'Days Gone By' Gallery

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Many photos used on our website are courtesy of our talented local photographers....Talon Digital Imaging; Wenden Photography; Heather's Hobby; Barambah Bush Caravan Park; Leo Geraghty; & visitors...Dorothy Hurdle; Dave McLeod; Leon Hill

Check out our 'Days Gone By' Gallery for a trip down memory lane.

DAYS GONE BY:

Barambah Station homestead in the Murgon district, Queensland, 1906

In 1843 Ferriter and Uhr became the first European settlers to take up land in the Murgon area when they established the 'Barambah Station'. Grazing activities on the station originally focused on sheep but these were soon replaced by cattle, which proved more suitable to the area.
The town of Murgon was only established in the early 20th century. It wasn't until 1904 that Mr G.W. Nutt constructed 'Castra', the first house in Murgon...town lots were first sold in 1906.
A butter factory was built to service the local dairy industry in 1913. In 1914 a grain shed was constructed. Agricultural industry in the area now also includes olive and grape growing. In 1962 the South Burnett Meat Works Co-operative began operating in town and developed into an important beef processor for the national and international markets. The Co-op closed in 1999 but recommenced operations in 2000 only to close again in later years. Murgon is located 46 kilometres north of Kingaroy and 96 kilometres inland from Gympie. It is named from an Aboriginal term said to mean 'lily pond'.

Coming into Murgon 1912

School of Arts under construction in Murgon, ca. 1912 contributed by QldPics taken in 1912

View of Murgon, ca. 1912 contributed by QldPics taken in 1912

Post & Telegraph Office, Murgon, ca. 1914 contributed by QldPics taken in 1914

Lower end of Lamb Street....N. Waldock's Motor Garage in Murgon, ca. 1918 (Contributed by: QldPics) Waldock's Motor Garage was agent for Ford, Fiat & Mitchell cars and the International Harvester Company of Australia Pty Ltd. The shop on the right was still a blacksmith, with cartwheels standing outside.

Returned Servicemen of Murgon, 1919 contributed by QldPics taken in 1919. Murgon residents who returned after World War I and formed the Murgon Returned Services League Sub-branch.

View along Gore Street, Murgon contributed by QldPics. O'Connor's Royal Hotel can be seen at the corner of Gore Street. This hotel was destroyed by fire in the 1920s.

Shops in Lamb Street, Murgon, ca. 1921 contributed by QldPics taken in 1921.

Queensland National Bank in Murgon which opened in 1923 contributed by QldPics taken in 1923

Susan Tsicalas, my wife, a true-blue Murgon girl, has this and the following Murgon photos in her inherited collection. She reckons Danny Vanarey was the first to bring Greek cooking to Murgon in 1921 when he took up one of the new suite of shops built by a bloke named Carrodus (is this Greek?). A couple of years later George Black arrived to give him a few pointers, taking over the business in 1927 when Danny decided his talents lay as a draper in the adjacent shop. In 1932 they went into partnership to buy the freehold of the 4 shops and Carrodus’ private residence in the street behind - where George lived. (Danny had a separate large house and grounds nearby, which became Murgon’s favoured venue for garden parties over many years.) George passed the cafe to his nephew Peter Lahanas in the late 1950s and established a newsagency in his shop next door, creating a Greek Quarter in Murgon’s CBD. George and Danny retired in about 1970 and returned to Kythera, but Danny couldn’t handle the plumbing and came back shortly afterwards. [George’s brother Jack had a café up the road at Goomeri (See photo at the State Library of QLD photo site.) Jack died in 1947 and his sons Jim and Manuel took over the business. His other sons, Zachary (Jack) and George, stayed with uncle George for a while before moving off to Casino to work for their uncle Tony Calopades, subsequently buying the business.] Peter Lahanas sold up in about 1975, so ending Murgon’s Greek adventure, but his home made pineapple crush is still talked about. (Psst: Susan taught his daughter at Murgon Primary and many years later they serendipitously found themselves sharing a Uni class – ‘a lovely girl’ she has just called out. That’ll cost.) Permission to use this photo & story given by George Poulos. (Picture: Murgon ~1929 submitted by Peter Tsicalas on 23.05.2004 Copyright)

Waldock residence in Lamb Street, Murgon, ca. 1930 contributed by QldPics taken in 1930. The Waldock residence, at 48 Lamb Street, was a typical Queenslander home. Wide verandahs, enclosed with lattice screens, surround the house on three sides. The house is raised from the ground on short wooden stumps. The pyramid shaped roof is made of corrugated iron.

Waldock and Zerner staff with a roadster, Murgon, 1930 (Contributed by: QldPics) Mechanics stand behind a new roadster outside Waldock and Zerner's Garage, at the corner of Lamb and MacAlister Streets in Murgon. The garage was established in 1916. Automotive products are advertised around the garage.

Cars outside Waldock and Zerner's Ford dealership, Murgon, 1937 contributed by QldPics taken in 1937

At the top of Macalister St & Watt St...looking across from the Railway Line.

Coronation Day Parade May 12th 1937

Kingaroy Pipe Band at the Coronation Day Parade in Murgon 1937

School children in the Coronation Day Parade 1937

Horseriders and staff outside the Royal Hotel in Murgon contributed by QldPics.

Smithies outside Waldock's Blacksmith shop in Murgon, ca. 1913 contributed by QldPics taken in 1913. Blacksmiths in their leather aprons and holding tools pose outside the blacksmith shop. Waldock Brothers were proprietors from 1912 to 1914.

Murgon's first bank, the Queensland National Bank, in Lamb Street, 1914 contributed by QldPics taken in 1914

Laying of the Foundation Stone for the War Memorial, Murgon, ca. 1919 contributed by QldPics taken in 1919. Crowds gather at the site of the War Memorial in Lamb Street, Murgon.

Unveiling the Murgon War Memorial on Anzac Day, 1920 contributed by QldPics taken in 1920. Returned servicemen and a marching band form a procession along Lamb Street for the unveiling of the War Memorial on Anzac Day, 1920. The School of Arts can be seen on the left.

Bank of New South Wales, Lamb Street, Murgon, ca. 1921 contributed by QldPics taken in 1921. Bank of New South Wales...now located at the Dairy Museum.

Murgon Model Bakery, owned by D. Reed, ca. 1921 contributed by QldPics taken in 1921

Motor and horse traffic in Lamb Street, Murgon, ca. 1924 contributed by QldPics taken in 1924.

Fire at the Royal Hotel, Murgon, 1928 contributed by QldPics taken in 1928.

Fire at Royal Hotel, Murgon, 1928

Golfers in front of an aeroplane on the Murgon Golf Course, 1932 contributed by QldPics taken in 1932

Cnr. Lamb & Macalister Sts. Waldock and Zerner Garage, Ford Sales and Service in Murgon (Contributed by: QldPics) Waldock and Zerner Garage was at the corner of MacAlister and Lamb Streets, Murgon. New cars are parked outside in the street. Advertising for Ford cars and trucks and for motor products can be seen on hoardings above the shop.

Waldock and Zerner staff and owners, ca. 1940 contributed by QldPics taken in 1940

Hanlon Pavilion at the Murgon Showgrounds, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938. The Hanlon Pavilion at the Murgon Showgrounds is a two storey wooden building with a wide verandah at the front of the upper level. Two vents are positioned in the corrugated iron roof. A gable in the roof is decorated with cutouts.

View of rich agricultural land in the Murgon district, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938

Webber's Bridge (Wooroonden) with old bridge in background and framework for new bridge in foreground ..July 1936

Coronation Day Parade May 12th 1937

Aboriginals in dress for Coronation Day Parade 1937

Decorated Car for the Coronation Day Parade 1937

War Memorial and Civic Centre in Lamb Street, Murgon, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938.

Opening of the South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Ltd., Murgon contributed by QldPics.

Cream pasteurising and cooling coils at Murgon Butter Factory, 1939 contributed by QldPics taken in 1939

Churns in the Butter Factory, Murgon, 1939 contributed by QldPics taken in 1939

Murgon from the air, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938

Murgon's new public library, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938

South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Ltd., Murgon, ca. 1935 (Contributed by: QldPics)

Engine room in the Murgon Butter Factory, 1939 contributed by QldPics taken in 1939

South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Ltd., Murgon, ca. 1935 contributed by QldPics taken in 1935

Union Jacks decorate the South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association factory for the opening. Crowds gather for to hear the opening speeches.

Aerial view of Murgon, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938

Aerial view of new Public Hall, Library and commercial buildings, Murgon, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938. The Public Hall and library are in Gore Street, with the commercial buildings and clock tower at the corner with Lamb Street. The railway lines can seen behind the new buildings. The Royal Hotel is on the corner of Lamb and Gore Streets, opposite the civic buildings.

Betty and George Riedy's wedding party, 1949 (Contributed by: QldPics)

Fall-in-and-Inspection-at-Murgon-Showgrounds_1958

Murgon Railway Station.

Aerial view of construction of the Public Hall and commercial buildings, Murgon, 1938 contributed by QldPics taken in 1938. Aerial view showing construction of the Public Hall in Gore Street (right) and the commercial buildings in Lamb Street. The War Memorial in Lamb Street, unveiled in 1920, can be seen in the top centre. The Royal Hotel is opposite the construction site, at the corner of Lamb and Gore Streets.