Mary

Remember Professor Julius Sumner Miller on TV – “Why is it so”?

Going way, way back in time, some imbalances were evident in early Australia. Many of the religious battles of the Irish were brought to Australia via the convict scheme.

The Catholics outnumbered the Protestants, males exceeded females and the Rev. Dr. John Dunmore Lang had the fervour to put things right.

From 1849 Lang successfully encouraged migration from the Mother Country and in 1848 and 1849, 800 English migrants landed in the new Queensland colony via the ships ARTEMISIA, FORTITUDE, CHASELEY and LIMA. Regrettably, the free Government land grants that he had promised didn’t eventuate and most didn’t get past the settlement in Fortitude Valley.

In 1849, 17-year-old Irish migrant Mary was met at Petrie Bight wharf by one James Cash, a 46 year old farm hand from Ipswich.

At the sight of young Mary, he abandoned his employer and fled to the wilds of “Pine” and married the young Mary.

On land previously described as “too poor to feed a bandicoot”, they built a slab hut on the banks of the South Pine River and proceeded to multiply and prosper.

In 1868, James Cash was the very first land buyer in Pine, paying $172 for 100 acres.

That 100 acres now would be worth multi millions but James had grazing on his mind and by his death in 1870, he had another 870 acres under lease.

Until the mid-70’s, remnants of the hut existed on Hay’s property, now the Good Shepherd Baptist Church.

Why is it so? Cash Road, Mary Court, James Cash Court and Cash’s Crossing are part of that history.

The first land surveyed and sold after Cash were portions 2 & 3, known as the Campbell Mahaca Poultry Farm at the entrance to Albany Creek.

Why is it so? Mahaca Park is named after the family, i.e. Matthew Hale Campbell as is Matt Campbell Park, Fred Campbell Drive, Jullyan, McConachie, Hale, Frederick, Mathew and Jessie Courts.

So it has taken till the early 2006 for the Pine Rivers Shire Council to “wonder” if our history is ending up in the tip. Our Pine Rivers Historian will need more than 9 lives to scratch the history surface. Daily, old photos and memorabilia are going into the mini skip. Janice Hall, granddaughter of pioneer #1 Tom Petrie, has called for another museum to house our collection.

Most of the Campbell farm and equipment went to the dump. A little to Caboolture Historical Park. Nothing to Pine Shire. They couldn’t afford the manpower or equipment to take donated pumps, pulleys, chaff cutters, incubators, cross cut saws, etc.

HELP
I needs volunteers with interview skills. Why?

(i) to tape record discussions with selected older identities;
(ii) to photograph points of interest for our “Now and Then” photo project;

As the saying goes, I only need 15 minutes of your time, (unsaid, each day for the next 50 years, if I last that long). One of the first projects will be to detail reasons for the naming of many local streets.

As the FIRST agent in Albany Creek and part of Chinamans Creek – past, present and future – please ring me direct on 0148 774 663 for any Brisbane real estate sales, rentals or advice.

TO RENT TO BUY TO SELL
Peter Campbell - 0418 774 663