Key Stanthorpe events, 1951:
February 1
• Show Put Back A Day: Official Opening now on Friday. Owing to widespread rain (866 points for January), Show will be held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
• Town Band: Resignation of Bandmaster (P Ryan)
February 6
• Polio: Total Here Now is 13 (Tuesday): “7 suspected cases have been admitted to the General Hospital since Thursday. A total of 13 suspected cases since poliomyelitis struck.“
• Minister for Agricultural Opens Stanthorpe Show
February 13
• New MacGregor Bridge: “At the request of the Shire Council, the consulting engineer, J. Mulholland will prepare plans for a new bridge over Quart Pot Creekwasye.“
February 16
• Country Party Branch Formed at Thulimbah
• War on Flying Foxes
• Questions Asked Regarding Isolation of Polio Suspects at Hospital: “Children under 16 were isolated for 14 days as well as adults working amongst foodstuffs. Patients were put at the back of the men’s ward as the isolation ward was used to house domestic staff. Three cases of Scarlet Fever, 14 of Poliomyelitis, 1 of Tuberculosis.“
• What Can I Do to Prevent Poliomyelitis? Advisory Council of Poliomyelitis advises: “Wash hands after sneezing or coughing, toilet and always before meals; Avoid kissing; Fly Proof lavatories; Spray with DDT and pyrethrum mixture; Cover all food.“
February 27
• Council Decides to Build Aerodrome: “Estimated costs £21,000 – 50 per cent subsidy.“
• Shire Clerk (D Thomas) Resigns
March 9
• Proposition to Resume Land at the back of shops from Railway to Folkestone Street
March 16
• New Bridge to Be Erected at Accommodation creek
• Proposed Town Beautification Scheme
March 16
• Back a Quarter of a Century (1927)
• Opening of School of Arts, New Border Road, Flying Fox Shoot
March 22
• Sydney Show – Stanthorpe District Wins in Fruit Section
April 10
• Hospital Board Replies to Criticism of System of Isolation of Polio Cases
• Jubilee Celebrations – Stanthorpe to Provide a Float
April 20
• Presentation – Farewell to Mr Jeays, 28 years Headmaster of Thulimbah
May 29
• Deputation Asks Council for Better Street Lighting
• PJ Ryan, Retiring Bandmaster Honoured
June 5
• DSGC to Purchase Case Making Machine for Thulimbah Shed
June 12
• Woolworths New Store, Maryland Street, Opens
June 15
• Mr Chifley (Opposition Leader) Dies Suddenly
• New Stanthorpe Manse Opened by Rev Richard Bardon
• Myxomatosis – End of First Epidemic
June 19
• Stanthorpe and District Development Leagues to Ask for An A Class Broadcasting License Here
June 25
• Silver Spur Mine – Preparation in Hand for re-working
July 3
• Apple and Pear Acquisition – Growers to Receive Final Cheques in a Few Weeks: “Following receipt of a report from the Australian Apple and Pear Marketing Board, the compensation position of Queensland fruit-growers had lodged claims for further compensation following the acquisition by the Commonwealth of apples and pears during 1939/40, 1941/42 and 1940/42 seasons.“
• QCWA Memorial Hall (Thulimbah) to be Opened Saturday Night
July 10
• Development League members to Plant Trees on Saturday night
July 13
• Memorial Hall Opened at Thulimbah
• Glen Aplin Memorial Hall to be Erected
• Dean O’Donnell (Parish Priest of Stanthorpe) Honoured – 25th Jubilee
July 24
• DSGC Discusses Fruitgrowers Problems
• Councillor and Engineer Clash at Council Meeting (Cr. P Ryan says engineers report of little use to Council)
August 3
• Work To Commence Soon on £60,000 Maternity Ward: “The Board has under consideration an extensive building program and approval has been given for the erection of a new up-to-date
Maternity Ward which should meet the future requirements of the district in regard to accommodation for patients and will cost in the vicinity of £60,000. Also additions to the kitchen block, cold room, and sewerage treatment works. Plans for a two-storey brick quarter to accommodation nursing staff and remodelling portion of existing quarters are under onsideration. Water filtration plant for the treatment of creek water has been in operation since March, 1951.“
August 17
• New Shire Division Graziers to Have Two Representatives: “At the Shire Council meeting, it was decided to have four divisions instead of three. The new Division, Division 4, will be for the grazing area. Decided to have two representatives for each division and chairman (9) – one less than the number on the present Council.“
September 21
• Sir Arthur Fadden Addresses Electors at the Rex Theatre
September 25
• Proposal Defeated to Increase Representation of Divisions on Council
• Fire Brigade Station – Suggested Site
• Council takes steps to obtain land for Aerodrome
• Water Supply Scheme – Report by Consulting Engineer
• Request to Form Branches for Combating Polio of Organisation: “Council asked to form branches of International Organisation for Combating Polio – to bring findings of Sister Kenny and her methods to the attention of authorities – Council seeks further information.“
October 2
• Fire Brigade – First Town Effort: “The recently formed Stanthorpe Fire Brigade had its first town try-out this (Tuesday) morning when an outhouse at the rear of the Commercial Hotel caught fire. Firemen were quickly on the scene and the outbreak was brought under control.“
(SUBHEAD)
The following is an excerpt from an archived newspaper from 30 January, 1941: “Good Old Days of Stanthorpe“
“There is a halo of well-deserved romance about the “good old days of Stanthorpe“ as seen through the retrospective eyes of the pioneers.
Happily, some of those historic happenings of the past have been chronicled by a descendant of one of the oldest pioneering families of the district.
The local historian is Mr Jim Robertson, who is now in his 63rd year, and he has a family link with Stanthorpe that dates back to 1871, when his father settled in the town and followed the occupation of carpenter and undertaker.
Jim Robertson was born on the present site of Mr Hawker’s shop and educated at the school when the head teacher was the late Mr H. Wright.
Three years’ service with an artillery unit on Thursday Island terminated in March, 1910, with his return to Stanthorpe.
He then followed in turn the occupation of carrier, saddler, Olympic Theatre lessee and manager of the Arcadia Theatre.
Like his father before him, who was at one-time chairman of the Stanthorpe Shire Council, he was prominent in the public life of the town and was for years president of the Stanthorpe Hospital Committee.
Records in Mr Robertson’s possession tell as near as possible an authentic story of those far-off days when the town’s wealth was centred around tin mining.
This is confirmed by the name “Stanthorpe“ (Stannum tin, Thorpe a village).
Old records by Mr Robertson indicate that the town was in two sections—one Stannum, the other Stanthorpe.
That of “Stannum“ commenced at the corner of Maryland and Locke Streets and extended to Folkestone Street.
The Government township called Stanthorpe was later surveyed and sold, and extended on either side of the original township of “Stannum’—going as far as Quart Pot Creek on the lower side.“
