Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Aerial view of Thargomindah, c 1964

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Thargomindah, a small town in South West Queensland, was one of the first towns in Australia to produce hydroelectric power from 1898 until 1951.

But this wasn’t Thargomindah’s only claim to fame…

THARGOMINDAH WAITING ON CAMERA SHOT OF ITS “BUNYIP”

A century ago primitive Australian aborigines believed in a “bunyip”: To-day in Thargomindah, 730 miles west of Brisbane, some twentieth-century townspeople, belive in a local specimen. Meanwhile, results from an attempt to photograph the “bunyip” are eagerly awaited.

Aborigines thought of a “bunyip” as a creature “as big as a bullock, with an emu’s head and neck, a horse’s mane and tail, a seal’s flippers, which laid turtle’s eggs in a platypus’ nest, and ate blackfellows when it was tired of a crayfish diet.”

Thargomindah has described its “bunyip” as “a seal,” “a turtle,” “a sea lion,” “a musk duck,” and a “swimming pig.”

Twenty people think they have

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Shamrock Street, Blackall, March 1938

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

From the Western Star and Roma Advertiser, Saturday 24 January 1925:

Sensation at Blackall.

BULLOCK RUNS AMOK.

On Thursday afternoon last, the 15th inst., a young bullock made his appearance in the main street near the State School (says “Barcoo Independent”). He had been worried by dogs, and was looking for gore. Miss Langland and some children had a narrow escape from him, and the bullock then went into Burney’s allotment. Ranger Sheehan tried to get him out, but the bullock charged him through the fence.

The gate was then opened, and with the assistance of some dogs the bullock got out. Instead of turning to escape into the bush, the bullock made right up Shamrock-street and opposite the Post Office saw Mr. S.E.T. Holes, who was pedalling away on a bicycle. The bullock made for him, and Mr. Holmes left the bicycle suddenly, and made for the

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Palmerin Street, Warwick, c 1938

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

What’s in a name?

PALMERIN STREET

-ORIGIN OF NAME-

-A PUZZLER FOR RESIDENTS-

-VARIED EXPLANATIONS-

How did Warwick’s main business thoroughfare derive the name of Palmerin-street? Seemingly a question not so very difficult to answer, and yet a representative of the Daily News yesterday tried more than 20 residents and practically each had a different solution to what had suddenly developed into a conundrum. Even recognised local historians, when weighed into the balance, were found wanting.

The first resident to whom the question was put proved negative. “No; I came here in 1885 as a boy,” he said. “When I first heard the name of the street pronounced I subconciously thought that it had its genesis in Pall Mall, London. Later, however, when I saw the spelling of the word I realised that that assumption was incorrect. Since then I have put the question to many old residents, but have been

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