People of Maroochy
People of Maroochy
People of Maroochy tells some of the many stories of those who lived and worked in the area over the years.
Some of these stories have been contributed by family members or descendants. Some have been drawn from our extensive collection of local newspaper articles and illustrated with photographs from our collection.
The stories represent a cross section of people, places and activities over many years and provide valuable insights into the people who made Maroochy.
A list of contents is available as a pdf file for download.
COST: $35.00 plus postage and packing / 190 pages / illustrated / A4
Phone 5329 2315 to order a copy or email genealogysc@gmail.com
BOOK REVIEW of “People of Maroochy” by Betty Garrad
Compiled and edited by Genealogy Sunshine Coast, published 2009, soft cover, 188 pages, illustrated, list of sources, general index.
ISBN 978-0-9803538-3-9.
Cost $35 plus $10 postage from
The Secretary, Genealogy Sunshine Coast, PO Box 1051, Nambour Qld 4560.
“A tribute to some of the people who helped shape the history of the Maroochy Shire”, the book consists of entries compiled from information gleaned from Pioneer records held by Genealogy Sunshine Coast, from newspaper records, from public records on file, and from contributed data.
A taste of the first 150 years of the history of Qld, as experienced in the old Maroochy Shire, has been provided in these stories. The page,“Those that came before”, tells of the Aboriginal tribes, with anecdotal references to Tom Petrie’s friend Karal. “The Legend of Maroochy” is delightfully presented in verse form by Jack Bade, who also contributed the article on the Bade family. There are over 100 articles, varying in length from a couple of paragraphs to a few pages. They feature men and women from all walks of life, some famous, like artist Hugh Sawrey, Olympic champion Jim Achurch, and Eddie De Vere, Chairman of Maroochy Shire for 15 years. Some are ordinary folk like Eddie’s brother Frank De Vere of Image Flat, Adam Pringle of Woombye, Ernest Middleton (“Middy”) of Buderim, Ernest Settlefield of Mapleton (the Lilyponds), Henry Dobe of Coolum and Charles Clarke of Mooloolaba, to name a few. But each of these “ordinary” folk made a difference to the community by the quality and quantity of services rendered.
Women of the district have not been neglected in this book. Find out how many babies were delivered by Nurse Bade. Imagine Charlotte Kuskopf closing the doors so no one could sneak out early from the meeting in the Woombye School of Arts. Picture Bli Bli teacher Mrs Love riding her horse two miles to school side saddle. Older people will remember Ada Moloney, Norma Bury and Thelma Collins, the list goes on.
The book is well illustrated. I love the photo of the daughters of William Hilliam.
I feel this book has accomplished its aim in preserving a part of the local history of the Sunshine Coast. I enjoyed reading pioneer Matthew Carroll’s reminiscences in “Nambour’s Beginnings”. In it he wrote, “Too frequently ….. no written record was obtained from those persons whose lives and deeds should have formed the real stuff of history.” This book provides a peephole into the pioneering past and into the not-so-distant past. You will probably find a person or a place you once knew, between its covers. I recommend it as a great read.
A list of contents demonstrates the range of stories and people outlined in this publication:
Stories written:
Foreword 3
The Legend of Maroochy 5
List of Contents 7
List of Illustrations 11
Alexander & Slade - Carriers to the Coast 15
Edvin Anderson (Vuolle) – Finnish Immigrant 17
Edward Henry Arundell 19
Charles Burke and his horses 19
Jim Achurch – Nambour’s Olympic Champion 20
William Aspland 21
The Bade Abode on Coes Creek Road 22
Nurse Bade 25
The Best Family in Eumundi 27
Heinrich (Harry) Bendixen 28
Norma Bury 28
Bertie Bennett 29
Blanch Brothers of Bli Bli 31
George Browne – Overseer to Yandina Station 34
George Chadwick 36
Mary Titcomb – a popular publican 36
William Henry Burton 37
Arthur Henry Brookes 38
Alice Briggs and her Perwillowen Post Office 38
Charles Clarke 39
Vic Duhs - weatherman 41
Butts – Pioneers of the Maroochy Business World 42
Thelma Mary Collins 43
Daniel Currie 44
E.B. Fox – Solicitor 45
William Cunning Senior & Junior 46
Charles Deans 47
Les Deans 49
One Man’s Life - E.O. De Vere 50
Frank De Vere - a quiet achiever 51
Eric Jeffries – Thunderstruck at Bli Bli 52
George Etheridge - Steamboat Lucy built at Petrie’s Creek 53
Joe Jenkins - builder 53
The Ensbey Family 54
Rod Smith – a good scout 55
Ada Moloney – Hospital Shop Pioneer 56
Erbachers – market gardeners since 1912 56
Marshall Espin 57
100 years of the Sherwell Family 58
George and Lena Eggmolesse 59
Evans – the Boat People 61
Owen Edworth Youngman 63
Three Generations of Fieldings 64
Florence Bartlett Achurch – Teenage driver 66
Eric Joseph Trestrail Foote 67
The Francis Legacy 69
Lil Bowman’s Cottage 70
Agnes Jones 71
Price Jones 72
Thomas Kuskopf – early pioneer 73
The Name of Lanham 74
Thomas & Ewan Maddock 76
John Henry Lefoe 77
Charles Edgar Ellison 78
William Pettigrew's Sawmill 79
Vivian Fagg – a popular schoolteacher 79
Thomas Kidd 80
Catherine Margaret Love - One Teacher’s Career 82
F. Taudevin – a skillful undertaker 84
Lucy Marriott – Land owner and Shareholder 85
Christopher Sharry – a brief life history 86
Ernest Middleton - “Middy” 89
The Brothers Parry 90
Eumundi’s Partridge Family 91
William Potts – a Maroochy Identity 92
George Pitman - Man with a motor car 93
Lewis Tutt - Teacher 94
Adam Pringle 95
The Pringles 96
May Pringle - Sportswoman 97
Dorothy Richards 98
Ed Sims and his motor cars 98
Gustav Adolf Reibe 99
William Samwell 101
David and Mary Sawrey 102
A Walk at Night 103
Hugh David Sawrey – Australian Artist 104
Ernie Setterfield - Man with a plan 105
James Shearer 107
Snippets of the Past from Grace Burne 107
William Skene – Carpenter from Aberdeen 108
Stan Whalley - Skeptic Extraordinaire 109
John Snook and Betsey Perren 110
William J. Smith – Mapleton Pioneer 111
The Tatnell Family - Farmers & fishermen 112
Going Fishing 113
Frank Wise – Farmer with a difference 114
A Plane Lands at Maroochydore 115
The Ensbey Family 116
The First Mail Service 117
Henry (Heinrich) August Keil - Bullock Driver and Selector 118
Robert Coe and his Monkey 120
Andrew Alfred McFadden 121
James Thomas McClintock 123
Island of Goats 124
Dick Caplick – Treefeller 124
Ann Jones – Postmistress 125
Charlotte Kuskopf 127
James Hamilton Carruthers 128
Lewis Herbert Collins – Maroochy Businessman 129
Henry Dobe – Shaping Coolum 131
Two Farmhouses on the River 132
Charles Benjamin Ellis Brown – Timber Rafter 133
Nancy Rose saw her future in Braille 134
The Daughters of William Hilliam 135
Mary Main Whitecross and the CWA 136
Franz Nyman 1857-1941 138
Sarah Axe – midwife to many 139
Mr and Mrs J.T. Lowe 140
George Albert Reynolds – a youthful Postman 141
The first mail service 141
Fred Fink – local historian 142
Daisy Bowder – Coast Pioneer creates a home 143
Mr & Mrs Henry Ernest Lowe 144
James Cusack Hassall 145
Three Generations of Cordwells 145
Nambour’s Beginnings –Mathew Carroll reminisces 146
Settlers in Ninderry Agricultural Village 152
Settlers in Gneering Agricultural Village 152
Names of some timber getters and suppliers 152
A Walk down Currie Street Nambour 1910 153
Sources 156