Vintage film Eliza Fraser and Oral History presentation found here and here  during Heritage Festival Week celebrations between the 8th and 14th of May, 2017.

Colonel G. Birkbeck - Consecration of Colours 1928

Fraser Coast Libraries received some photos from R.A. Birkbeck (Bob) that he found in his Grandfather's belongings.  Enclosed in a letter where photos of Colonel G. Birkbeck and a Consecration of Colours event at Ululah, Maryborough, 1928.

Colonel G. Birkbeck 5th regiment receiving the Colours in Maryborough 20th May, 1928.

These are the Medals being worn by Bob's Grandfather

Consecration of Colours

Colonel G. Birkbeck passing guidon to Mayor Barker, 20th May, 1928.

General Foote and Staff taking salute at the March Past Sunday, 20th May, 1928

The Kings colours

Have you got any old photos in boxes?
Learn how to digitise them at the Historypin chat group held the first Tuesday of the month in Maryborough Library at 12 noon. The next session is May 2nd, 2017.

If you have digitised photos, you can also add them to our history pin site found here

Tags #ululah #maryborough #army #regiment

Having a Voice

Keith and Juanita Shang, Mildred Goldsmith, Leon Johnson and Dudley Byquar have participated in our oral history recordings Having a Voice.

Keith and Juanita Shang

Keith and Juanita Shang tell a fascinating story about their life together. Keith, who turns 91 this year, tells us about his life as a Chinese Australian.  Juanita gives us her perspective as his wife and also as the descendant of a family with a very interesting history including Red Coats and overseas battles.  

Mildred Goldsmith

Ninety-six year old Mildred Goldsmith tells us about her life in the area. She remembers very clearly the way things were in her childhood and brings us through her life to her current honours as a Professor of Ikebana. We were able to capture her delight in the events of her life as she generously shared her story.

Leon and Dudley Byquar remember family members.

Brothers Leon Johnson and Dudly Byquar reminisce about life as children on Plantation Island Road. They recall the last of the original Kanaka men who lived in the area and tell us about their life going to school and later working in the cane fields of Nikenbah and beyond. 

All these oral history recordings will be available on the libraries' youtube site 

Tags #Australianchinese #Australiansouthseaislanders #plantationisland #herveybay #Herveybaylibraries #frasercoast #Herveybay #Nikenbah #Ikebana #redcoats

Henry Stoward - Mayor of Maryborough 1867-1874

Henry Stoward left his parents home in Middlesex, England, at the age of fifteen years. He worked as a Pawn Broker's Clerk.  Having decided to make a new life in Australia, he left aboard the sailing ship St Vincent on the 13th November, 1848 arriving at Port Jackson (Sydney) on the 11th of March, 1849, a voyage that lasted 17 weeks.

Six years later he married Elizabeth Connell at Mundure, a sheep station situated in the Burnett Valley on the 17th June, 1855. Elizabeth Connell was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland in 1837 and came to Australia with her elder sister in approximately 1853.

Mayors of Maryborough which became the Fraser Coast Council:
1861 Henry Palmer
1861 John Eaton
1862 James Dowzer
1863-64 A.W. Melville
1864 Robert Case
1864-6 Henry Palmer
1867-8 Henry Stoward
1868-69 John Harwood
1869 Henry Stoward
1869 T.N. Milner
1870 C.E.S. Booker
1871 Charles Powell
1872 Frederick Bryant
1872 James Dowzer
1873-4 Henry Stoward
1875 C.E.S Booker
1876 William Southerden
1877 J.T. Annear
1878 R.M. Hyne
1879 Thomas Penny
1880-1 N.E.N Tooth
1882 Frederick Bryant
1883 Charles Powers
1884 Frederick Bryant
1885-6 N.E.N Tooth
1887 William Dawson
1888-9 Frederick Bryant
1890 George Stupart
1891 N.E.N Tooth
1892 J.M. Stafford
1892 William Harris
1893-4 John Bartholomew
1895 Fritz Kinne
1896-7 J.M. Stafford
1898 C.S. McGhie (Snr)
1899 J. E. Noakes
1900 John Norman (Snr)
1901 Charles Rabaa
1902 Robert Jones
1903 Andrew Dunn
1904 C.H. Johnson
1905-7 William Dawson
1908 W.S. Sim
1909 Charles Rabaa
1910 C. S. McGhie (Snr)
1911 Charles Rabaa
1912 Patrick Tuohy
1913 H. J. Hyne
1914 Andrew Dunn
1915 John Blackley
1916 H.A. Reed
1917 George Holbut
1918 H.J. Hyne
1919 E.H. Warry
1920 Isaac Bushnell
1921-4 H.A. Reed
1924-30 C. A. Adam
1930 - 33 Henry Bashford
1933-39 W.H. Demaine
1939 - 50 R.D. McDowell
1950 - 55 Cyril Tanner
1955-6 H.L. Jones
1956-64 R.A. Hunter, M.B.E., M.M.
1964-70 Ralph Stafford
1970-88 John Anderson
1988-91 R.J. Peters
1991-2004 Alan Brown
2004-2008 Barbara Hovard
2008 - 2012 Mick Kruger
2012 - 2015 Gerrard O'Connell
2015 - present Chris Loft


Do you have a favourite Mayor? What can you tell us about them?

References
Gietzelt. A.0. (1992) Letter to Council
Maryborough Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc A Photographic Display in the Maryborough School of Arts
Maryborough District Family Historical Society (later Mayors)
Matthews, T. (1995). River of Dreams- A history of Maryborough and District. Maryborough, Qld: Maryborough City Council.