Valentine's Day Special 100% LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Historical Snippets by Dr Timothy Bottoms
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FREE TABLELANDS | February 2018 Valentine's Day Special 100% LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Historical Snippets by Dr Timothy Bottoms Tablelands historical snippets adapted from the book Kuranda Range Road Cairns - City of the South Pacific - A History 1770-1995. This book is available from www.cairnshistory.com.au In 1940 construction of the Kuranda Range Road began with machine power being used for the first time. Explosives See below to win a copy! had to be transported up from the Stratford magazine near Cairns. Jackhammers were rather basic and steel bits had to Coaching Days be reforged frequently, resulting in three blacksmiths’ shops operating eight hours a day sharpening steel ends. Some 100 Prior to the establishment of the inland railway line the main men were employed, mostly elderly, as the younger males form of transport was ‘shanks pony’ (meaning to use one’s were off in the Middle East sector of the war in Europe. It was own legs), horse, buggy or buckboard, stagecoach, or bullock a tough and demanding effort yet the project was delivered teams or pack horse and mule. Many a flooded river caused at half the original estimated cost of £100,000 for a single days or even weeks’ delay and on occasion had to be swum lane road and dual lane highway, without a soul lost in its to gain supplies or aid in an emergency, and a day’s journey construction. was measured by distances of ten miles (16kms) in the case of loaded teams, or maybe up to 50 miles (80kms) by stage The Cairns Kuranda Range Road was opened for traffic in mid coach or saddle horse. 1941, six months before the Japanese attacked Malaya and Pearl Harbor. The Kuranda to Mareeba road was improved The completion of the Second Section of the railway to and bitumen sealed when the military began using it and it Myola in 1891 saw the Cobb & Co. coach service begin became one of the most crucial links in joint Australian and from Kuranda to Granite Creek (Mareeba from 1893), which American defence of the Far North during World War II. connected to already established coaching routes started in 1882. From Granite Creek the routes headed south to Tableland Rail Closures Herberton, Georgetown and beyond, while another headed After World War II, one of the Tablelands largest employers west to Thornborough and another to the north-east over of labour workers was the railway. However, as branch lines ‘the Bump’ to Port Douglas. The coaches were suspended on became uneconomic to run, the Railway Department began leather straps called thorough-braces and carried between closing them. In 1957 the coalmine at Mt Mulligan was 8 and 16 passengers. closed, and the next year the line was also closed. In 1963 Biboohra or Bibara? the Mt Garnet line closed, followed by the Mt Molloy-Rumula and Millaa Millaa branches in 1964. The rail motors, started in Sutherland and McKenzie won the railway contract for the 1927, continued to run and offer residents a semi-suburban Third Section of the railway, from Myola to Granite Creek, and service along the North Coast Line until 1969. By December began preparation for construction in April 1891. The terrain 1988 the rail motors had disappeared altogether however at was far less daunting than for the Second Section, although their peak ran 33 journeys per week. lives were still lost during its construction. By January 1893 the rail lines had been laid to Biboohra. Pronounced ‘bye- boo-ra’, although interestingly if pronounced ‘bib-ara’ the location name matches the Djabugay word ‘bibara’ meaning ‘sacred clap sticks’. Railway officials may have interpreted the pronunciation from a written record when naming sidings and stations after Aboriginal names. WIN The bridge across the middle Barron was completed by May of that year, and perhaps due to the depressed state of the Answer these three economy, the railway was not to reach Atherton until 1903 questions correctly and Herberton in 1910. and send your answers via email to info@ Earthquakes on the Tablelands whatsontablelands. com.au to go in the On Sunday evening 27 February 1896 at 9pm, residents draw to win this great in Cairns, Kuranda, Mareeba, Herberton and Port Douglas local historical book experienced an earthquake shock that rattled plates and (609 pages). shook houses. The following Tuesday 3 March, cracks were detected in the masonry of No.15 Railway Tunnel on the 1. When did Granite Creek become Mareeba? southern Barron Gorge, and gradually repaired without 2. Who founded Emerald End, the first cattle station in causing delays on the line. The next earth tremor appears to the region in 1877? have been felt by residents of the Atherton Tableland, some 54 years later on Monday evening 19 July 1950. 3. When was Tinaroo Dam completed? 2 What’s On & Where To Go February 2018 february this issue Historical Snippets 2 February Calendar - Highlights 4 editor’s note Gig Guide 6 Welcome to the February 2018 edition of What’s On & Where Valentine's Day 8 To Go and the month of LOVE. Tableland Properties 11 For our first edition of 2018 it's all about the love. Love it or hate Tableland Trails and Destinations 15 it, Valentine's Day is here to stay. It's actually nice to know that as Faces of the Tablelands 16 time goes on, the day now also represents a day to be kind and Movies and Markets 17 express how much your friends, neighbours and colleagues Monthly Calendar 18 mean to you. In a world where there's too much hatred, it's the perfect day to embrace love in all it's forms. Of course a bit of page old fashioned romance never goes astray either! 8 We're excited to see what 2018 holds in store for us and all that the Tablelands has to offer. No doubt this beautiful part of the world will continue to captivate our imaginations and entice more visitors to our region. Enjoy What’s On! VALENTINE’S DAY Photo: Heather Miller Photography cover next month EDITOR: Nettie O’Connell Shana Parata and If you would like to participate DESIGN: Nettie O Design nettieodesign.com Krish Hoffart in What's On and promote from Speewah your business, give us a call. 0416 120 852 Photo by Advertising deadline is the [email protected] Heather Miller Photography 15th of each month. Great care is taken to ensure event information PO Box 560, Kuranda Q 4881 is correct at time of publication, however Contact us to book your readers should confirm event details before advertising and rates: whatsontablelands.com.au attending. Views expressed are not necessarily those of What’s On & Where To Go publishers or WhatsOnTablelands its advertisers. Reproducing or copying any part [email protected] of What’s On & Where To Go magazine requires or call Nettie 0416 120 852 WhatsOnTablelands the permission of the editor. February 2018 What’s On & Where To Go 3 february HIGHLIGHTS 8 9 Armchair Travel Evening 7.30pm “North West of Western Australia” and “In the Footsteps of the Reformation” Uniting Church Centre, cnr Jack & Victoria Sts, Atherton 4095 3735 11 14 15 17 & 18 Andre Rieu - Songs from Back to the Bone Botanical my Heart Garden - Open Weekend 2pm Valentine's 10am-4pm Uniting Church Centre, cnr 42 Bischoff Mill Rd, Jack & Victoria Sts, Atherton Watsonville Advertising deadline (see page 14 for more info) Free. Afternoon tea available Day [email protected] now to 3 Apr 18 Woman A collection of abstract and expressionist style portraits by Artist Kai Hagberg. The Foyer Gallery, 45 Mabel St, Atherton Interclub Cross Country Challenge - ROUND 1 8am-12pm 5 round event Regional Series Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park, Rifle Range Rd See Facebook - Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park 4 What’s On & Where To Go February 2018 Calendar events for the next issue must be received online by the 15th of every month. now to Calendar Highlights are subject to space availability and cannot be guaranteed. 11 Mar Register your event online www.whatsontablelands.com.au 23 Atherton-Herberton Historic Railway Quiz Night Fundraiser 6.30pm for 7pm start Old Shire Council Hall, Herberton $5 p/p 23 EXHIBITION NOW TO 9 FEB 2018 16 FEB – 11 MAR 2018 Ravenshoe Visitor Centre Old Post Office Gallery 6PM FRIDAY 23 24 Moore St, Ravenshoe 86 Herberton Rd, Atherton FEBRUARY 2018 Mon to Fri 10am–4pm Tue to Fri, 10am–4pm Saturday & Sunday Saturday & Sunday OPENING NIGHT 10am–2pm 10am–2pm SHOWINGREFLECTIONS FROM THE 23-2-18 TO 23-3-18 THAT RETRO CAFE 24 2/20 Eacham Rd, Yungaburra A NIGHT OF ART, FASHION, MUSIC AND CULTURE ART KELLY McCOLM FASHION GEMMA McCOLM MUSIC ART OPEN MIKE S H O W Sat Tableland Garden Group 1.30-4pm every second Saturday of Mareeba Book Launch Battle Scars - Teal Sister the month by Charlene Ericson Shelley 4096 8178 Jan 4091 3106 11.30am-2.30pm Mareeba RSL, 88 Byrnes St, Mareeba BC_Tablelands Garden Group_90x54.indd 1 19/05/2016 8:59 am February 2018 What’s On & Where To Go 5 GIG guide ATHERTON MILLAA MILLAA YUNGABURRA Live Music at the ORB - 2 Main St Every 2nd Friday - Live music @ Every 2nd Saturday - Django in 6-10pm Thursdays - Stage Craft for Millaa Millaa Hotel the Djungle - Saturday Sessions @ Music - beginners and advanced Yungaburra Hotel RAVENSHOE 7-10pm Thursdays - Live Jazz with Every 4th Saturday from 3pm Fusion 7pm - Misty Mountain Music every Traditional Folk Session then a live 7.30-11.30 Fridays - Live music 2nd Saturday of month @ The band in lounge from 7.30pm @ 3-10pm Sundays - Jam Session Mountains Institute Yungaburra Hotel 9 Feb - David Blumberg & The Maraby Band @ The ORB Got a gig? Submit your event details by the 10th of every month www.whatsontablelands.com.au Tablelands Bushwalking QUIZ NIGHT Fundraiser for Club – February Walks restoration work being carried out on Wednesday 7th February – Mandarin Rock steam locomotives Davies Creek area - Part circuit including tracks and cross country to Townsend 23 February 2018 Pass, Mandarin and Tank Rock.