Blackwater High School opened its doors to students for the first time on 29 January 1973. The Queensland Department of Education, predicting an initial enrolment of about 140 students, appointed 13 teachers, including the principal, to the school’s inaugural teaching … Read More
You may have heard of Alpha (Queensland), but have you heard of Beta? What is their connection? Alpha and beta are the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. Is this significant? Alpha is a small town in central Queensland, … Read More
In my family archives, I have a number of old letters. One is a 3-page letter my father wrote to my mother, brother and me 70 years ago, while a guest at the Sea View Hotel, Townsville, north Queensland. I … Read More
This story is a tribute to the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary on 11 August 2022, and the Kingaroy Branch, which is also celebrating its centenary in August this year. The Kingaroy Branch of … Read More
As part of a recent road trip to Queensland’s northwest and central west, my husband Tony and I returned to Brisbane via the Barcoo Shire, stopping at Stonehenge, Jundah and Windorah. For Tony, our visit to Stonehenge was much anticipated, … Read More
Last October, during a visit to outback Queensland, my husband Tony and I included the tiny town of Windorah in our itinerary. What a good decision that was! We discovered a neat well-kept town rich in history and a community … Read More
The feature photograph, taken in 1973, shows my grandmother, uncle and a visitor inspecting a prickly pear tree on my grandmother’s property at Rannes, 100 kilometres southwest of Rockhampton, Central Queensland. This huge pear tree is an ominous reminder of … Read More
During a visit to the Mount Morgan Cemetery in 2017 I came across the grave of EMMETT BEAUMONT McSWEENEY, an infant who died in 1921. At the time I was looking for the grave of my aunt THYRA GRACE BEAUMONT, … Read More
This story is an Anzac Day tribute to my late mother, Evelyn Proposch (nee Beaumont), who was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) during World War II. It’s the second part of a two-part series. The … Read More
On 26 February last year I wrote an article about the history of Bogantungan and the 1960 Medway Creek (Bogantungan) rail disaster and posted it on my “Love in a little black diary” Facebook page. The response was overwhelming! Since … Read More
In your family archives, do you have an old letter or two? I do. One is a 3-page letter dated 13 March 1952 my father wrote to my mother, brother and me. I would recognise my father’s handwriting anywhere. Seeing … Read More
On 5 May last year, 10 days after Anzac Day, I visited the Apple Tree Creek War Memorial. My husband and I were en route from Brisbane to Rockhampton when we stopped to take a break at the Apple Tree … Read More
How do you wash and iron? Do you find these tasks tiresome? Spare a thought for your mother or grandmother in the 1950s. Washing and ironing prior to the 1950s were time-consuming, labour-intensive chores for most Australian households. These tasks … Read More
A funny thing happened when my husband Tony and I visited Isisford last year and Tony spied a bakery in the main street of this tiny remote Queensland town. Isisford Isisford is located in the Longreach Region of central western … Read More
I never knew my aunt, my mother’s sister. She died long before I was born. There are no photographs of her, so I can only imagine what she looked like. But I do have something that belonged to her. It’s … Read More
