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The Hornibrook Highway, connecting Brisbane and Redcliffe, opened on a blue-skied afternoon on 4 October 1935. “The hour has come!” proclaimed builder-contractor Manuel (M.R.) Hornibrook to a crowd of hundreds, as his bold ambition, years in pursuit, was finally rewarded. Today, a towering Art Deco portal, nestled in the rocky shores of Hays Inlet and Bramble Bay at Brighton on Brisbane’s northern outskirts, stands as a relic of the much-lauded bridge, with the words ‘Hornibrook Highway’ affixed at its center in blackened brass lettering. On the opposite bank at Clontarf, located at the southernmost tip of the Redcliffe peninsula, rests its identical twin. Until the bridge crossing was demolished in 2011, these portals majestically framed what became, on that opening day, the southern hemisphere’s longest viaduct over water, measuring 2.68 kilometers. The man at the center of this story, M.R. Hornibrook (later Sir), was one of the country’s leading building and civil engineering contractors, admired for his inexhaustible drive and exacting work standards. His family-run business, started in 1912, won public works contracts all over Queensland and further afield, inspiring associates to refer jocularly to it as the ‘Hornibrook Empire’. Building bridges sealed Hornibrook’s reputation, with more than 100 completed during his lifetime. Some of the more renowned projects that he and his construction team led include the William Jolly Bridge, Story Bridge (in partnership with Evans Deakin & Co.) and New Victoria Bridge in Brisbane, and the famed sail-like roof of the Sydney Opera House. Constructing a highway in the early 1930s linking Brighton and Redcliffe was Hornibrook’s most ambitious project in his career to date. He first conceived of it years earlier, on moving to neighboring Sandgate for a time. Hornibrook was struck by the isolation of Redcliffe residents who lacked convenient transport into Brisbane and the frustration of Brisbane holidaymakers longing for easier access to the popular seaside resort. The journey entailed a lengthy steamer or road trip, the latter on a circuitous route via Petrie that often flooded in wet weather. Brighton and Sandgate residents traversing the bay relied on local ferry services, such as the ‘Olivine’ and ‘Beryl’ motor launches managed by Humpybong Steamship Company, or a humble rowboat operated by local Redcliffe residents Charles and Martha Cutts. Passengers would signal for the rowboat by flashing a mirror to catch the sun’s reflection or making smoke on the beach. Source: queenslanddecoproject.com/2015/10/04/hornibrook-highway/

In 1877 when Queenslanders William Collins, William Forrest, and Sir Thomas McIlwraith were joined by Englishmen John Warner and Sir William Ingram to form The North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCo), little did they know they were laying the foundation for more than 145 years of sustainable beef farming. Our five founders were the original lessees of the great Alexandria Downs Station in the Northern Territory – now known simply as ‘Alexandria’, it continues its flagship role within NAPCo’s operation. The new company survived the financial and drought-induced crisis of the 1890s mainly due to its Burdekin properties which were less drought-affected and close to abattoirs. The first two decades of the 20th Century saw more drought, a world war, and changes in the ownership structure. In 1937, Francis Foster invested heavily in NAPCo taking an interest that grew through his life bringing with it exceptional pastoral skills and long-term vision, which laid the basis for its composite breeding program and pioneering contributions to land care, conservation, and disease minimization. Source: napco.com.au/our-story/

The Hyne Timber story began in 1882, when Richard Matthews Hyne opened the National Sawmill, on the banks of the Mary River in Queensland. The business would grow through the adversity of nature and economics to prosper. Through his role as a Queensland Member of Parliament, RM Hyne would also initialize the replanting of forests and see in the birth of the Department of Forestry. During his time at Hyne & Son Ltd, despite World War I and the Great Depression, Henry James Hyne continued to grow the business through his financial savvy, and continue his father’s legacy of pioneering industry standards with his involvement in the Licensing of Sawmills and the introduction of a Timber Industry Advisory Committee. HJ’s procurement of the company’s first Band Mill revolutionized productivity and kept the company at the cutting edge of technology. James Richard Lambert Hyne joined the business in 1921, and served until his retirement in 1979. Under the strains created by World War II, Lambert resourcefully introduced Hardwood to the Company’s expanding production, acquiring a number of small country hardwood mills. He also continued to expand the business by establishing a chain of wholesale/trade outlets along the Eastern coast, from Townsville down to Brisbane. Like his father and grandfather before him, Lambert continued the Hyne family’s civic and industry involvement, holding membership with the Queensland Timber Export Association from its inception, until its demise post 1939. Source: www.hyne.com.au/about/our-history