Key Stanthorpe events, 1947:
January 3
• Toowoomba Electric Light Co & Power Co Takes Over Electricity undertaking from Stanthorpe Shire Council
January 14
• Mr A. E. Bale Resigns Position as Shire Clerk after 40 years
January 24
• John Masel – First Stanthorpe student to win Byrnes Memorial Award in Junior University Examination
January 31
• Stanthorpe Show – Governor and Lady Lavarach to arrive Wednesday
• Stanthorpe Wool Tops Market
February 4
• History of Stanthorpe Show Society (Jim Robertson)
• Iced Wagons a Great Success: “Since the commencement of the fruit season, the COD has been railing fruit and vegetables to northern centres in an iced wagon once a week. The experiment has been entirely successful and the realisations have been very satisfactory. The produce has been precooled at Iona Cold Stores for three days prior to despatch. It is then loaded into the iced wagon and re-iced at Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville. All the produce has arrived in perfect condition and cases of fruit sent to Cooktown and Dimbulah remained quite good for eight days after they were sent from the COD branch at Cairns.”
February 11
• 47th Annual Stanthorpe Show: Fruit display would surpass anything in Commonwealth
February 18
• David Thomas Appointed Shire Clerk
February 25
• Cr. N. Crisp elected Shire Chairman unopposed
March 4
• Proposed New Maternity Hospital for Stanthorpe – to cost £40,000
• Charles Chauvel Filming “Sons of Matthew”
•Charles Chauvel will pass through Stanthorpe on Saturday next at 11 am; Accorded a Civic Reception in Tenterfield
March 11
• Civic Reception for Mrs and Mr Charles Chauvel
April 15
• Water Supply for Stanthorpe – Engineers Scheme Accepted: “50 per cent subsidy and 50-year loan term to be applied for. Following a report by Mr J. Mulholland, consulting engineer setting out in detail a comprehensive scheme for a water supply for the town of Stanthorpe from a storage dam with a capacity of 400 million gallons situated at Storm King site, the scheme was accepted by Stanthorpe Shire Council.
It provides for a gravitational supply from the dam site by a trunk main traversing, for the most part, the right or north bank to a service reservoir and treatment plant at Mt. Marley and gravitation therefore into a reticulation system complete with individual water services
as far as the property lines. The estimated cost of the installation of the complete scheme is £131,000. It was decided to apply for a 50 per cent subsidy and also a 50 years loan term. Time for completion of construction: 20-24 months. The population of benefited area – around 3000 people.”
April 18
• Suggestion to Build Shire Hall
• Money from Electric Undertaking – “During a discussion at the Stanthorpe Shire Council meeting on Friday, concerning the money received from the sale of the electrical undertaking to the Toowoomba Electric Light Company, a suggestion has been put forward that the money be used for the building of a new Shire Hall. The matter was left over to consideration at the next meeting of Council (£14,000). Cr. Hill said he had been thinking along those lines for a long time. A new Shire Hall was badly needed in Stanthorpe. Also he thought that some of the money should be allotted for helping to establish a town band.”
April 18
• Council decides on Public Meeting: “Mr Mulholland reported on negotiations concerning the adaptations of the Army water installations at Wallangarra to civilian use at that centre. A conference with representatives of Tenterfield Shire Council will be held following which the scheme will be submitted to a public meeting at Wallangarra.”
April 22
• New Block At Hospital to Be Proceeded With: “Stanthorpe Hospital Board decided to proceed with the erection of the proposed block on
the eastern side of the Hospital in the 47/48 financial year and treat the western block as a long term program. The new block will provide a public female ward of 20 beds and six private female wards. The present female ward will be converted to the Children’s Ward. The new block will be three storeys high and incorporate a life.”
• Seventh Stanthorpe Eisteddfod
• Proposed Wallangarra Water Scheme
May 6
• State Elections
May 23
• Stanthorpe Hospitals Board is to consider re-opening of private wards
May 23
• Stanthorpe Memorial Centre proposal outlined: “Club rooms for returned servicemen, public hall, hobby rooms or gymnasium, rest room for women, creche or kindergarten.”
June 10
• Reduction in Train Service – 3 Mail Trains a Week: “Owing to the coal shortage in the south, the running of the mail train from Brisbane to
Stanthorpe will be limited to three days a week as from tomorrow Staff Shortages force Inglewood General Hospital to Close Down.”
June 17
• Progress Association Requests Housing Scheme for Wallangarra: “WJPA asks Council to make representation to Queensland Housing Commission for at least 25 houses to be built in Wallangarra immediately and to alleviate the appalling housing shortage in the area. Shortages at Wallangarra was definitely acute. Some of the meat workers and railway workers had to come from Tenterfield daily to work.
June 20
:For Distinguished Service: “Mr and Mrs M.J. Callaghan, whose son, Corporal E.J. Callaghan was killed while serving with the AIF in the southern sector of Bougainville on March 20, 1945, when returning from a patrol, are now in possession of a certificate (despatch for distinguished service). The group nearest the Japs ran out of grenades and Cpl Callaghan ran over to them with a bagful. He was handing the grenade down to them when a Jap sniper shot him through the arm and breast and he died instantly.”
June 27
• Stanthorpe Aerodrome – Proposed Plane Service for Stanthorpe: “A movement is afoot to form a co-operative company to provide air service from Tenterfield to Casino and Glen Innes to connect with an air service operating between Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Casino, Brisbane and return daily.”
July 1
• Ornamental pine trees removed from the corner of Maryland and Folkestone Street. The trees were probably the largest in Stanthorpe and had attained a height of approximately 6- to 70 feet. The logs will go to Passmore Sawmill to be cut into case timber. “Quite a lot of
discussion has taken place as to when these trees were planted and various dates have been put forward ranging from 50 years upward.” Nearly 70 years ago, the trees were planted. The Chairman of the Provisional Board started a tree planting camping and an avenue of pine trees was planned from where the Power House now stands, up Maryland Street and around in Folkestone Street to Felspar Street. The only survivors of that avenue were those left on the corner allotment. Reason to believe on this spot Stanthorpe’s first hotel was built (West Wellsby Ptr). Property has been acquired by COD for a merchandise department.
August 26
• Early Days of Stanthorpe: (Tin mining, smelting; Roll Up Tree – location; Chinese Labor; Ratcliffe Pring Cabinet)
September 23
• Protest against 100 per cent rise in general rates
September 19
• Public meeting at Eukey carries vote of no confidence in Council (due to heavy increase in rates and poor condition of roads)
• Public Farewell to Sgt. H. Rose
October 10
• Early Days of Stanthorpe: (Melbourne Hotel; Town Criers; George Walker, Mr. Peacock, Tom Matthews, Bill Brake the Pie Man; Construction of racecourse – near Golf Course; Owners and jockeys)
October 21
• Early Days of Stanthorpe: (Thunderbolt, Boat Racing at Quart Pot Creek; How Stanthorpe derived its name; Interview with Donald Gunn – arrived 1865; F. T. Rose; J. De Conley; T. E. Cook.)
October 10
• Formation of Stanthorpe & District Caledonian Society
November 21
• Methodism in Stanthorpe
• Nationalisation of Bank Referendum Demanded
December 2
• Miss M. Pratt wins Association Championships
• Diamond Jubilee of Stanthorpe passed without mention
• Stanthorpe Shire Council to investigate site for a central park
• Early Days of Stanthorpe: Quart Pot Creek Boat Racing; Swimming, Theatre, Dramatic Club, Circuses, Wizard Oil Prince (Tom Weston); Lodges; Pursong Tobacconist; Mrs. J.C. Brunckhorst, Mrs. Henry Farley; Early Days of Stanthorpe: First Hospital, Opening of State School, Establishment of Churches
