L is for Douglas LAWRENCE Poulson and Loloma #AtoZChallenge 2016

My theme for the AtoZChallenge is exploring the Walker family . Thinking about the family I realised that they were around in Mackay, Queensland in the early days of settlement so I have decided to discover some snippets of early Mackay as it relates to this family and others in my family tree. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Douglas Lawrence (Doug) Poulson was my 2nd cousin twice removed and the third son of Powell (Paul) Poulson and Florence Elizabeth Walker. Doug was born on 17th February 1913 in Mackay. I have not been able to find a marriage for Doug and believe that he did not marry.
Doug appears in the Daily Mercury [1] on Saturday 13 March 1926 with a severe and painful accident, I wonder what this was?

He must have recovered as there are numerous accounts in the Mercury of Doug winning prizes for cycling and being part of a winning cricket team.

Doug died on the 4th June 1975 in Mackay.

Now for Loloma...

Loloma [2] is a siding named by the Railway Department on 20 November 1914. It is a Fijian word meaning "favour", however it is not recorded whether it was named after this meaning.

Loloma is south of Mackay,near Sarina and the township of Koumala. Trove supplies us with many mentions of Loloma noted in the Daily Mercury [3] traveling by train no doubt.

I wonder what life was like in 1915, during WWI, I imagine picnics and the like were welcome distractions. Simple pleasures. I have very fond memories of family picnics when I was a child and often reminisce about those times.

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[1] 1926 'DISTRICT NEWS.', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 13 March, p. 2. , viewed 14 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article168807966
[2]  http://www.mackayhistory.org/research/placenames/placenames.htmlHistorical Review of Koumala and District 1859-1974
[3] 1915 'FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' DAY.', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 16 September, p. 6. , viewed 16 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175030443

K is for Kanaka #AtoZChallenge2016

My theme for the AtoZChallenge is exploring the Walker family . Thinking about the family I realised that they were around in Mackay, Queensland in the early days of settlement so I have decided to discover some snippets of early Mackay as it relates to this family and others in my family tree. I hope you enjoy the journey.

K is for Kanaka ...

Kanaka labourers on a Queensland pineapple plantation.
Source unknown - nla.pic-an24494586

According to the Macquarie Dictionary, the word "kanaka", which was once widely used in Australia, is now regarded in Australian English as an offensive term for a Pacific Islander. In part, this is because most "Kanakas" in Australia were people from Melanesia, rather than Polynesia, and included few Hawaiians. The descendants of 19th-century immigrants to Australia from the Pacific Islands now generally refer to themselves as "South Sea Islanders", and this is also the term used in formal and official situations [1].

Kanakas at the Pioneer Sugar Mill [picture] / Reckitt and Mills ca. 1875 PIC Album 261 #PIC/8007/138 NLA

During the late 1860s and early 1870s, "recruiters" ranged the South Seas in search of kanakas to work Queensland sugar and cotton plantations. Former South Seas trader Captain Robert Towns (after whom Townsville is named) began this dubious practice in August 1863 when he imported 67 islanders from the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Torres Strait Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Some were kidnapped ("blackbirded") or otherwise induced into long-term indentured service.

Of the more than 60,000 Islanders recruited from 1863, the majority were to be "repatriated" (that is, deported) by the Australian Government between 1906-08 under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 legislation prompted by the White Australia policy. 

My great-great-grandfather, Joseph Antoney, made a submission to a Queensland Parliament Inquiry about European labour in the cane fields of north Queensland, stating that European men were unable to labour in the heat. I have currently misplaced his submission :) - my filing system. Joseph employed Japanese labour on his selection "Etonvale" as told by my grandmother. I'm unsure if he employed kanakas.

The Australian South Sea Islander community was recognised as a unique minority group in 1994 after a report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission found they had become more disadvantaged than the indigenous Australians[2].


[1] [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaka_(Pacific_Island_worker) accessed 14 Apr 2016

J is for Jens and Jolimont #AtoZChallenge2016

J is for Jens Frederick Lauritzen Meng and Jolimont.

Jens Frederick Lauritzen Meng married Florence Mary Elizabeth (Flo) Harvison, my 2nd cousin twice removed on the 9th June 1926 probably in Mackay. Flo was the second daughter of James and Florence Elizabeth Harvison née Walker. The couple had three daughters, Betty, Florence Alma and Joyce Nita.

There is much more research needed for the Meng family, Jens was born in 1899 in Mackay but I wonder where his family came from?

Now on to Jolimont …

Jolimont pastoral run was part of the St Helen’s run formed in the early 1860s, the McCartney’s, notably Sir John McCartney, were the first owners of St Helen’s run as noted in the Daily Mercury¹.

Jolimont is situated between Mackay and Bowen between Kuttabul and Mt Ossa. The Jolimont Creek is bisected by the Bruce Highway heading north from Mackay.

Map of Mackay area - Jolimont is the area enclosed south of Mt Ossa.

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1. 1942 'COLORFUL PERSONALITY', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 29 April, p. 4. , viewed 12 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170208531

I is for Infants and Islands #AtoZChallenge2016

I is for infants and islands.

The Walker family, as many in their era, suffered the loss of infants. While their three daughters survived to live long and fulfilling lives, their daughters were not so fortunate.

Florence and James Harvison lost an infant son (Thomas Alexander) when he was only ten days old in October 1896. Frances and William Higham were fortunate and escaped that sadness. While Georgina and Herbert Porter lost a daughter (Florence Mary) within her first year in 1915.

Child mortality in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was high and major attention was focused on diphtheria, infant diarrheal illnesses, tuberculosis, streptococcal infections and their complications, and other pediatric infections such as scarlet fever. There is a good article in the journal Nature called “The history of paediatric infectious diseases”¹.

How fortunate we are now in the twenty-first century to have modern medicine at our fingertips. SO many of my family have lost multiple children as infants – I can’t imagine how devastating that would be – some ancestors lost four or five children in infancy and still managed to carry on with their lives. I think those women were brave beyond belief.

Now for the Islands …

Mackay has a number of islands immediately off the coast. The Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park, which surrounds the islands, gives recognition and protection to the area’s significant marine values.

The Cumberland Island Group lie protected inside the Great Barrier Reef off the coast from Mackay. Access to the less developed southern islands is from Mackay or Seaforth by private boat charter. Captain Cook named the Cumberland islands, European settlements and grazing began around the turn of the century on St Bees².

Many historical accounts record a long history of use of the islands dating from European settlement to the present with many of the islands having seen attempts of settlement beginning in the late 1800s for grazing, timber harvesting, homestead and tourism leases.

Both the Darumbal and Yuibera people have a strong connection with the islands in this area. The Ngaro people also have a strong connection to the northern islands and were sea country specialists using the rich marine resources of the intertidal zones, fringing reefs, and surrounding seas to support their community.

These islands are also important rookies for flatback and green turtles which are protected. St Bees Island also has a colony of koala habitats. Within the Cumberland Island, Brampton, Carlisle, Scawfell, Goldsmith, Cockermouth, Keswick, and St Bees are all national park islands³.

Mackay Location Map http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Mackay

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1. http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v55/n1/full/pr200425a.html
2. http://www.australianexplorer.com/cumberland_island_group.htm
3. http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/managing/plans-strategies/statements/pdf/mackay-island.pdf
4. http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Mackay

H is for Higham and Hay Point #AtoZChallenge2016

H is for Higham and Hay Point.

In choosing what to write for H, I decided on Higham. My 1st cousin 3 times removed, Frances Helena Margaret Walker married William Jame Higham on the 21st February 1898 in Walkerston. The couple had nine children, four girls and five boys between 1899 and 1916, all of which reached adulthood.

So I went to Trove to see what I could find about the family generally and discovered that they seemed to have quite a few mishaps along the way reported in the Mackay Daily Mercury newspaper.

In 1924, it was reported the  Frances was conveyed by ambulance from their Seaforth holiday residence suffering from pneumonia¹
.


In 1929, it was reported that W Higham (this would be William Alexander, son of William and Frances) was badly scalded at the mill and that he had previously had a similar accident².



In 1932, Mrs Higham (again Frances) was in hospital suffering from a poisoned hand³.



In 1933, Marjory Higham (granddaughter of William and Frances) fell out of bed and broke her collarbone⁴.



In 1936, Mr W Higham (William Alexander) had the misfortune of getting a bullet through his leg⁵.



In 1938, Mr W. J. Higham (aged 70) is in hospital with a severe gash to the right foot caused by the axe slipping⁶.



In 1954, it was reported that Daphne Higham (don’t quite know her connection as yet) had a toe injury⁷.



There were many more incidents noted in the Mercury, these are just a sample. Trove is wonderful in that we can see the little mishaps that occur in our families, being a local district paper all things were written about at that time.

Now, briefly about Hay Point ...

Hay Point is at the southern end of Dalrymple Bay and is 18 km south-east of Mackay

According to the Mackay, Historic Society Hay Point was named after Heuston Stewart Dalrymple-Hay (1835-1879) who was appointed Sub-Collector of Customs in 1870 in Mackay and later became the Harbour Master⁸.

In the late 1960s, the Utah Development Company (USA) and Mitsubishi (Japan) embarked on massive coal mining at Goonyella, about 150 km south-west of Mackay. The consortium built a separate rail track, running parallel with the Queensland rail route in parts and proceeding through the Sarina district to Hay Point, the site for a massive coal-export terminal. A wharf 1.5 km long was built, and the first coal was loaded from it in 1971. The Hay Point facility is close to a similar government-owned wharf (1983) at Dalrymple Bay, which is leased to the private sector. There is a lookout for viewing both terminals⁹.

Overlooking Hay Point Coal Loader from Mt Griffiths Lookout
Postcard Collection of Murray Views Collection
Accessed from http://queenslandplaces.com.au/hay-point

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1. 1924 'MARIAN.', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 30 April, p. 9. , viewed 10 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article168129993
2. 1929 'ETON', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 13 August, p. 3. , viewed 10 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170723361
3. 1932 'MT. PELION', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 21 June, p. 10. , viewed 10 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172810531
4. 1933 'ACCIDENTS.', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 3 July, p. 5. , viewed 09 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172959181
5. 1936 'SEAFORTH', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 10 January, p. 13. , viewed 10 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172916428
6. 1938 'AMBULANCE ATTENTION.', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 22 November, p. 8. , viewed 09 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169406619
7. 1954 'DISTRICT ROUND-UP', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 24 November, p. 5. , viewed 10 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169650564
8. http://www.mackayhistory.org/research/placenames/placenames.html
9. http://queenslandplaces.com.au/hay-point

G is for Georgina and Greenmount #AtoZChallenge2016

G is for Georgina Louisa Walker, my 1st cousin three times removed. 

Georgina Louisa was the youngest of three daughters to Alex and Mary Jane Walker and was born 1st September 1879, in the Mackay  area I am unsure of the exact place of her birth but it probably was in or near Walkerton.

Georgina married Herbert John Porter on the 2nd July 1902 in Queensland, again I am not sure of the exact location – more research needed. Herbert and Georgina had eight children, five girls, and three boys. They lost one daughter, Florence Mary, who was born and died in 1915. I have much more research to do on the Porter family to track the other children.

Georgina was widowed in 1938 and did not remarry. Herbert died in Tully. I don’t know if they were living apart at the time as Georgina was listed as living in Ingham when her daughter died. Georgina is listed in 1922 in Ingham, in 1934 in Tully and in 1949 in Halifax according to the Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Rolls.

Georgina was involved in community activities as were her sisters, Florence, and Frances. 

White Leghorn Hen (Bing Images)

In June 1935, when she was living in Tully, Georgina decorated a wedding cake as noted in the Townsville Daily Bulletin¹. Georgina was obviously a woman of many talents as she was mentioned in an N.Q Egg Laying Competition, held by the Townsville Poultry Club for White Leghorns².  There were several mentions in the ensuing years of prizes in the egg laying competition, she must have loved her hens!


In 1945, Georgina was one of the judges for a Hat Show as a Benefit for the Red Cross, see below³:
She was still involved in activities in the local communities until just before her death.

Georgina died in 1957 and was buried in the Walkerston Cemetery.

Now for Greenmount …

Greenmount is both a Parish and a selection. The land administration area has the following: Parish of Greenmount,  County of Carlisle, Mackay Land Agént’s District, South Kennedy, Queensland. The Parish of Greenmount is in the Mackay LGA, located at 21°10′S 149°03′E and includes the town of Walkerston. So you see the Parish of Greenmount applies to the extended Walker family as their various properties were within that Parish.

Now for the selection. Greenmount Homestead (five kilometres west of Walkerston) is now one of Mackay's most valued historic attractions.

John Mackay (Wikipedia)

John Mackay, who’s name has been 
immortalised in the town’s name, selected land in 1862 which he named Greenmount. There is a good article in the Daily Mercury dated 21st December 1934 titled “Early Days of Mackay”, you can read the article here.  He did not make a success of the selection and due to financial difficulties, Mackay had to relinquish his selection later that year.  'Greenmount' passed through a number of owners' hands before being bought by A. A. Cook in 1913.

Greenmount had a number of owners and was divided into some smaller parcels. It was later developed by A.A. Cook on the cattle run first taken up by Captain John Mackay and was gifted to the city by the Cook Family in 1984.

Greenmount Homestead (Mackay Regional Council)

The Homestead is open to the public and many cultural and family events are held in the house and grounds if you are in the area it would be interesting to visit. I wonder what John Mackay would think if he was alive today?

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1. 1935 'McQUILLAN—BURDELL.', Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954), 19 June, p. 8. , viewed 08 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61981427
2. 1936 'N.Q. EGG LAYING COMPETITION', Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954), 11 December, p. 5. , viewed 08 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62775646
3. 1945 'HAT SHOW WAS A HIT SHOW', Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954), 24 May, p. 2. , viewed 08 Apr 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170993629