Key Stanthorpe events, 1937:
January 15
• Heaviest Floods for 15 years: 123 pts to 9 am Sunday; 121 pts to 9 am Monday; 392 pots in 24 hours to 9 am Tuesday, 636 pts from Saturday to Tuesday. Water at Carnarvon Bridge not as high as 1922.
January 22
• Stanthorpe Diamond Jubilee Show
January 26
• Stanthorpe State High School opens in connection with the Stanthorpe Rural School, classes are being held in the Soldiers Club
March 2
• Rescue Party Leaves – Stinson Crash
March 12
• New Additions to St. Joseph’s Hall opened now the largest dance hall in Stanthorpe, ample for 400 to 500 dancers.
April 28
• New Hospital Building Officially Opened by E.M. Hanlon
Government policy of suppling country people with hospital facilities comparable to those available to those who lived in cities and Stanthorpe was the first to be completed. Minister for Health and Home Affairs spoke of need for extra accommodation, new hospital was planned despite certain opposition.
Present maternity ward opened in 1926- 526 mothers admitted only one had died, and 18 infants had died.
Total expenditure £25,000 of which £10,000 came from the Golden Casket, £9,000 from the State Government; £6,000 from Stanthorpe Shire Council with a rate of one-fifth of a penny. First entirely new hospital erected under the new standard for country hospitals.
May 14
• Coronation of George VI
Coronation medals for school children and children under school age (2000 distributed). Parade of decorated cars, best part of a mile in length, an estimated 4,000 people at the showground. Coronation Night – businesses decorated premises, Electric Authority supplied electricity to all who wanted it.
Thousands of coloured lights illuminated the main street, singing, 4-5000 people in the main street.
July 6
• Outbreak of Typhoid at the Paget home, The Summit
June 25
• Typhoid Fever, Two Fresh Cases.
Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Paget died of fever contracted in New South Wales.
Two more family members, Walter and Margaret Paget, contracted typhoid; ground fumigated, EC burned down and house fumigated.
November 26
• THE WATER SUPPLY – Editorial
The Irrigation and Water Supply Department recommended the Quart Pot Scheme at a cost of £76,000. The Government offered £25,000 towards the cost. Stanthorpe Shire Council accepted this proposal and asked the Department to proceed with estimates. When detailed figures were available it was found that the original plan had been altered by the creation
of a much larger dam to allow for dry years, at a cost of around £102,000. The large dam had been provided for because someone volunteered that Quart Pot Creek did not flow for period of two to three years.
Scheme was turned down. A second report, cutting extra expense on the dam and proposing use of cheaper Fibrolite pipes cut the estimate to £76,000 Council rejected it as well.
“The great majority favoured a poll being taken…to ascertain the view of electors… A rate in 1/ in £ acceptable but more would be beyond capacity to pay.
• Over 200 people attended a meeting to discuss the water supply and the desirability of petitioning for a poll to be taken. The most important meeting since the installation of the electric light supply.
Background: Survey in December, 1936, first plans presented in June, ’37 proposed £102,000 project, with State Government offering $25,000 and Commonwealth further £25,000.
Council was unable to accept. A modified scheme £76,250 was not recommended by the Irrigation Commission (cost of £80,921 with cast iron pipes).
Adequate water supply would pave the way for a sewerage scheme to replace the obsolete and objectionable sewerage system and help attract tourists and summer residents; Health – recent typhoid outbreak had the Summit on everyone’s mind; Relied on Rainwater, wells or had water carted from Blain’s Well tests has show were contaminated with sewerage and
unfit for human consumption.
Dr. H. Masel – shallow wells susceptible for contamination from leaking cesspool or septic tank and warned of risk of dysentery, parasites, round worm, tape worm.
• Mrs. S. L. Chauvel, “El Arish” – Obituary
November 30
• Golden Casket – First Prize to Stanthorpe, £1000 to Sam Pierpoint, Mrs. Sam Pierpoint, Mrs. Hamilton, her grand daughter Miss Joan Niven, Mrs. C Wall, Mr. C. Wall, J.A. Barr; Mrs. Hamilton 81 years of age recently lost residence in a fire – money will allow her to live comfortable the last years of her life. Ticket sold by Aldo Guaschino
November 30
• Soldier Settlers – Deputation to Country Party Conference (Brisbane) Only 60 were on original blocks. The original settlers were still held to their valuation, but blocks had been comers including Italians at greatly reduced prices; the average
taken up by civilian new being £200.
Those left on their original blocks are still paying for the early mistake of the The Minister for Agriculture, F.W. Bullock, had promised a revaluation and a government.
Committee of three revalued the blocks in a most conscientious manner but the findings of the committee were never given effect to and the Government would not make the report available. Mr. Bullock’s concessions amounted only to wiping off arrears of interest in some. Since then, 10 settlers had left their blocks and cases, and finding the arrears in others.
The deputation sought (1). Decrease of 50 per cent in valuations; free most were on relief work.
• Conference referred the resolution to a select committee.
December 7
• Petition from 306 came before (to reject Water Supply Water Supply Scheme, Petitioners request turned down. Council asking Council to reconsider the previous decision proposed) it was turned down. A public meeting is to be held on November 22.
