Chinchilla during 1900
Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 3 January 1900, page 6
DALBY, December 31.
The annual meeting of the Chinchilla Race Club was held- on Friday, under favourable weather conditions. Owing to two or three of the acceptors in the major events being scratched, the number of starters was not great, but the racing was good. The following are the results :
TRIAL STAKES.-G. Down's Pansy, 1 ; P. Fogarty’s Mistake, 2 ; H Mackie's Sonny, 3.
HACK HANDICAP.-W. O. Scott's Wallace, 1; T. Lawton's Beryl, 2 ; G. Down's Pansy, 3.
CHINCHILLA HANDICAP.-J. Dittman's Parody, 1 ; G. Cue's Mintor, 2 ; F. Fogarty's Lady May, 3.
MEMBERS' RACE.-W. O. Scott's Wallace, 1 ; F. Fogarty's Lady May, 2.
FLYING HANDICAP.-J. Dittman's Parody, 1; G. Cue's Mintor, 2 ; T. Lawton's Beryl, 3.
HACK HANDICAP.-J. Dulltude's King, 1 ; J. Alexander's Hopeless, '.
HURRY SCURRY.-T. Lawton's Beryl, 1 ; H. Mackie's Sonny, 2.
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Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 13 January 1900, page 59
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.
Writing from Ormond, Chinchilla district, Vera tells about Christmas preparations there. She is only 7 years old, but writes :—" People say about here that my head is 10 years. I have just come home for Christmas ; it is very hot up here, and we go for a bathe every evening. We can all swim. There is a lovely hole to bathe in. Rain is badly wanted up here, as things look very dry. My sister writes to you, and has persuaded me to write to you also. We are going to the races on Boxing Day to a place twenty-two miles from here, and we are taking up a lot of lollie baskets and bags for the little children at the races, who will be glad to see such things."
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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Friday 23 February 1900, page 4
RECENT STORM NEAR CHINCHILLA.
Mr. Wragge, Government Meteorologist, has received the following particulars relat-ing to a storm on the night of the 17th instant, which he associates with the monsoon " Suba." The letter is dated Jondowie to Durah-road, 18th instant, and is as follows : — We were camped half-way between the abovementioned places, on the telegraph line. In the evening, about 6 o'clock, a thunderstorm seemed to be rising in the south-west. Could hear thunder up till 12 o'clock, when the wind began to get up and a storm started making from south to north ; between 12 and 1 o'clock began the most wild and terrible experience that I ever remember. The trees around us were very thick, most of which were levelled to the ground. Trees 4ft. and 5ft. through, and perfectly solid, were snapped off 4ft. and 5ft. from the ground. On the telegraph line the second wire is fastened on with cast brackets to hold the insulators ; those were in long stretches snapped off also. As far as I can find, the storm was four or five miles wide. I know the telegraph line is almost levelled to the ground for ten or twelve miles. The rain fell so thickly that one had a feeling of suffocation while the storm lasted, almost the same as if you were submerged. I had charge of stock, and a number of them were killed and others crippled. How we escaped is a miracle. I am sure if this storm had struck anywhere where there was close settlement there would have been a serious loss of life.
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Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 10 March 1900, page 442
LETTERS FROM YOUNG FRIENDS.
Ivy P. sends a nice little letter from the Chinchilla district; we hope that her next letter will tell of good rain and green pastures. She writes :—"-Christmas is over now, and my sister has gone away to school again. We missed her very much for a while. We .have had no rain since I wrote to you last, and the heat is something terrible. What must the poor soldiers suffer in South Africa, also the poor horses. I thnk it is awfully cruel; don't you think so, Delphia ? I expect the third contingent is about to start to the war, if not already gone. They must be very brave fellows. There in going to be a great wedding ball here on Saturday night ; everybody is looking forward to it. How can they enjoy themselves, and then think of our boys in South Africa ! I sent in my horse's head, ; but it never appeared, yet I hope I get one of the prizes ;. some very nice sketches appeared. We had a drop of rain to-day, but not enough to wet the ground. Things are very dry up this way. I suppose Lord and Lady Lamington are home in England, yet they will soon be coming back to Queensland again. We have great shooting matches here. We all have a shot, but we don't always hit the mark. We get very frightened sometimes. There are not so many nice children's letters in the " Queenslander" now, all the old correspondents have not written for a long time. I am pleased with the last competition, and hope you will have another."
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Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 21 April 1900, page 731
COMPETITION LETTERS.
Chinchilla, April 2nd, 1900.
Dear Delphia,—I am writing you this letter, with the hope of obtaining first prize in the "Letter Competition." I live about a mile and a half from Chinchilla. We have two hundred and ninety acres of land and something like forty head of cattle. We got a new house up lately, which cost £113 10s. I have never entered for a prize before. I am in (5th) fifth class in school, and I am the best scholar in the class. Mr. W. C. Liddle is Head Teacher.
This South African War is terrible, is it not ? We have got a Patriotic Fund at school, and we collected 18s. 6d. I gave 2s. and I wish, 1 could give more. Father gave 11s. to the Railway Fund. All the English Generals, are not near go good as " Bobs," or Lord Roberts. The Irish Fusiliers, and the Gordons lost terribly. I am very sorry for them. My word, "Kangatook" is a good story, and Tom Brombey is a nice boy, according to the story. There are some nice pictures in the " Queenslander." 1 am wishing for plucky Mafeking to be relieved. We got one holiday, when Ladysmith was relieved, and most likely we will get one when Mafeking is out of danger. That was a very sad event, When General Wauchope was killed. He was a gallant soldier. I heard that his wife was in a shop in Edinburgh, when she heard of his death. The news must have shocked her terribly.
Rudyard Kipling is a good poet. " The Absent Minded Beggar" is a good piece of poetry. I can shoot fairly well now, and I am going to get a new rifle soon. I will get a Bayard, It is only £1, and it is not so dangerous as a large rifle. We got a Roman Catholic Church built at Chinchilla lately, by Mr. Arthur Bond it cost £213. There are two hotels, one butcher's shop, one saddlers, one boot-makers, two stores, (and there will be three soon), two fruit shops, (which do a good trade). The Condamine river is four and three-quarter miles from Chinchilla. There isn't much scenery about here now the weather is very dry. There is no grass, much. The lagoons are full of water, and water-lilies. The water-lilies are very handsome. Animal life is pretty abundant about here in the shape of opossum, bear, kangaroo, wallaby, native cat, tiger cat, and dingo (or native dog). The dingo is a very savage animal and I pity the sheep that are left out on a winter's night, when the " dingoes" are about. One night I went out shooting opossums, and got four out of one tree. I fired five shots at them. There are plenty of codfish in the Condamine river, and I often go fishing, and catch some nice fish.
Now, Dear Delphia having no more news to tell,—
I Remain Yours in Confidence, "TRY NOT, WIN NOT."
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Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 19 May 1900, page 933
THE QUEENSLAND IMPERIAL CONTINGENT
THE COMMANDING OFFICER AND STAFF of the QUEENSLAND IMPERIAL CONTINGENT.
(Photos by Tosca.)
137. Sturgess, Arthur, care of Harry Sturgess, Chinchilla, Queensland.
(photo on the same page)
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Darling Downs Gazette (Qld. : 1881 - 1922), Wednesday 25 July 1900, page 2
CHINCHILLA AND WINE-GROWING. .
In a report on the capabilities of the Chinchilla district, Mr E. M. Rainford, the wine expert says :— ' My opinion is that all varieties of vines would do well on the soils of Chinchilla, if the fertility is maintained subsequently by artificial means. It is, of course, impossible to foretell the wines that would be grown on it, but from analogy I should say they would be light and clean tasting, and lacking in that coarseness which characterises our wines made on the clay soils on which vineyards are so frequently planted in Queensland.
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Darling Downs Gazette (Qld. : 1881 - 1922), Wednesday 29 August 1900, page 3
WAMBO DIVISIONAL BOARD.
From L. L. Atkins, Chinchilla, asking information in connection with the payment of rates on his newly-selected land, and also asking that the road dividing his selection from R. Burnell's be closed, as it was not required. Clerk stated he had informed writer that rates were not payable until certficates had been issued. With reference to road closure, it was agreed that Mr Atkins be given permission to fence the road.
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Warwick Examiner and Times (Qld. : 1867 - 1919), Saturday 15 September 1900, page 7
Letter from the Front.
Mr. Donald McInnes, of Chinchilla, has placed at our disposal a second letter received from his brother (Colin) now in South Africa, from which we make the following extracts:—
PRETORIA, August 4.
(a long letter follows)
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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 20 September 1900, page 7
THE BORDER RAILWAY. *|
TO THE EDITOR. '(in part)
Now, with the exception of Rosewood, there is no portion of the colony which affords a better example of what may be done with good brigalow scrub than the Dalby district. The train traveller between Warra and Chinchilla can see green farms nestling in the dark forest on either side of the line like oases in a wilderness It is the brigalow land under cultivation.
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Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 27 October 1900, page 858
Children's Corner.
' Ormond, Via Chinchilla, April 19th. 00.
Dear Delphla,—I am glad to see there is a new competition, and I will try for the prize. Since I wrote to you last we have had plenty of rain and we have now plenty of grass and water. It just came in time or we would have lost everything this winter.
1 must tell you about a mob of cattle that rushed here about a week ago. As soon as the men brought them on to camp and had started the supper they began to rush as they never ceaced rushing till one (1) o'clock that night the poor fellow's we shouting and singing all the time to take there attention off it and it was a very dark night there were 7 men trying to keep them on camp and the next morning some of them said it was sport. There was also another mob rushed at 8 o'clock in the morning passing the door and one of the bullocks broke his leg so the Drover gave him to Da and he was fat so we killed him.
The drovers say that after a rush the horses are that excited that they tremble all over, and you can hear there hearts beating, quiet plainly 10 yds off.
I am sorry the war is not ceacing and 1 hope it will soon end.
I have been to Toowoomba since I last wrote to you and I enjoyed myself very much and I saw some nice sights. Everybody was preparing for Easter but I could not stay for it. There is a cricket match on in Chinchilla to-day.
We are getting our new house built, so we will be quiet comfortable then. My Aunty come home from Toowoomba with me and she is going to stay a month here. I hope she enjoyes herself, but as she is used to the town she will find it very lonly out here. So hoping the war will soon end I remain
Your little friend, IVY LEAF
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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 22 November 1900, page 6
OFFICIAL ITEMS.
Constable F. Reeves, at Chinchilla (also acting C.P.S. there); J. A. Murphy, at Coomera.
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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 29 November 1900, page 6
OFFICIAL ITEMS.
Constable F Reeves is to be assistant district registrar at Chinchilla for the registry district of Darling Downs
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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 5 December 1900, page 7
QUEENSLAND.
(From Our Own Correspondents )
. . DALBY, December
At the last meeting of the Wombo Divisional Board it was agreed that the services of Mr J. G. Palethorpe, of Toowoomba (of divining rod fame), be obtained to fix on a site for a well on the Jimbour road, adjoining the town reserve selections, and also one in the Bonanga district, near Chinchilla. Mr Palethorpe was in town on Thursday, and was accompanied to the localities mentioned by the board’s overseer, and sites chosen, Mr Palethorpe stating that a good supply of water would be obtained at both places.
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