Key Stanthorpe events, 1949:
January 11
• Improvements to Town Suggested: “At a meeting held last evening most sections of the community were well represented. Main discussions centre around several recommendations made by the Committee. It was decided to write to the Shire Council requesting that a shelter shed, stone fireplace and three rustic seats be erected and suitable access be formed to the Sentimental Rocks. Also that consideration is given to the planting of creepers. Those present were unanimous in the decision that an erection of a suitable pagoda illustrative folder be published of the district’s beauty spots.”
January 21
• Stanthorpe Man’s Death After Fall from Horse (Leslie McLady)
• Stanthorpe Tourist Development
January 25
• Granite Belt Testifies Appreciation and Esteem to Retiring Department
• The aggregate number of entries received for Stanthorpe’s 1948 show eclipses all previous figures since the holding of annual shows was recommenced following the war years.
January 28
• Official Opening of RSL Hall at Wallangarra
• Show Society: Presentation of Life Membership to Mr Pratt
• Stanthorpe Show, Spectacular Opening Ceremony Planned: “All horsemen taking part in the Grand Parade will form a semi-circle with their mounts round the far side of the ring when His Excellency the Governor of Queensland, Sir John Lavarack, officially opened the Stanthorpe show from the centre of the ring on Friday afternoon next. Another interesting feature of the arrangements is the intended filming in colour of show activities by James Rogers & Sons, of Toowoomba.”
February 1
• Formation of A Company of the 25th Battalion: “A public meeting was held in the Shire Hall on Friday evening for the purpose of ascertaining whether Stanthorpe Training Centre of the Darling Downs Regiment, the 25th Infantry Battalion could be successfully re-opened. The requirement for Stanthorpe was
one company, 126 men.”
February 8
• Wealth of Granite Belt Revealed in Stanthorpe’s 1949 Show: “The 1949 Stanthorpe Show will be recorded in the district’s history as the one which attracted the highest quality in the fruit, wool and fat cattle exhibits in the sequence of successes enjoyed by the society. Never has the quality of the fruit been superior than displayed at last week’s show, and in their non-competitive exhibits, Iona Colds Stores & Packing House, Messrs S. McLucas and C.J. Lawer and the DSGC exhibited fruit which, in the opinion of the judges, could not be better in Australia. A stroke of misfortune forced the abandonment of all plans made by the Show Society for a spectacular opening ceremony. Following the Grand Parade in which about fifty horses and riders took part, the members of the Stanthorpe Town Band marched into the ring and took up position in front of the semi-circle formed around the far side of the ring by the Grand Parade participants. The official party were escorted to seats under three beach umbrellas erected in the centre of the ring but scarcely a few minutes before the official opening was scheduled to commence, the electrical power cut out and the proposal for microphones to convey the speeches to the crowd had to be abandoned.”
• Rabbits’ Menace to Grazing Industry: A Mallow correspondent writes, “Rabbits in all districts have rapidly increased in numbers to such an extent that they are now in plague proportions. Pastures that were densely covered in grass a few months ago are now eaten bare. Graziers are faced with many difficulties in their fight against the rabbit menace. One of their biggest problems is the reluctance of trappers to go after rabbits because of the low price of skins. Shortage of fumigants and especially rabbit netting is placing graziers in a hopeless position.”
February 15
• Stanthorpe Shire to be reconstituted in financial divisions: “From the 1st July next, the finances of the Stanthorpe Shire will be conducted under a system of separate divisions, with as many graziers as possible comprising one of those divisions. The boundaries will be drawn up by the Works Committee for submission to the next general meeting of the Shire Council. The decision to revert to the system of divisions was. made at last Friday’s council meeting and was the ultimate result of continued representations from the Graziers Association of Stanthorpe made over the past 12 months.
• Boxing – Two Stanthorpe Boys Win in Brisbane: “Two Stanthorpe boys – Ray Barr and Reg Beddow – had very easy wins in the Golden Gloves tournament in Brisbane last night.”
• Council abandons £27,000 drainage scheme.
• Councillors were unanimous at last Friday’s Council meeting that the £27,000 scheme submitted by the Engineer for the drainage of all streets from Mt Marley to Marsh Street was at present beyond the financial scope of the Council.
March 1
• Deputy Premier in Stanthorpe – Welcome Extended at Civic Centre
March 8
• “At the request of the Stanthorpe Shire, an inquiry will be conducted by an appointed magistrate into the recent dismissal from the employ of the Council of Mr J. J. Mitchell and other council business in this connection. This decision resulted from a discussion by the Council during the morning session of its meeting last Friday, on a letter from the Municipal Officers Association, questioning the authority of the Engineer (Mr N. Croft) to dismiss Mr Mitchell, who was working foreman at the time. Following the luncheon break, the Engineer handed in his resignation, which was to have taken effect from Friday last, but which he was later persuaded to postpone until the end of March.”
March 11
• The Stanthorpe Shire Council at last Friday’s meeting adopted with the exception of a few minor technical alternations, the boundaries drawn up by the Works Committee in conjunction with representatives of the Graziers Association of Stanthorpe and decided to have the Stanthorpe Shire constituted in four financial divisions.
March 22
• On a ceremony which marked a historic occasion for Queensland’s border town of Wallangarra and with the spade which had several years before been plunged in similar significance at Tenterfield, Queensland’s Minister for Local Government and Housing turned the first sod in the installation of Wallangarra’s water supply on Monday last. Approximately 18 months ago the estimate of the cost of the scheme stood at £23,000 and despite the ever-increasing cost of materials, and the higher wages, Mr Mulholland (consulting engineer) had been able to assure the council that the ultimate cost would be little greater than original estimate and would definitely not exceed £25,000.
March 29
• Pipe Band at Wallangarra: “The Border Scottish Pipe Band, which was inaugurated at Wallangarra only five weeks ago, has already purchased practice instruments to the value of £26.”
April 15
• The need for the provision of fire-fighting equipment in Stanthorpe was again urged by members of the Stanthorpe and District Traders Association at the meeting last week.
May 6
• Stanthorpe Boxers Win Three Divisions at Brisbane Stadium: Barry Mann, Ronnie Mann, Doug Allen
July 5
• Stanthorpe Aerodrome: “The Department of Civil Aviation has advised that it is proposed to cancel the licence of the aerodrome and that the Department could not recommend further expenditure on this field. If it were desired to cater for a passenger service, it appeared that a new aerodrome would be necessary. The field was selected twelve years ago and during this period there has been tremendous advance in aerodrome standards. It is understood that the Council has recently been interested in developing the field to a stage suitable for an airline service. An investigation of levels discloses that the existing grades far exceed the allowable maximum longitudinal grade. It is not considered feasible to rectify the grade even by earth work on a large scale. Furthermore, the maximum length of the landing strip available is inadequate for an airline passenger service. Should the Council so desire, this field could be authorised for aerial ambulance and emergency use only. Council asked the Department to send an officer to confer with the Council on a possible new site.”
August 23
• Brisbane Show Exhibit: “The Iona Fruit Exhibit at the recent Brisbane Exhibition was recognised by critics in Brisbane and from the Southern States as the best fruit display which has as yet been staged in the Commonwealth. The colossal task of staging the exhibit may be gauged to some extent by the fact that some 17,000 Granny Smith and Delicious apples were used.”
September 2
• Anti-Communist Meeting: “One of the most enlightening addresses we have heard on the subject of Communism was ably delivered by Padre R M Park at the anti-communist meeting held under the auspices of the RSSAILA in the Rex Theatre on Tuesday evening last.”
September 9
• The Government Statistician has advised that the estimated population of the Stanthorpe Shire as at 30th June, 1948, has been recorded at 7,500.
• Stanthorpe Hospital – New X-Ray Plant Installed: “The new X-Ray plant ordered recently by the Hospitals Board is being installed at the Stanthorpe Hospital and will be ready for use immediately the installation is completed and passed.”
September 20
• Inglewood Tobacco Factory Opens Next Month
September 27
• Bank Nationalisation – Representatives of the Bank Employees Protest Committee of Queensland strongly urged: “The speakers described the opposition to the Government’s schemes for socialisation during addresses delivered at a public meeting in the Rex Theatre on Monday night last.”
• Formation of a committee on non-party lines to fight bank nationalisation, socialism and communism.
October 11
• Proposal for New Aerodrome at Applethorpe: “The Shire Engineer, Mr R. J. Stock had been instructed by the Shire Council to make a survey of an area of land east of the railway line at Applethorpe which has been recommended by an officer of the Department of Civil Aviation as suitable for the site of a new aerodrome. It has been estimated that resumption and the clearing and forming of the ground would cost in the vicinity of £8,000.”
• Proprietors of Country Club Hotel to Retire: “A strong link in the business chain of Stanthorpe will be severed on January 1, 1950, when the Misses Sheahan of the Country Club Hotel, hand over to the new licensee, Mr E Williams. With the exception of the last few years, when the building was leased as a hotel, the family have resided on the same site for 78 years. (Sisters Lillian, Grace, Molly and Margaret Sheahan).”
