In the 19th century Cabarlah was a thriving small community. Shops included general stores, butcher, oilman's stores and ironmongery (smithy and wheelwright). There was a large Orangery, Country retreats and guest houses, sawmills and Kleinton Brickworks nearby. Before 1883 the district was sometimes called Five Mile Camp or Highfields 

An article in the DD Gazette 25 July 1878, paints an interesting picture of  Five Mile Camp with two pubs, store, smithy, and a police barracks. The pubs would have been the Welcome Home (sometimes called Bearkley's) and the Farmer's Arm's (sometimes called Wilke's). The store would have been next to Wilke's called Bloom's which also housed the telegraph station. The smithy may have been opposite these establishments (on the western side of the road).

While early industry was timber, this was gradually replaced by farming, mainly dairy which started in 1910. The Geham State School book (1871-1993) has a good history of the dairying and farming in the district (pp 22- 26), noting that between the wars there would have been as many as sixty dairy farms in the Geham area alone.

There was also a piggery and a poultry industry.

The following highlight some of the Shops, an Orangery, Country retreats and guest houses, sawmills and the Kleinton Brickworks

Shops

The current shop at the corner of the Highway and Evans road East has an interesting history.  

Terence McCaul may have owned a shop there in portion 317 in 1869, perhaps with William Wilkes, before the residence became the Farmers Arms Hotel.

In 1877 the front portion of land was sold to Samuel Phillips and Jacob Lehman.

There was a sale of the late H Spiro's[1] (died in Dec 1876) properties. This suggests a building on Sub 1 of Portion 317 (i.e. on the corner) with the name of Bloom’s Store and Butcher's Shop. Note it was only 7.75 perches which suggests the Cabarlah PO (on the map). There was a further sale notice in Sept 1878 but without the shop, suggesting it had been sold probably to Wilkes as later he is renting rooms to the Highfields Development Board and they stated they were having their meetings in the Telegraph Office. It appears the butcher Geoffery Keating, became insolvent in 1877. 

There was a wine and spirit merchant merchants "Benjemin & Spiro" Toowoomba in 1866 (1866 Qld Govt Gazette p 184) and newspaper advertisements suggests this had been established from at least 1864. The partnership dissolved in 1868 (Twmba Chronicle 4 April 1868).

HS Bloom also seemed to have also owned a shop in Toowoomba as there was a sale of boots etc in 1875. He then seemed to have taken over the Railway Hotel close to Murphy’s Creek Station (from TC & DD Gazette & dated 20 March 1878). HS Bloom was also Treasurer and Secretary of the Toowoomba Turf Club (April 1879).

There was a telegraph office at Five Mile Camp from 23 November 1877, probably at Bloom’s shop. After a receiving office opened in 1884 the Cabarlah Post Office opened on 1 July 1927.[3]  I am unsure of the position of this as the 1884 map below suggests the "post and telegraph" was next to the railway station.

Three was also a shop at Geham (on the corner of Plant's Lane) at one stage run by Mrs Munro and then and a man named Gilbert bought Munro’s shop. 

[1] Spiro may have been a JP and was an alderman and still alive in 1876 (he may have been part of the Jewish community (9 June 1870). He and Benjamin owned a Wine and Spirit merchant licence from about 1864 in Toowoomba. "ALL Parties having claims against HENRY SPIRO are requested to forward them for Liquidation by the 21st September, otherwise they will not be recognised. HENRY SPIRO. Toowoomba, August 31, 1864" (Brisbane Courier Sat 17 Sep 1864)

Hunt-Smith

There was another boarding house in Cabarlah from about 1900 when a Miss Hunt-Smith advertised accommodation. One advertisement in 1909 saying "Miss Hunt-Smith has Removed opposite the Long House. Tea and Refreshments supplied as usual." Miss Smiths shop was south of the Cabarlah fire station. “Her sweets were cheaper than at the store. She sold 12 lollies for a penny or three long licorice straps a penny.” Charlie Brennan also liked the sweets from Miss Smith’s shop. He was a dear old man who played the accordion for dances at the Cabarlah Hall which were run to raise funds for St Vincent's"

The Bunyas

A third boarding house was advertised in 1909, called The Bunyas "private Board and Residence" as a "splendid health resort. Miss J. Alford Proprietress." This was in the old Bearkley Hotel (Welcome Home). She appeared to have this from 1903 to 1916.

Argyle

Argyle Homestead was originally built by Duncan Munro in 1884. After the mill closed the house was rented by Leggarts (butchers) and then Jerrard (farmer). It was sold to Munro's teamster Joseph Kahler in 1915 and was used as a farmhouse till it was bought by Salts Antiques in 1983, before being taken over by the National Trust which sold it in 1989 to Pam McQueen and Pat Carson. In 1994 it was again sold, to Julie and Ross Smith. At that stage it had been running as a Bed-and Breakfast.

Hotel

In 1989 an extension of time to an application for a 7 unit motel was approved (never built).

Caravan Park

In 2007: Application for a material change to use on north eastern corner of 9945 New England Highway and Castle Rd for holiday Cabin development and Caravan Park (10 holiday cabins, 4 tent sites and 16 caravan sites) was approved, subject to conditions (never developed)

Sawmills

The Victoria (Degen’s) Steam Mill

Opened in April 1864 about 15 miles from Toowoomba at Highfield [sic] near Geham.

We are given to understand that the mill turns out from twenty to thirty thousand feet of timber weekly, but so great is the demand (and there are over 100 men employed) that alterations are being hurried forward for the commencement of night work, and an additional mill is in course of erection; new and commodious workshops have been completed, the huts, stores, and dwelling houses are being re-modelled, while the primitive bark is being rapidly superseded by the more civilized shingle. (DDG 6 May 1865)

In 29 March 1865 there was a death on the premises. It burnt down in October 1865 after only a few months of running, with a damage bill estimated at £3000. It was refurbished and running again by 1 Jan 1866 (maybe) perhaps now at Crows Nest, as later articles state it was about 21 - 25 miles from Toowoomba, it is "past the Rising Sun Hotel and Mr Adams Farm". A second mill (Albert Steam Saw Mill) was opened 1865 (perhaps October). An article in 1865 talks of a Degen’s sawmill at Highfield with a schoolhouse, hotel and shops.

Albert Sawmill was mentioned in an article in 23 June 1866 and another on 10 Mar 1869. In another article they talk about the Albert and Victoria Steam Saw Mills at Highfields.

Another source says the Albert was built (further north at what became known as Peachy) after the other was burnt down. “The name Pechey was in use at least since the railway opened on 6 December 1886. A siding to the sawmill had been laid out in 1884 prior to construction. The sawmills were a factor in the 1883 decision to route the line to Crow's Nest to pass by the sawmill.”[1]. Peachy had leased the Mill soon after construction but the company dissolved in Feb 1868[2]. An article in the DD Gazette (17 April) stated that "Robt. J. Rotton sold to Mr EW Pechey the lease of the Highfields Sawmills, together with the stock, book debts, and goodwill of the business connected with the same" The mill closed in 1924.

An article on March 27 1878 noted 4 sawmills :

I see Mr. Munro is making preparations for the winter. He has started to break up new ground close to the mill, and the mill seems to be in full working. There are now a great many teams drawing timber there, and there appears to me to be a great quantity of sawn timber going away from it. The other mills are also working, but Messrs. Cameron and Hebbell's place has suffered for the want of water. We have another mill in course of erection. Mr. Cocks has brought his plant out here, and, I hear, he will be ready to start cutting timber in a few weeks. Goodness knows if any part of Queensland stands in need of a branch railway, we do now. What with four saw mills, farmers, &c.. &c, and all within a few miles from each other, but on the same road, which makes it better, surely there is a great necessity for a branch line out this way.

Argyle (Geham)

Argyle Mills established by Munro Bros near the Geham School. It employed mill hands, teamsters and timber-fellers. It was still in use in 1892 and run by John Munro (Munro owned Argyle homestead). At that time there were houses and huts there (up to 15), a store and a blacksmith’s shop. From 1890 to 1903 the timber was carried by wagons from sawmills at Perseverance to Hampton rail siding and reloaded onto rail wagons (Geham School history p 21). The Smoothy brothers drove the teams. 

A tramway was built from Ravensbourne to meet at Hampton and was called the Munro tramway.  http://www.crowsnest.info/live-here/reminders/88-munro-s-tramway 

All that is left of the sawmill are a few stumps. 

Tramway

Before Munro built a tramway from Hampton to Ravensborne, he built a short tramway at Cabarlah/Fifteen Mile along Fernbank Road on what was Munro land at the time. An extract from Sept 26 1896 in the Toowoomba Chronicle (p3)  

The timber industry in this district is a leading one. Its development has been principally confined to the eastern slope of the Main Range; in a northerly direction towards Nanango. Here it has been successfully carried on for some years, but during the last two or three years that success has been most marked. Foremost in this work of development has been Mr. Duncan Munro, of the well-known firm of Messrs. A & D. Munro, timber merchants. At Mr. Munro's sawmills the trade has increased to such an extent that in order to keep pace with the demand Mr. Munro has had to resort to a more improved up-to-date system of haulage of the timber to the mills than the old fashioned bullock teams, and with commendable enterprise he has decided to construct tramways; in fact he has already constructed one.

The timber industry in this district is a leading one. Its development has been principally confined to the eastern slope of the Main Range; in a northerly direction towards Nanango. Here it has been successfully carried on for some years, but during the last two or three years that success has been most marked.

Foremost in this work of development has been Mr. Duncan Munro, of the well known firm of Messrs. A & D. Munro, timber merchants. At Mr. Munro's sawmills the trade has increased to such an extent that in order to keep pace with the demand Mr. Munro has had to resort to a more improved up-to-date system of haulage of the timber to the mills than the old fashioned bullock teams, and with commendable enterprise he has decided to construct tramways; in fact he has already constructed one.

 In order to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the best tramway systems, Mr Duncan Munro took a trip last year to New Zealand and Victoria, and made a careful study of the system of haulage employed in the timber districts, also of light railways constructed in some of the agricultural districts. In the former he found timber of all descriptions conveyed to the mills by the tramway system that could not very well have been hauled there by any other way at anything approaching a reasonable cost.

 Mr. Munro is a shrewd business man, and a keen observer, and he very soon arrived at the conclusion that the system of haulage adopted by the saw mill proprietors and timber merchants in New Zealand and Victoria was just what was required in South Queensland to keep pace with the times, enabling him as it would to solve the problem of securing supply of the best timber from apparently inaccessible country, where the primitive systems of haulage would be useless. Immediately on his return Mr Munro set to work, …, with the result that one has been completed, and men have been employed during the last six weeks in the construction of another tramway, very rapid progress having been made. This development marks a new era in the timber industry of this district, and Mr. Munro deserves the highest praise for his enterprise.

Last Saturday a representative of this journal, with a number of other gentlemen was accorded a trip out to Cabarlah and Hampton to see how the work of constructing the tramways is progressing. Leaving town at 20 minutes past 2 o'clock in a four in-hand driven by Mr. R. Munro, the party were driven along the picturesque Highfields road, and arrived at the Cabarlah tramway at 3:20 p.m. Here, on the top of the range, the tramway starts in a 400 acre paddock of Mr. Munro's, and descends for half a mile to where the timber is, the steepest gradient being 1 in 5.

To give an idea as to how the timber is conveyed a huge turpentine log was placed on the trolley, and five horses hitched on, the team taking the load to the top with perfect ease, in fact the members of the party were assured by Mr. Munro that the five horses can haul up over three tons of timber comfortably. With Mr. H. Clarke as brakesman, the party was accorded a trip down on the trolley, and it was a veritable switchback railway ride, one minute diving down a steep incline, then gracefully rounding a curve, now a spurt to reach the rise in front, and so on until they reached the staging below. The country round is studded with immense blackbutt trees, the timber of which is strong and durable, and is used for house building, fencing, wheelwright's work, & also turpentine, a useful timber which is much valued for piles, girders, and posts 

Spotted gum and blue gum are also there in abundance. All this timber would be unavailable were it not for the tramway which conveys it to the top where it is placed on large timber wagons and hauled to the mill at Geham situated about two miles from the tram line.

 All the work was laid out by Mr. Munro, who took levels, and was superintended by Mr. H. Clarke, a gentleman who throws great energy into his work, and its construction reflects every credit on Mr. Munro and his able superintendent. This tram is laid with wooden rails except on the curves where steel rail are used. A patent block brake prevents the trolley from running back when the horses require a spell. From here a start was made and the party journeyed to Geham where they accepted the hospitality of Mrs. D. Munro.

…... Certainly he has a great deal of work before him yet before the 11 miles are constructed to Perseverance, but the work done on the half-mile of tram at Cabarlah is sufficient evidence that the Hampton-Perseverance line will prove equally as successful. The whole of the levels on this latter line were also taken by Mr. Munro himself, and the work is being carried out under his personal supervision and that of Mr. H. Clarke, and the even way in which the trollies run without any jerk or vibration speaks eloquently for the quality of the work that is being done. This is a great enterprise for a business man to undertake, yet we feel sure when it is completed it will prove remunerative. Mr. Munro is deserving of every praise for his enterprise, and we are certain that all interested, not only in the timber trade, but that of other industries, will join with us in wishing that his enterprise will be amply rewarded; that the line will more than pay interest on the cost of construction.

Gatekeepers Cafe and Antique Shop/ Colours of San Cris

The railway house (circa 1883) was the Gatekeepers Café and Antiques when offered for sale in Nov 2002.

The property was sold in 2024.

Kleinton Brickworks

Photo 1902 "Braziers Brickworks (Kleinton) Driver Fred Klein (Local History and Robinson Collections, Toowoomba City Library)