Mount Morgan Citizens Club recently had the pleasure of hosting the honourable Mayor Tony Williams and Councillor Cherie Rutherford to officially recognise the transfer of the three buildings at 78 East Street, consisting of the residence, St Enoch’s Church, and the Upper Dee Hall. It has been a complex journey to arrive at this point, and many thanks needs to go to Rockhampton Regional Council and their team for their assistance and support with navigating through the intricacies of contracts, legalities, and the handover. We look forward to inviting them to future grand openings!
Mount Morgan Arts Precinct would also like to thank all who have supported our endeavours throughout 2022 and wish the Mount Morgan Community a very Merry Christmas. Gratitude must go towards our Executive and Members who have consistently rolled their sleeves up to get things done, be it hall improvements, fundraising, governance or whatever was required. This kind of dedication has seen the
club achieve much this year, and momentum will continue throughout 2023, especially as restoration of the buildings for the Arts Precinct gets underway. To donate towards the Arts Precinct, that will be a community run and owned development, you can go online at mycause.com.au/page/297958/saveour-history, or place cash into the miniature church located at the counter at Wattle Bee NewsXpress.
The Soldiers Rooms is ideal for events, just call our Bookings Officer Angela, on 0419 605 662 for availability. Members receive discounted rates.
Sunday, 29 January 2023 @ 10:30am at the Soldiers Rooms. New Members welcome. To get in touch, email mountmorgansoldiersrooms@gmail.com. Like and follow “Mount Morgan Soldiers Rooms” and “Mount Morgan Arts Precinct” on Face book to keep up to date. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Submitted by Kirra Swain.
the discretionary right to alter, omit, reclassify or postpone publication of articles, photographs or advertisements
all possible care with the publication of news, names and other information sourced by MMPAD representatives. It does not, however, take responsibility for erroneous information or spelling supplied by external sources. Please take care and ensure that information is correct and names are spelt correctly before submitting any items to this publication. MMPAD Executive
A recent donation of 200 sleepers from Aurizon will assist with future track work at the historic Mount Morgan Railway station. The sleepers arrived last week. The sleepers, once installed, will assist with the relocation of the Hunslet Steam Locomotive as a static display alongside the platform. Pictured above: Unloading the sleepers.
Force for 40 years.
He was honoured for service to the Queensland Police Service, as an operational frontline police officer in various police stations including Brisbane City, Southport, Cunnamulla, Wondai and Mount Morgan, as a Coronial Support Officer within the Coronial Support Unit, in his current role as a Senior Coronial Support Officer and a Disaster Victim Identification Officer, coordinating the Disaster Victim Identification response during the 2010-2011 Queensland flood and cyclone events, and in the role of Mortuary Manager during this mass casualty event.
continuing support, without whom it could not have been achieved.
All positions were declared vacant and the current executive were reelected unopposed.
President - Heather Barker, Vice President - Kirsty Humphreys, Secretary - Noel Barker, Treasurer, - Michael Rowe and Executive Committee Members - Cheryl McBay, Glen McBay, Kristal Littlejohn, Freda McDougal, Alison Glewski, Jim Gould, Barbara Gould and Elizabeth Elliott.
“I am excited about 2023 and looking forward with our strong and enthusiastic committee to organising and providing a wonderful community annual Show on the 12 August 2023,” Heather said.
A former Mount Morgan policeman, William “Bill” Johnson was recently honoured with the Australia Police Medal at Government House in Brisbane on 22 November 2022.
Bill who served in Mount Morgan between 1994 and 2004 has served in the Queensland Police
The Mount Morgan Agricultural Show Society held it’s Annual General Meeting on Sunday 11 December 2022.
President Heather Barker outlined to the meeting details of a successful year and thanked all members, volunteers and local community groups for their
1. What do you call an obnoxious reindeer? A: Rude-olph.
2. Why don’t you ever see Santa in the public hospital? A. Because he has private elf care!
3. What do you call Santa’s little helpers?
A Subordinate clauses.
‘Patience is a virtue’ – this is a saying that certainly comes to mind when I think of the Mount Morgan community, and this year, we have seen that community patience begin to be rewarded.
2022 has been an historic year of announcements that will shape the future of this town.
Long term water security is well and truly ‘in the pipeline’ with construction commencing early next year.
The redevelopment of the pool is also set to kick off in the new year, once the tender has been awarded in February. The successful tenderer will finalise the pool designs and we expect construction to commence soon after.
The turnout to the recent information session held for these two projects was a testament to how much the community care, and I know I speak for my fellow Councillors and Council staff, when I say that it was a positive and valuable catch up.
In November, we all welcomed the announcement from Heritage Minerals that they would re-open the Mount Morgan Gold Mine.
To witness what was once the world’s richest and largest gold mine roar back to life, is something that will be talked about for generations.
With long term water security in the pipeline, a new pool firmly on the horizon, and the Mount Morgan mine re-opening, the community certainly have very good reason to be optimistic about the future.
Mount Morgan community, I commend you for your resilience and for your dedication to always stand up for what you see as being right for your community.
Your continued efforts to advocate for what you want from your Council has helped shape these outcomes.
From all of us at Rockhampton Regional Council, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to another year, working shoulder to shoulder for the betterment of this town and this great community.
Above right: June Driver and Jim Marks and Valerie Staines and MMPAD President, John Steinberger. The aged care residents were presented with a small gift from MMPAD last week.
Mount Morgan Promotion and Development Inc [MMPAD] was able to spread a little Christmas cheer recently when President John Steinberger presented Carinity Summit Cottages aged care residents with a gift.
This year MMPAD supported the Special Children’s Christmas Party, Carinity Summit Cottages and the Residential Aged Care residents (Mount Morgan Multi Purpose Health Service).
Mr Steinberger said it was wonderful to see the smiling faces of the residents at Carinity Summit Cottages.
“We hope we have brought a little joy into their lives at this special time of the year,” he said.
A Carinity Summit Cottages spokesperson said it was a kind gesture from MMPAD to think of the residents. “Everyone was very happy with their gifts. Our residents and staff wish everyone in Mount Morgan a merry Christmas,” the spokesperson said.
Christmas Carols, Santa, crowds and children were just four ingredients of success for the Mount Morgan Twilight Christmas Concert held at the Railway Station on Friday night.
Organised by Mount Morgan Promotion and Development Inc, the event was well received by the 160-plus people who attended. Despite the thunderous clouds and few spots of rain just prior to the event start time, the evening turned out pleasant for all concerned.
MMPAD’s Project Officer, Eve-lyn Rogers said everyone she spoke to was happy with how the event turned out.
“Our volunteers did a wonderful job in the lead up to and during the event and this was part of the reason for its success,” she said.
“It was really great to see the people support this event and the performers were brilliant.”
Mount Morgan’s Buy Local Promotion was drawn on the night with the following winners - 1st Barry Parker ($1350 in Shopping Vouchers), 2nd - Christine O'Leary ($825 vouchers), 3rd - Brooke Kielly ($525 in shopping vouchers). The following four people were consolation prize winners - Irene Marsh, Dianne Macklin, Phillip Wooler and Dianne Wyvill. All except one docket was from Mount Morgan IGA. One consolation prize winning docket was from Stewarts Towing and Service Station.
Winners of the Christmas Lights were announced also with the Mount Morgan QAS taking out first prize in the Commercial Category and Sheree Mitchell winning the Residential Category. Other places were – 2nd Commercial – Ian Traynor – Mount Morgan Post Office, Residential - 2nd Trudy Larson and 3rd –Crescent Randall. All entries were judged on colour scheme, Christmas icons (i.e. Santa) and innovation.
“All lights were well presented and made it difficult for the judges,” Ms Rogers said.
The colouring-in competition was also announced with Annie Jenkinson winning the Prep-Year 3 section and Jayde Brant winning the Years 4-6 Section.
MMPAD would like to wish everyone Seasons
Mount Morgan Central State School Award presentations were held on Monday, 5 December. Students were awarded for academic achievements, behaviour, sporting achievements and attendance.
Special guests and parents were treated to a morning tea following the awards.
Year 6 Students were presented with a special “graduation gift”.
Congratulations to all students on their achievements in 2022.
The Mount Morgan Library was simply buzzing with action in the lead up to Christmas with two very successful events. Making, gluing, folding, decorating, and colouring a variety of simple Christmas crafts featured for an all-age audience on Monday, 12 December, with Santa’s official helper, Dave Lodewikus, reading Christmas stories on 19 December as part of the Read ‘n’ Rhyme program for families and carers of young children. All children received a free picture book as part of the special activity. The first Read ‘n’ Rhyme session for 2023 will be held on Monday 16 January from 9:30am10:00am, and then fortnightly after that, so be sure to keep these mornings free!
All Rockhampton Regional Libraries, including the Library Administration office will be closed over the Christmas period. Mount Morgan closes at 3:00pm
on Friday, 23 December 2022 and reopens on Wednesday 04 January 2023 at 9.00am. Make sure you drop in to stock up on reading material, CDs, DVDs and puzzles before the Christmas closure. And remember, we also have a great range of digital resources - including eBooks, eMagazines, eAudio, movie streaming and online learning courses –available 24/7 from your own device, so your library is still only a click away.
Services Australia is running free seminars throughout the year to help everyone navigate the sometimestricky world of finances. The first sessions for 2023 will be at the Gracemere Library on 9 January and the South Rockhampton Library on 13 January, from 9:30am – 12noon. More seminars on a range of topics will be advertised throughout the year so keep an eye out. Call the Library Administration team on 4936 8043 to book your seat.
• What is superannuation?
• Contributions and salary sacrifice
• Access to super
• Transition to retirement funds
• Account based pensions and income streams
Gracemere Library
• Eligibility and rates of payments
• Income and assets tests
• Deeming
• Temporary cessation of care
Rockhampton Regional Library (Southside)
Looking at photographs and reminiscing about special times, people and places can bring back many memories. Staff have delved into the Central Queensland Collection at the Rockhampton History Centre (located at Southside Library) and selected some charming photos of yesteryear showing typical Christmas activities from around the region. These provide a lovely snapshot of families enjoying time spent with each other or sharing stories with friends and family a long way away.
Sending a Christmas card to family and friends is a fairly new tradition, started in the mid-19th century when UK public servant Sir Henry Cole commissioned a short print run of Christmas cards in 1843, to encourage citizens to use the new Post Office. The cards only cost a penny to post, and thus a relatively inexpensive tradition was born to share festive greetings. Sadly, the tradition has dropped off
dramatically in recent years with the rise of email and social media.
This simple yet elegant Christmas card (below) containing a photo of toddler Wendy and infant Elizabeth, with associated Christmas wishes, was sent to ‘Cremorne’ (date unknown) from Hal, Barbara and family and shows the lovely use of a fountain
pen in the inscription. The photo is part of the Fraser / Macaree Collection. The Mercer Studio collection is another significant collection of negatives and photographs documenting the social history of families living in the Central Queensland region from the 1930s to the 1990s.
Many locals from the region may have fond memories of heading to the beach to enjoy a change of scenery and the delights of seaside bathing, swimming and surfing. In 1925, Vera, Doris and Essie enjoyed a trip to the beach at Christmas, complete with parasols and stylish dropped waist dress fashion. This photo comes from the Nielsen, Gray, Svendsen, Fisher and Tacey Families collection.
Visiting
Packing up the family and heading off to visit relatives out of town may have been one of your Christmas traditions growing up. Ipswich-born Lenore Lindsay, a niece of well-known Mount Morgan identity Maisie Hare, recently described her childhood memories of visiting Aunty Maisie at Heatherbloom, a River Street house across the paddock from the Jensen family farm. On small acreage on the edge of the town, the house was typical of many residences in the area in the 1950s, featuring a large chook yard down the back, an outback dunny, a set of yards for the milking cow and a huge jujube tree. Siblings and cousins would climb up the sprawling jujube tree, sit on the branches and devour the sweet fruit. Another summertime activity would be to spend hours catching the crawchies in the nearby gully before heading home using the well-worn track over the roof of the disused air shelter buried in the yard. A family story reveals a great tale of a few cousins banding together and boiling up a batch of freshly caught crawchies on Aunt Maisie’s new gas stove (which had replaced the old wood stove) – inevitably the pot boiled over, leaving a very unhappy Auntie! Photos such as the one on the left from the Maisie Hare collection shows a relaxed pair of sistersin-law, Maisie Hare and Lin Jensen in Maisie’s backyard at Christmas, 1956.
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Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum appear to have formed an exciting and hilarious team, having now done two action-packed, thrilling and very funny movies in a row with THE LOST CITY, and now BULLET TRAIN, which is, simply put, a fullon experience.
BULLET TRAIN boasts a massive cast of top-flight actors, a rare occurrence these days. Along with Brad Pitt, Sandra and Channing, just a few of the most noteworthy include the fascinating, versatile and much-awarded Michael Shannon (GROUNGHOG DAY, PEARL HARBOUR, SMILE, KANGAROO JACK, JONAH HEX, THE ICEMAN, 12 STRONG and about 70 other movies, 16 TV shows and 32 theatre productions); the always excellent Hiroyuki Sanada (THE LAST SAMURAI, RUSH HOUR, WOLVERINE, 47 RONIN, JOHN WICK et al); and a very cheeky cameo from DEADPOOL’S Ryan Reynolds. The one who really stole the show in BULLET TRAIN though was a guy named Aaron Taylor-Johnson who plays Tangerine. We’ve seen him many times before but, in this film, he really hits his straps - the boy shines.
You know what you’re in for when you learn that BULLET TRAIN is brought to you by the same man who directed DEADPOOL 2, David Leitch.
We love what we call Tin-Can thrillers. Movies set in submarines, tanks, ships, aircraft, buses or, as in this case trains, and directors love them too. The entire and explosive range of human emotion, volatility and inter-activity can be intimately explored within the confines of a small tin can, and it makes for riveting and sometimes darkly hilarious (as in BULLET TRAIN) storytelling. Guaranteed and without any apology, you’re gonna laugh at stuff you are just not supposed to laugh at...And you know what? Its liberating and good therapy.
Ladybug (Brad) is a professional assassin who is not too fond of his call sign and is deeply disappointed and disillusioned by how his career has been going lately. Too many gigs have gone off the rails. His recent run of bad luck has resulted in a string of accidental deaths. Not a good look for a pro. So now he’s looking forward to a nice, easy assignment where all he is required to do is discreetly retrieve
a briefcase from the BULLET TRAIN. A peaceful and pleasant job with no complications will be just the thing to cheer him up and restore his faith in his chosen career as a professional killer.
Fate, however, may have other plans as Ladybug’s latest mission sets him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe. The BULLET TRAIN seems to be infested with them.
They all use different and sometimes very creative techniques and they all seem to have connected yet conflicting objectives. As the world’s fastest train gets underway, the intrigue, action and hilarity erupt. You may have to run to keep up...
BULLET TRAIN is rated MA15+ for “strong bloody violence and coarse language” and it’s an eyepopping, heart-pounding two-hour wild ride. Think PULP FICTION meets SPEED... BULLET TRAIN - loved it.
With no Monthly Meeting to be held in January 2023, please mark 18 January on your calendar for the Morning Tea starting at 10 am. New and existing members are asked to come along and put your ideas forward for 2023. The cost for Morning Tea is $5 and is held in St Mary’s Hall, Gordon Street, Mount Morgan. (Behind the Anglican Church). Members must be aged 50 years old and there is no cost for membership.The February Morning Tea will have guest speaker Peter Cook from the Capricorn Coast Historical Society. This should be very interesting, as over the years Mount Morgan and Yeppoon and
Emu Park have had a long connection. Going for a camping holiday or a day at the beach was always popular. Travelling on the steam train to the Mine Picnic at Bell Park, Emu Park was just awesome. Oh, the memories. Our President Carol Glover and Secretary Colleen Constable would like to thank our members and supporters for all their help and support throughout this year. We couldn’t do it without you.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2023. Stay happy and healthy. Submitted by the Steering Committee - Carol Glover 4938 1995 or Colleen Constable 0427 161 131.
The book based around Kaye’s miniature Schnauzer, Benny. Sadly Benny passed away on 6 December just after giving his “snoop of approval” to the first
edition of the book. Benny died of renal failure at nine years old.
Kaye’s earlier adult colouring book has reached the “best seller” ranks in English Gardens (No. 4) and Dried Flowers (No. 5) on amazon.com.
Above: Benny giving the “Snoop of Approval” to his book that was published just before his passing.
Following on from my top three portraits of Mount Morgan pioneer men, here’s my selection of historical portraits of local women and young ladies.
While you’ll probably never come across her name in a Mount Morgan history book alongside Walter Hall and Knox D’Arcy, my maternal great-grandmother, Lillian Elizabeth Stubbs (née Ryder) (1869-1915) (left), hasn’t been forgotten. Born in England and raised in the Central Queensland Highlands, she was a Mount Morgan housewife and mother of five.
Lillian is pictured following her 1892 Mount Morgan wedding to Upsall Stubbs (1868-1954), a furnace man at the mine. She’s modestly dressed in a white blouse with a high ruffled collar. Her long brown hair is tightly swirled into a bun on the top of her head.
Pencil or paint lines drawn indicate early twentieth century photographic restoration techniques.
Images of the Morgan brothers’ wives are extremely rare. Here’s one of Queensland-born Louisa Harriett Morgan (née Bell) (1854-1941) (centre), widow of the youngest of the three brothers, Edwin Francis (‘Ned’) Morgan (1847-1916), and mother of eleven.
A young Mrs Morgan lived in the local area from 1882 to 1884 when her husband was an original member of the Mount Morgan [gold mining] Syndicate. The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld.:1933-1954) aptly referred to her as ‘pioneer lady’ in its article marking her 80th birthday in 1934 in Brisbane, in which this image of her was included.
From the National Library of Australia.
This delightful studio portrait (right) shows the youngest daughters of well-known local photographer, J. H. Lundager (1853-1930), whose body of work provides invaluable, unique insight into Mount Morgan in its earliest years.
The Mount Morgan-born sisters, Alma May (18981953) (left) and Mary Kristine (1893-1968), epitomise what fashionable young ladies from well-to-do Mount Morgan families were wearing in about 1906 – long white dresses, high collars and white hair ribbons.
From the State Library of Queensland.
Wishing readers a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Thank you for supporting ‘Mount Morgan in Pictures’.
Below: Catherine McIntosh, 2022.
This author has made best efforts to provide accurate information for this publication of ‘Mount Morgan in Pictures’.
Mount Morgan Rotarians Ann Dwyer and Judith Henderson have just returned from India where they spent a week helping construct a Check Dam.
This dam at Thangazi-Samara in the district of Alwar is the 13th dam in a program in Rajasthan, Northern India, the driest part of the country, and organised by the Delhi Megapolis Rotary Club in India. The funding comes from Rotary Club and District contributions supported by The Rotary Foundation and was mostly arranged by Judith.
The check dams are designed to catch and temporarily store water from the monsoons. The water recharges the local aquifer which recharges the wells, supporting the local villagers. As the water dries up in the dam area, crops are grown to make use of the remaining moisture.
The local villagers grow crops such as Lentils, Peas, and Mustard, which they can sell to buy rice, other food, and supplies. After the crops are harvested the trash is fed to the cows and buffalos who supply milk, and manure which is returned to the field.
This dam will support 3,500 people in about 450 homes, about 450 hectares of cultivation and about 8,500 animals. It will have a 200m long wall with a 1.5m base and about 2.5m high. The wall is made from local rock and cement.
Except for digging the trench for the wall, all work is done by hand. The concept has proven to be very successful and provides the following benefits.
• Higher groundwater table
• Improved crop yield – three crops per year instead of one
• Healthier livestock
• Increased family income
• Recharge of defunct wells within each village
• Less time for women to fetch water from distant wells
• Time for gainful employment for women –more income
• Children to complete school – no need to start work at very young age
• Benefits the whole eco system
Denish, the contractor in charge of construction is a fifth generation Dam Builder and knows his stuff.
Ann and Judith were housed in a very well serviced and comfortable camp on the site and shared the time with Brian White from Cairns and Rotarians from the USA, as well as the Indian Rotarians. This is Judith’s sixth trip to India and Ann’s second trip. Both Ann and Judith thoroughly enjoy the work and have seen first hand the massive improvement to the lives of so many people, as well creating lasting friendships in India.
As a result of building such wonderful friendships Judith was invited to a traditional Indian wedding after the work was done. After working on the dam and
spending two very long days enjoying the wedding Judith said she was ready for a very big sleep on the way home.
Submitted by Craig Edmonston
Above: Ann learning to carry things in India.
Above: Judith passing on the cement mix.
Above: Ann and Judith in the rock pile.
JAN 8: Country Music Afternoon. Soldiers’ Rooms 18 Morgan Street. 12 noon to 4pm $8 adults $2 children. Refreshments supplied. Bar Operating.
Jan 10: The Mount Morgan Historical Museum A.G.M. will be held in the dining room of the Leichhardt Hotel, Morgan Street, after a Committee meeting starting at 1 pm. All members are invited to attend and voting is limited to financial members only.
JAN 18: Dee River Oldies Group - Morning Tea starting at 10 am. Cost is $5. Come along and put your ideas forward for discussion for what is planned for 2023. Raffle and lucky door prizes on the day. New and existing members welcome.
JAN 26: Australia Day Celebrations at the No 7 Dam. Organised by the Rotary Club of Mount Morgan.
FEB 5: Country Music Afternoon. Soldiers’ Rooms 18 Morgan Street. 12 noon to 4pm. $8 adults $2 children. Refreshments supplied. Bar Operating.
FEB 21: Dee River Oldies Group - Monthly Meeting starting at 2 pm to be held in St Mary’s Hall, Gordon Street, Mount Morgan. (Behind the Anglican Church).
FEB 22: Dee River Oldies Group - Morning Tea starting at 10 am to be held in St Mary’s Hall, Gordon Street, Mount Morgan. (Behind the Anglican Church). Cost is $5. The guest speaker will be Peter Cook from the Capricorn Coast Historical Society. Raffle and lucky door prizes.
Blue Care Trash & Treasure, 21 Gordon Street. Every Friday from 8.30 am to 12 noon. Every first Saturday of the month from 8 am to 12 noon Bags of clothing $5. Marion’s plants for sale.
PAINTER: Semi retired. W. Cruickshank Phone 0488 104 774 or 0488 105 257.
EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
Green Shed from 7 pm. Phone 0412 502 937
MOUNT MORGAN QCWA BRANCH
Meets every third Monday at the Green Shed - Thompson Ave 9.30 am meet for 10 am start.
DINNER MEETING - THURSDAY - GRAND HOTEL 6.00 for 6.30. Interested people are encouraged to attend or send an Expression of Interest to PO Box 2, Mount Morgan
WEDNESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2023
All inclusions required by: Tuesday, 31 January by 4 p.m. Ph: 4938 2312
Email: mmpad@mountmorgan.org.au
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