Who’s who in town

‘Pretty Pets’ was a column in the historical weekly tabloid newspaper, Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900-1954). The column featured caricatures of Queensland men from various occupations and towns. Its caricatures of Mount Morganites (pictured below) were signed, ‘Pets MM [Mount Morgan]’.

If you’d lived in Mount Morgan during the First World War, you would’ve known at least one of these men caricaturised below. They provided goods and services to the Mount Morgan community, including medical and legal advice, and real estate and funeral services.

You may be wondering why the caricatures were all of men. By nature, caricatures are not the most flattering depictions of an individual. It was, therefore, probably considered inappropriate to portray a lady in such a manner.

From left to right: Dr. Oliver Smithson, F.R.C.S.E., medical superintendent at the General, Mount Morgan’s first hospital (1915) / Herbert F. McLaughlin (solicitor) (1914) / George Hempenstall (auctioneer) (1914).

‘HEMPENSTALL BROS. – Fine seven-roomed cottage, in Dee Street, a modern home, complete in every detail, and splendidly situated, £320’ (‘Advertising’, Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld: 1878-1954), 24 June 1915).

From left to right: Thomas Thompson Cornes (builder, undertaker, embalmer, alderman of Mount Morgan Council) (1915) / Michael Enright (publican of Hotel Metropole) (1914) / David Charles Minshall (tailor) (1914). ‘TO TAILORESSES – Wanted first-class trouserhands. Minshall & Co, Mount Morgan (‘Advertising’, Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld: 1878-1954), 12 March 1918).

Next Issue: more Mount Morgan “Pretty Pets”.

Continued on Page 15

Mount Morgan in Pictures from Page 14

Last issue’s caricatures in real life

My last article featured caricatures of well-known Mount Morgan pioneers, Walter Hall and Fred Morgan. Their portraits below are similar to their caricatures. A rotund, moustachioed Walter Hall is dressed formally in a three-piece suit and top hat, holding a cigar in his left hand and an umbrella in the other. His round spectacles are attached to his fob watch chain. In his picture, Fred Morgan has that same intense, determined stare, bushy beard and receding hairline as his caricature.

This author has made best efforts to provide accurate information for this publication of ‘Mount Morgan in Pictures’.