thestrand

John Melton Black is credited with being the “practical” founder of Townsville. Townsville may not have grown to become the “Capital of North Queensland” without this man’s energy, vision and enterprise. Black set his sights on the vast tracts of unsettled lands in North Queensland as an opportunity for pastoral wealth. He sent his station manager to explore Cleveland Bay for a suitable site for a port. Ross Creek was identified and became the site of Townsville’s early development. In late 1864, under Black’s management, the first wharf, store and buildings were erected at the mouth of Ross Creek. For the next few years, Black was the driving force behind the new settlement. He worked as the town surveyor, builder, storekeeper, shipping agent, stockman and newspaper editor. When the town was proclaimed a municipality, he became Mayor for the first two terms. Troubled by failing health, the hardships of pioneer life and a strained relationship with Robert Towns, Black returned to Sydney in 1867, selling his share of the business to Towns. Black never returned to Townsville. However, the Townsville community sent him a beautifully designed gold cup that recognized “valuable services In opening up and developing the resources of North Queensland”. Black later married and settled in England. He died in London in 1919 aged 89. Source: www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/109...

From this doc at the NLI dug up for that previous pic: In early 1919, partly on Collins’ suggestion, Ó Briain was appointed the envoy of Dáil Eireann in Britain, founding its ‘London Office’ which he practically co-ran over the next few years with Fintan Murphy and later Charles Betrand Dutton, an old business associate who was also a prominent Gaelic Leaguer.

The catalogue says the photographer was Lizzie Caswall Smith (1870-1958) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Caswall_Smith www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp60354/lizzie-c...

That doc references this one in the collection: MS 8437 /4 1920 Accounts by various individuals of a police raid on Ó Briain’s office (30 Nov. 1920).

Irish Times article about Art Ó Bríain's files at the NLI - www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/a-lock-of-hair-1.1557975 - including this ...

... One French journalist, Joseph Kessel, who visited Ó Bríain at his office in Adam Street, just off the Strand in London in September 1920, later spoke about the unusual circumstances under which Ó Bríain operated. Kessel remembered visiting a very busy office with lots of mackintosh-wearing young men hanging about. Serene amid all the clatter of the office, a pipe-smoking Ó Bríain was calmly giving orders, scribbling down messages and answering the telephone, all at the same time. Years later, Kessel said that the fact that the Irish had such an office in London at that time would be akin to the FLN having an office in Paris at the height of the Algerian War. ...

This photo is on p. 522 of the brilliant Atlas of the Irish Revolution in Darragh Gannon's chapter 'The Irish Revolution in Great Britain', and the caption gives loads of information on the envoy, his office, and the times that were in it...

"Art Ó Briain's embassy staff: (front, left to right): Liam Moore, Fintan Murphy, Art Ó Briain, C.B. Dutton; (back, left to right): Seán Molloy, Maeve O'Brien, Paddy Codyre. In March 1919 Ó Briain was officially appointed Dáil Éireann envoy to Great Britain. His bureau located off the Strand (City of Westminster) employed a small 'embassy' staff, while 3 Adam Street became an Irish centre of the metropolitan web of anti-imperial nationalists. Burmese, Catalan and South African representatives all converged on the 'London office' in search of Irish republican support. Significant international relations were developed. Between 1919 and 1920 Ó Briain met with and advised Saad Zaghloul, the Egyptian revolutionary and statesman, in the latter's negotiations with the British government. He also became a close associate of the Indian nationalist and communist Shapurji Saklatvala. Ó Briain also collaborated with Scottish National League leaders William Gillies and Ruaraidh Erskine of Marr. The Dáil had additional diplomatic missions in New York, Washington DC, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Brussels and Geneva, and representation in Genoa, Buenos Aires and Santiago. Roving envoys were also present in Australia, South Africa and the Soviet Union at different stages."

The Strand has been a part of Townsville's history since the city was founded in the mid-19th century. A public outdoor swimming baths were first constructed between 1886 and 1889. In 1891, military fortifications were established at Kissing Point, a rocky headland at the north-west end of the Strand. By 1929, a branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association built the Pioneer Women's Memorial Building with five seaside huts on Mitchell Street, Kissing Point. A number of persons were killed by sharks over the years on The Strand. The current foreshore was opened in 1999 after the old foreshore was severely damaged and eroded after heavy rainfall and wind from Tropical Cyclone Sid in January 1998 and other monsoonal storms between 1997 and 1998. It was moderately damaged by Cyclone Tessi in April 2000.[citation needed. The Strand was the 'cauldron stop' for Townsville, during the Australian leg of the 2000 Sydney Olympics Torch Relay. The Strand was named Australia's cleanest Beach in 2008. This was the second time the award was given to the beach in five years. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strand,_Townsville

The thoroughfare now known as Townsville's Strand developed from as early as the mid 1860s. From this time, Townsville's more wealthy residents, taking advantage of the cooling sea breezes, were building residences along the beachfront. By the early 1870s, reflecting this development and growth, at least three hotels had been built in the vicinity. At this early stage of development The Strand remained unformed and unsealed and there had been no formal planting of shade trees. In 1881, the Townsville Council planted a series of cedar trees, following up with cocoa and betel nut trees, as a way of beautifying the beachfront area and to provide shade for those using the area for recreation. In 1883, the Council developed a roadway along the beachfront leading to Kissing Point. There are a range of impressive and important sites and buildings along The Strand that remind us of the area's history and development. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queensland-place-histories-strand...