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At the turn of the nineteen and twentieth centuries one infour of all men in Queensland over 65 years were at Dunwich.They were inmates of the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum whichwas the largest public institution in Queensland at the time. The North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribahlaunched a new book ‘Paltry Paradise; a History of theDunwich Benevolent Asylum’ on Friday 13th December. Thebook is a comprehensive political, social and economicaccount of the institution.  Over its 80 years of operation on Minjerribah/StradbrokeIsland the Asylum held 21,000 inmates. The vast majoritywere aged. The phrase ‘off to Dunwich’ conveyed approachingsenility, if not death.  There were many remarkable people as inmates - from aDeputy Premier to a Pacific Islander rescued in the middle ofthe Pacific Ocean. And, for a while, there were people payingas private inmates for rehabilitation from drink.  Howard Guille, author of the book, says the title ‘PaltryParadise’ is purposely ambivalent. For some politicians andjournalists, it was an arcadia; a Moreton Bay Shangri-La. Onthe other side, there were dull routines, poor food, putridfish and forced to be outside every day whether in burningsun or freezing winds. For some returned WW1soldiers it was a place where they were locked up asalcoholics without treatment for the ‘shell shock’ thatafflicted them. A major part of the remarkable history is how the Asylumbecame dependent on the Aboriginal people of Quandamooka.The Asylum was perennially under-funded. The Asylumbecame dependent on Aboriginal workers; yet this also madeAboriginal people reliant on the Asylum.

The Aboriginal workers of the Asylum, supported by tradeunions, used industrial actions to achieve award wages andequal pay in 1944. They were the first group of Aboriginalpeople to do so in Australia — more than two decadesbefore anywhere else.  The Dunwich Benevolent Asylum was a product of the socialand political ethos of the second half of the nineteenthcentury and the first half of the twentieth century. It wasthought that the poor should be ‘deserving’; they shouldwork for their keep and should be grateful. Such an ethosseems to be back in fashion. The history of the Asylum - for 80 years the publicinstitution for Queensland's aged - reverberates in therecent interim report of the Aged Care Royal Commission.The foreword of the report says aged care services are 'Leftout of sight and out of mind'. They are, among other things,'underfunded.’ Just like the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum!Copies of the books are available at the North StradbrokeIsland Museum on Minjerribah. Paltry Paradise; a History of the Dunwich BenevolentAsylum is available for purchase at the Museum (andMuseum members receive a 20% discount).

N EWS L E T T E R

The Museum acknowledges the Quandamooka People as the owners and custodians of the lands and waters on which the musuem operates. We pay

our resepcts to Elders past, present and emerging.

Volume 27 (3) - Summer Edition

December 2019

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Sibelco Australia in the production of our Newsletter.

Book Launched: Paltry Paradise

Dividing North and South: Cambus WallaceThe oystermen found the ship’s cargo of whiskey andrum and quickly buried it. The rest of the cargo, mainlyunstable wet explosives, was piled up and detonated. Four years later, following severe storms, the seasurged through the narrow isthmus into southernMoreton Bay.  Stradbroke Island became two islands:North Stradbroke Island and South StradbrokeIsland. For some time after the wreck, hotels at nearbySouthport experienced a severe downturn in trade.This has been attributed to the fact that so many oftheir customers now had their own – illicit - suppliesof whiskey and rum. The Museum houses a model of the Cambus Wallacebuilt and donated by Bruce Buchanan. If you areinterested in this story, or any of our stories, thesources are available at the Museum.

Stradbroke Island was originally one long islandstretching from Amity Point to Southport in southeastQueensland. A shipwreck and a cargo of explosives resulted in theisland splitting into two in 1898. Four years earlier, howling winds and heavy seas haddriven the Cambus Wallace ashore in the denseblackness of the early morning of 2 September.  The iron barque was smashed onto a narrow isthmusnear Jumpinpin.  Wild seas rushed in and broke upon the hull, andtons of cargo were washed ashore.  A sailor made it toshore and sought help at the Currigee Oyster Camp. Oyster men, Aboriginal and white, were soon at thewreck and sent for help from Brisbane.

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The Hercules - home for the breamto enable the dredge to manoeuvre while dredging. This work took place at Peters Slip in Brisbane. In 1948 the Hercules was sold to Queensland Limeand Cement Co Ltd. to dredge coral off Mud Islandto be used in making cement at Darra.  In 1952 theHercules was sold to Power Irvine Nelson Dicksonaka ‘Bonty’. Bonty Dickson was a shop keeper and part-timeoyster farmer from Dunwich North StradbrokeIsland. Bonty Dickson had the Hercules scuttledbetween Dunwich and Myora, at One Mile, with theintention of establishing an oyster farm andresearch station.  The dredge, stripped of herfittings, was towed from Brisbane by the Haylespleasure cruiser Mirimar, which was joined in thebay by the Mirabel. Bonty was a boat builder by trade. “I’ve studiedoysters in Moreton Bay with a view to try andrevive the oyster industry that was lost in MoretonBay through, I would say, the greed of man.” “Ieven went so far as to buy the dredge Hercules andbrought her, and put her on my bank and sank her,and I have pictures of the oysters growing on theinside.  We cut holes in the side of the Hercules toallow the water in, but could never let the food in. We could only let the food in and the bream.  Thebream used to pick them off the trays and takethem everywhere.”   The oyster growing venture failed as insufficientsunlight inhibited the oyster’s growth. Over theyears since, the Hercules has rusted to the waterline with mangrove trees growing out of her.  Sheends her life as a place for snorkelling, spearfishing,fishing and canoeing.  Each year the Hercules rustsaway a bit more.

The Hercules was built in 1900 by Armstrong &Company at Newcastle on Tyne, England. She wasbuilt for the Queensland Government Harbours andMarine Department. The Hercules was an ironhulled, steam powered suction dredge of 895 tons. Her length was 230.5 feet and the depth 13.2 feet. She helped widen and deepen the Suez Canal in1900 when coming from England. On arrival inMoreton Bay she spent seventeen years dredgingthe bar cutting at the mouth of the Brisbane River. The Hercules also deepened large stretches of thelower reaches of the Brisbane River. She wasdecommissioned in 1918. Human-made Bishops Island at the mouth of theBrisbane River is named after the skipper of theHercules, who pumped millions of tons of mud intothe area.  In 1931 she was stripped of her boilers and pumpsat the Brisbane Dry Dock and converted to a coralbucket dredge.  In 1938 the Hull was purchased byBrisbane Gravels Ltd. and converted from a SuctionDredge to a steam powered Bucket and LadderDredge.  This included lengthening the hull, theinstallation of two Babcock boilers and thepositioning of two large wooden legs [spuds],

The Hercules at One Mile

The Steam Ship Lady Loch was built in 1886 in

Melbourne, as a lighthouse tender to the

Victorian Government.  She was of iron

construction and a single screw steamer with a

length of 182 ft. 

In 1890 the SS Lady Loch was classified as an

auxiliary cruiser in the Victorian Colonial Navy. 

From 1886 to 1932 she serviced lighthouses on

the coasts of Victoria, South Australia and

Tasmania. She was involved in 8 search and

rescue operations.

Drop into the museum and check out our new exhibition

Figuring Minjerribah, a Statistical Snapshot.    This

exhibition draws a picture of Minjerribah today.  Come

along and find out fun facts like:  What is the population

of Minjerribah?  How many houses are occupied at Point

Lookout? How many children attend Dunwich State

School? How many single water taxi trips were taken in

2019?    Through this exhibition we reveal Minjerribah

today.  Exhibition booklets available for purchase at $6

each.  The museum is open throughout the Summer. 

Remember there is unlimited free entry to local residents!

In 1932 the SS Lady Loch was a reserve vessel to

the SS Cape Leeuwin servicing lights on the

Queensland coast.

In 1934 she was laid up at Peters Slip in Brisbane. 

In 1936 she was hulked, her boiler removed and

she was converted to carry coal as a lighter.  In

1950 she was sold to Morton Tug and Lighter in

South Brisbane and converted into a gravel barge. 

In 1966 she was towed to Dunwich and used a

break water and for the protection of the silica

sand loading facility of Moreton Tug and Lighter.

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Contemporary Summer Exhibition: Figuring Minjerribah, a

Statistical Snapshot

Lady Loch

SS Lady Loch, 1890 Artwork: Depiction of Lady Loch Beach, Nooninya Walker, 2011

Stradbroke Flyer, Toondah Harbour, 1990 Photo courtesy, Groom Family

Friends of the Museum

Updates from around the Museum

Donate $500 or more, and receive life membership, invitation to all Museum Events and functions and

acknowledgement in the Museum. All donations to the museum are tax deductible. You could also consider a bequest

to the Museum. Please contact us for information.

Sealife Education

Trees Trimmed

Jam is BackFollowing a cumquat drought, the museum’s trees have

produced many kilograms of fine fruit for our small team of

pickers, slicers, bottle washers and jam makers.  Jam sales are a

key income source for the museum (some $3-4,000 pa), and it

has been great to see them back on sale.  But you need to be

quick as sales have been good.

We would like to thank Judy Hines for her coordinating role, and

production of not only cumquat jam, but orange and lime

marmalade as well.  Judy officially resigned from the jam 

We would like to thank one of our local tree loppers, George Caruana of

Straddie Tree Care, for the professional work at the museum to trim two

of our largest trees.  Our North Queensland Bombala tree dominates the

museum’s yard and now looks a lot tidier.  And our back-corner cumquat

can now get some sun, after the overhanging Leopard tree was cut right

back.  George’s services were provided at no charge to the museum.  If

you want a professional tree lopping job on Minjerribah, George can be

contacted on 0419 785 444, or at 1 Illawong Crescent, Dunwich.  He has

all the necessary safety equipment and insurance.

B e c o m e a f r i e n d o f t h e N o r t h S t r a d b r o k e I s l a n d M u s e u m o n M i n j e r r i b a h t o d a y

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coordinating role a couple of years ago, but the call of the citrus

has been too much.  The following also deserve our thanks: Will

and Lorna Heaslop, who bought and donated a few dozen new

jam jars, filled with their jam, Jan and Roger Buhmann, Mike

Hines, Elinor and Michael Drake, June Jackson, Colin and

Virginia Taylor, Cindy Harold, Vereena Oxlee, Lee Smith and

Helen Cameron. In addition, Francis Hines took time off from

overseeing the State’s bushfire response to restore the

operation of the cumquat tree watering system.  It won’t be long

before the next crop is ready to start the process all over again!

Belinda Irons with children, Avaraand Rohar Galea

Aunty Maree Goebel with grandchildren, Riley and NateJohnson

On Friday the 27th of September the

museum hosted a Redland City Council

School Holiday Program, Sealife

Education. Many families stopped in to

enjoy the touch and feel tanks, whilst

learning about what lurks under ocean. 

Our museum is available for hosting

events for a small charge.

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Anne Peterken, on a visit to the Museum in 2004,

noticed that there was no sample of tatted lace to

accompany a shuttle on display.  She sent the museum a

piece of tatting which is on display.  Anne learnt the art

of tatting at boarding school in the UK in the early

1950’s.  She attended evening sessions with useful

handwork whilst sitting and listening to a story or

music. Anne revisited the museum recently and was

pleased to see that her sample of tatted lace was still on

display.

The art of tatting

Katie Noonan performs at MoongalbaKatie Noonan and the Australian String Quartet performed 'The Glad Tomorrow' at Moongalba on the 30th of

October 2019.  This afternoon concert was performed on a wooden stage perched over the rainforest and

mangrove swamp.  This was a special performance for the Walker family and invited community members. 

Oodgeroo’s great granddaughter Kaleenah Edwards read a Jandai translation of Oodgeroo’s poems.  Katie

Noonan sang the original poems to specially composed music that was performed by the Australian String

Quartet.    The birds sang along with the violins.  'The Glad Tomorrow' is an exciting collaboration between

Katie Noonan and Petrina Walker as custodian of the Oodgeroo of the Tribe Noonuccal Custodian of the Land

Minjerribah Collection.  We look forward to more creative projects inspired by Oodgeroo's work in 2020

which is the 100th anniversary of her birth.

Katie Noonan, Kaleenah Edwards with the Australian String Quartet at Moongalba

Anne Peterken visiting the Museum in 2019

Return address: 15 - 17 Welsby Street, Goompi (Dunwich)w: www.stradbrokemuseum.com.aue: info@stradbrokemuseum.com.au p: 3409 9699

A friendly reminder that Stradbroke Museum annualmembership fee of $5 are now due. Payments can bemade by cash or EFTPOS in the Museum, or via banktransfer (BSB: 638 070 Acc: 1251 9677). If you areunsure about the status of your membership, pleasecontact us.

Membership Fees Due

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Redland City Council is proud to provide funding for the North StradbrokeIsland Museum on Minjerribah as part of the Community Grants Program

to assist the Redlands Community.

Our volunteers are getting organised

Tues 11 Feb: general get-together to discuss coming

year and overview of shop, new and much improved

payment system etc.

Wed 11 Mar: cleaning displays and how to handle

collection items. Some of our displays have cobwebs and

we must get rid of them.

Thurs 9 April: learn all about QAlbum:

https://qalbum.archives.qld.gov.au/. We’re putting our

collection online, using the State Archives’ platform. If

research appeals to you, this is the task for you.

Fri 15 May: indexing newspaper clippings: a surprisingly

gratifying task and perfect for anyone who loves

crosswords.

Mon 8 June: scanning photographs and documents.

Tues 7 July: interested in objects in the collection? This

working bee will cover putting numbers on them, using

conservation tools. If you have very neat writing, we

need you!

Wed 12 Aug: filing documents in our archive room: the

hows, whys and wherefores.

VOLUNTEER SAVE THE DATESBack in November we volunteers had a very fruitfulget-together. One of our main findings was that manyof us weren’t sure what was expected of us, and alsothere was a preference to have a set task or projectthat we could get on with when we were on duty. So we decided it would be a good idea to have monthlyworking bees/workshops where we catch up with eachother and what’s going on, and also focus on aparticular museum task. So below is our calendar:everybody is welcome, even if only to have a cup of teaand a biscuit. We have also created a new email for volunteers:volunteer@stradbrokemuseum.com.au. If you have anyquestions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact us. AND if you’re a volunteer reading this and haven’treceived an email recently about volunteering, it meansyou’re not on our list, so please email the aboveaddress and we’ll add you. AND AGAIN: if you haven’t been a volunteer but areinterested, also email the above address and we’ll addyou to our list.

Special Thank You:

Michael and Marie MannWe would like to give a special thank

you to Michael and Marie Mann for

their regular donation of newspapers

to our Museum. Our volunteers scour

the pages for articles about the island

to archive in our collection. Our

newspaper clipping archive date back

to the 1950's and are available for

public viewing on request at the

Museum.