Howard and District

HISTORY OF HOWARD Taken from the pages of the Howard State School Centenary Book, 1979.

"A TOWNSHIP IS BORN"

Little information is known about the Burrum District before 1850. Pioneers from Maryborough made trips to Burrum both by land, sea and river, but visits were always hasty as they were met by hostile aborigines protecting their rich hunting grounds along the Burrum River. They saw the white man as a threat to their plentiful supply of both fresh water and salt water fish and shellfish.

On these visits, the adventurous explorers noted the great abundance of hoop and kauri pine trees as well as hardwood timber. They also took keen note of the river flats - surely excellent areas for farming. Two brothers, Robert and John Miller, decided to act on this and proceeded to the Burrum to set up a timber mill. There was a good demand for timber, and their mill was duly set up. The brothers whilst setting up their mill on the banks of the Burrum, discovered coal by accident.

The Coal Industry

The Burrum coal mining industry was established in about 1886 and a market was found supplying coal to the Gympie gold mines, and for blacksmiths, iron foundries and river and coastal streamers. This became the major industry in the Burrum area for the next 100 years.

Timber and coal were transported down the Burrum River, across Hervey Bay and up the Mary River to Maryborough. The coal was shipped by the steamer "Iona" and a ten ton cutter owned by Captain Walker. These were said to be the earliest vessels employed in the trade. This method of transportation was slow and no doubt inhibited the rapid development of the area. However, with the opening of the railway line from Maryborough to Howard in 1883, mining and farming operations expanded rapidly.

Mr James Robertson, who came to Brisbane in 1865 from Torbanehill in Ayreshire, Scotland, heard that the Honorable W. H. Walsh and others had taken up land and mined coal at Burrum with satisfactory results. He came to Maryborough in 1868 and took up about 700 acres on the southern side of Mr Walsh's property.

When the prospects of a railway being built were assured, he proceeded to test the ground systematically, putting down no less than twenty-two bores, all sounding coal seams at varying depths. Later on, he added an adjoining 300 acres to his property, establishing what he called the Torbanelea Collieries. This he named after his home in Scotland., Torbanehill. He changed the "hill" to "lea", which means field or meadow and more aptly describes the area. It is interesting to note that Torbanlea, is spelt "Torbanelea", until around the mid 1890s when the "e" was, for some unknown reason, dropped.

As soon as the railway line from Maryborough reached Torbanlea in 1883, Robertson laid a tram line and worked his mine at "Top End". This was located behind where the present Mobil Roadhouse is now situated. Robertson privately constructed a private branch line at a cost of 1 800 pounds, from the main line to the pit mouth. At that time in 1885, there were 16 working men's cottages in the settlement at Top End, which was approximately a kilometre to the west of the main line.

Many of our readers will be glad to learn that Mr Robertson of Torbanlea, has surveyed a township on his property, and has placed 100 allotments in the hands of Messrs. Southernden and Christoe, to sell by auction on Friday, 8th January. The township has long been a necessity, and the allotments should sell well being on either side of the railway station.

And so the township of Torbanlea was born. By February 1887, there were 300 people residing in the township, but these extracts from the Chronicle show that although the mines were thriving, the township itself, left much to be desired.

...there is not one single institution, public or private, beyond the store which is run by the proprietor of the Torbanelea colliery. There is not even a lock-up nor even the officer who usually performs the duty of preserving the peace...

...there is not even the ubiquitous public house, although we must inform our readers that there is one in the course of erection...the railway station requires a remark. At present one of the working men on the line of railway, officiates as station-master, and his cottage does service for a station...we have to note also the very great need for a post and telegraph office. At present, the store, run in conjunction with the pits, receives from the railway guard , all letters and papers for delivery to the inhabitants...

By the end of the same year, facilities in the township had been boosted by the building of the school, the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Miner's Hope Lodge, and a 'wee' platform and shed at the railway station.

Torbanlea. like Howard, has many grand timber homes, courtesy of the hard work of the miners in the early years of its history.

These classic "Queenslanders" are all in Robertson Street, Torbanlea.

"Ramsley"	"Dalhousie"	"Gracelea"


Torbanlea Railway 1911		Torbanlea Plan 1885		Torbanlea State School 1911		Miner's Cottage, Eglington Street