mayors

Little is known of Alexander Shiels' early life in Scotland. In 1830 he married Margaret Sinclair in Linton. Alexander was born in Linton, the sixth child of Alexander Sr. and Margaret. In 1853 Alexander Sr. and Margaret decided to migrate to Australia. The family of ten children minus the eldest son Tom, emigrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in the sailing vessel "Wacousta". Alex was thirteen years old and we presumed he finished his schooling in Melbourne. He entered the service of the Union Bank of Australia in Melbourne. In 1858 gold was discovered in the Fitzroy River, near Rockhampton which brought masses of diggers to the area. The gold strike was limited, but it opened the rich land of the Fitzroy River basin to farming and grazing. People settled and the embryo town of Rockhampton was founded --- a busy station for trade. Soon after Alex journeyed to Rockhampton, still in its infancy, where he was employed in the Australian Joint Stockowners Bank, which also had a branch in the early settlement of Bowen. By the end of 1859, the ports of Maryborough, Port Curtis, and Rockhampton were successfully established. Port Denison at Bowen became Port of Entry and Clearance about March 1861, though Pool Island was used earlier with supplies discharged onto lighters. On February 5th, 1863 Mackay was declared a Port of Entry and Clearance. On February 14th the first sailing ship "Murray" (Captain Till) arrived after an eight days journey from Rockhampton. Among the passengers were Alex Shiels and his wife. This was an adventurous voyage with the vessel having been forced to return to Keppel Bay twice with a cyclonic gale. In the first three years of 1864, Alexander Shiels bought the land. He set himself up as an auctioneer. In those early days, there were many public services needed for the newly developed township to function with law and order, and Alex Shiels being community minded applied himself to the tasks on hand. The first post office was opened in Mackay in 1863, and as more settlers opened overland routes a public meeting of the more influential residents of Mackay was held to petition the Postmaster General to obtain the postal services so urgently required. Alex Shiels was mentioned as attending the meeting. In 1866 another meeting was held when it was decided that the Government should proclaim Mackay a warehousing port (proposed by A..Shiels) and ask the shipping company A.S.N. to reduce the freight on wool. As a result of the petition to the Government, Mackay was declared a warehousing port on November 5th, 1866. Source: www.mackayhistory.org/research/mayors/002_shiels.html

Joseph S McIntyre, Mayor of Toowoomba in 1880, was an auctioneer and valuator. Born in Glasgow on 13th September 1842, Joseph McIntyre arrived in Brisbane in 1862 on the “Flying Cloud”. Two years later he came to Toowoomba, first settling at his uncle’s station on the Warrego, and then trying his luck on the Queensland goldfields. He returned to Toowoomba in 1870 and set up business as an auctioneer and valuator on Ruthven Street near the present-day Australia Arcade. He remained there for 25 years, building up extensive connections. McIntyre then moved to Margaret Street where he remained in business for 14 years until ill health forced him to retire. Besides his term on Council as Mayor, he also served as an alderman from 1877 to 1879 and in 1881 and 1882. Historian Mr. Ron Douglas said Joseph McIntyre built and lived in a house named “Roslyn” on Herries Street. Later named “Nundora”, this house still stands and is located behind the Toowoomba Ten Pin Bowling Centre. Mr. Douglas said records show the property, which extended to West Creek, had its own racecourse. McIntyre later moved to Llewelyn Street where he established a vineyard. He won numerous prizes for his wines at the Toowoomba Royal Agricultural Show. A street at the back of his Llewelyn Street property has been named in honor of him. Joseph McIntyre died on May 25, 1910. Source: www.tr.qld.gov.au/our-region/history/notable-characters-m...

cool shot!

Great piece of history.