timber

Before the construction of St Joseph’s Church, the Rathdowney Memorial Hall or Rathdowney School of Arts were used as Mass Centres for the spiritual needs of the people in the Rathdowney area. The Architect drew up the plans and construction began on the 11th of July 1929 and just 12 weeks later the building was completed. In its report, the Beaudesert Times described the building thusly: “The church is constructed of Queensland hardwood timbers in the walls and floors, with Queensland pine in the roof. The building comprises an entrance porch 11ft by 8ft, church 40ft by 23ft, sanctuary 15ft by 16ft, sacristy 9ft by 16ft. The walls are sheeted externally with hardwood chamfer boards and internally with pine lining boards. The ceiling of the sanctuary is lined with fibro-cement sheeting and covers battens and that of the church by pine lining boards. The sanctuary is divided from the church by an elliptical arch and the windows of the sanctuary are glazed with lead-light containing designs symbolic of the Crucifixion, the Holy Eucharist, and St Joseph. The glazing of the church windows is in the light rose-tinted glass. Externally, the walls are painted cream-white with brown facings and the sashes of the windows and barge boards of the gables in light stone tints. Internally, the walls are painted with a dado in brown tints and walls in French grey, and the ceilings in cream white. The roofs are finished with gables and half-timbering and ventilator dormers. The altar is a very handsome one of silky oak and the two pedestals for statues are also of silky oak.” (Beaudesert Times, September 29, 1929) St Joseph’s Church was blessed and opened on the 29th of September 1929, by Archbishop Duhig, ably assisted by the Parish Priest, Father Hennessy, and by his curate Father Tom O’Callaghan. Source: www.stmarysbeaudesert.com/our-churches/st-josephs-rathdow...

During the 1860s, much changed on the Sunshine Coast. Vast areas of timber were felled and burnt to make way for farming and stock. The railway from Caboolture to Landsborough, built in 1890, opened the way for more intensive settlement. As the train line construction continued further north, the Dularcha railway tunnel was built to provide an essential link through the hillier terrain. It is one of only two tunnels built along the old narrow-gauge, North Coast Line between Brisbane and Gympie. Building the tunnel was labor-intensive work undertaken by T.J. Jessor and Co. Their workers built the concrete-lined tunnel using basic machinery and horses to assist with carting heavy loads. When the line was officially opened on 1 January 1891, it became possible to travel from Brisbane to Gympie and back in a 12hr trip—a major achievement, linking communities and reducing travel time! Among the route’s first travelers were troops sent to quell a Shearers' strike. Source: parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/dularcha/about/culture

Bullock teams were renowned for their steady, patient and determined pull in difficult situations where horses were prone to jerkiness and panic leading to expensive injuries and breakages. Bullocks didn’t often need shoeing and could live and work on rough herbage rather than the expensive feed required by working horses. It wasn’t until improved road surfaces meant that the greater strength and speed of draught horses could be put to an advantage that bullock teams began to be displaced on the road. In our forests and on our farms bullocks have been used up to the present day. Australia’s last full-time professional bullockies retired from the forest in the early 2000’s, but there are still a few hardy individuals who train and yoke bullock teams as hobbies, for demonstrations, or for part-time work in forests and on farms. In the case of Rohan the Bullocky, his bullock team began as a hobby, developed into a genuine working team, and is now available on and off his farm for heritage displays. Source: www.glenedenfamilyfarm.com.au/our-farm/bullock-team-facts...

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/163662868/16780821# - this pic appeared in the Sydney Mail on 4th September, 1907 in a pictorial on the Dorrigo district...see pic on 4th page of link titled 'A Farm of 124 Acres for which in its improved state £2200 was refused'... Some of the other Dorrigo pics that appeared in this issue of the Sydney Mail are also in the PHM's collection, and they're also on the PHM's Flickr photostream...they come up if you click on the 'Sydney Mail, 4th September, 1907' tag I've added...