Cobb & Co Maryborough to Gympie

Cobb & Co Route Source: State Library of Queensland

A library customer has made an enquiry about a Cobb & Co well that was used around 1800s on three mile road. This well was considered of historical significance. When the land was resumed for the interchange, the well was preserved. The customer is very keen to find out any information about this particular well and this part of the journey that Cobb & Co took. The above map is from State Library of Queensland and shows the path that Cobb  & Co followed in this area. 

The journey from Maryborough to Gympie was fraught with difficulty. "On April, 7th, 1868, three armed men stuck up the coach between Gympie and Maryborough. There were 13 passengers on the coach and the bush rangers secured 200 pounds in notes, 30 sovereigns and 15 ounces of gold".(The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922)

The first Queensland Cobb & Co. Ltd was incorporated in August 1881 with a capital of 50 000 pounds (The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922). 

Do you know anything about this or other Cobb & Co wells?

Reference: 
The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922) 15th September, 1917 retrieved from Trove  on the 11th December, 2019.

Tags #cobb&co #Maryborough #goldrush #Gympie #3mileroad

Hervey Bay was a dairy farming district

Colonsay Farm Horse Shed Source: Queensland Heritage Register

Colonsay Farm (former Doolong Farm),Source: Queensland Heritage Register

Did you know a dairy farming area that was known as Aalborg was in Hervey Bay? In the 1870s settlers from Scandinavian areas set up dairy farms and it was not until September 1877 that the town of Hervey Bay was established from this and a number of other small areas.  A farm from this era, Colonsay at Kawungan, was developed as a dairy farm from 1879 and is heritage listed here. It is considered one of the only surviving small scale dairy farms typical of that time in Hervey Bay. The Wide Bay was the second highest milk producing area of the state when Colonsay Farm was in its prime. A decline in the industry only began in Queensland in the 1950s. Anders Jensen, a Danish immigrant established the farm. The timber house was built in 1909 and other buildings include a creamery, a slab barn, cow bails, two piggeries with an enclosed timber walk-through and a dairy with electrically operated milking machines (Queensland Heritage Register).

Joan McFie also shared lots of memories of Hervey Bay including the house and property she owns on the blog here.

Do you know anything about the dairy farms in Hervey Bay?

References
Colonsay Farm (former Doolong Farm) retrieved from Queensland Heritage Register on the 10th December, 2019.


#dairyfarms #slabhuts #doolong #Colonsay #herveybay #kawungan

Woodstock House - links with early days

Queensland National Bank - Australia Source: Fraser Coast Image Gallery

The National Bank of Australia building also know as Woodstock House, located on the corner of Richmond Street and Kent Street was erected in 1915 (Maryborough Chronicle). The main contractor was NC Steffensen who had tendered to complete the work at a cost of 2997 pounds (Queensland Heritage Register). 

After auction it became headquarters for Burrum Shire Council (Queensland Heritage Register). The previous Burrum Shire Council quarters on the corner of Ellena and Bazaar Street  were demolished  in the 1960s and 4MB was built on the site creating the need for the Council to find new premises. "The Burrum Shire Council was formally decommissioned in 1976 when the building was sold into private ownership and used for office tenancies" (Queensland Heritage Register). The building was then acquired by a group of Doctors (Queensland Heritage Register).

Queensland National Australia Bank Source: Fraser Coast Image Gallery

The land was originally owned by Mr Edmund Uhr who bought it in 1955. The site was formally occupied by a warehouse erected for Stoward, Bryant and Company in 1870 (Queensland Heritage Register).

It is described as a two-storey revival classic building with single story residence attached to the eastern side. It is rendered brick construction with Corinthian columns.

The Queensland Heritage Register States "The name Woodstock House, which currently appears on the building's parapet, was given to it in the 1970s when it was purchased by doctors E Dunn and K Pearson for use as a surgery; Woodstock being the name of Dr Dunn's home in Lennox Street at the time. Major restoration work was carried out on the building after 1999 when the bricks were stripped and the columns were painted".

Queensland National Bank (former) (1997); Heritage Branch
Source: Queensland Heritage Register

A branch of the Queensland National Bank was  established in  Pialba, Hervey Bay on the 6th February, 1919 (Maryborough Chronicle).

Do you have any stories about Woodstock House?

References
Maryborough Chronicle 24th June, 1915 retrieved from Trove  on 4th December, 2019.
Maryborough Chronicle 6th February, 1919 retrieved from Trove on the 4th December, 2019.
Queensland National Bank (former) retrieved from Queensland Heritage Register  on the 5th December, 2019.
Tags #woodstockhouse #maryborough #localhistory #heritage #nationalaustralia #bank