Rosewood History

The corner of Railway Street and John Street, now the site of the Rosewood Library.

If you’d like to share your memories of growing up in the Rosewood district, please email me. hello@rosewoodpasttimes.com

Greg Brown was born at St Kilda’s Hospital, Rosewood in 1944. These are a few of his memories. (Shared 2024)

My grandmother (Catherine Brown nee Moran, born 1876 married 1906) used to tell stories of the aboriginals. How she would employ them to cut a pile of wood and one day she went out and found a great pile but then realised the pile was hollow. Another one was when her sister (Ellen born 1874) used to mind the dairy herd on the paddocks where the High school now stands and the aboriginals would come out of the scrub and watch her. Never approached her but just watched her, and then went back into the scrub.

My grandmother used to pass the chief ganger’s place in Railway Street on the way to Mass every morning at St Brigid’s and she admired a white rose that the ganger had growing on a trellis in front of the house. Eventually she acquired a cutting and was able to get it growing at her place in Railway St. That rose continued to bloom and grow long after she passed and we always referred to it as “Grandmas Rose”.

Some memories from the 1950’s and 1960’s.

I remember the duwk, an amphibious vehicle which could also travel on roads. It was white and I can remember Pip George driving it up and down John Street.

I also remember the Majestic Theatre very well. I spent many a Friday night at the pictures. St Brigid’s also held the annual St Patrick Day concert there in March. School children performed various items from singing, dancing and the boys did some drill. All with Irish theme. Many adult singers also performed viz; Fr Gleeson from Laidley/Gatton, Brian Bruce, Girlie Skinner, and I others from around the area. It always turned out a great night for everyone.

I remember the seating. The theatre was split into 3 sections, two sides, with about 10 seats each, and the main section in the middle where there were about 20 seats. Up front of theatre were canvas seats, a piece of canvas slung between two timber rails and down the back were leather covered flip up seats. We as kids liked the canvas seats and the adults preferred the leather seating. On the left side of theatre in the front front section of building was a small shop selling sweets, ice creams chips etc. Everyone lined  up for something at matinee time. We always had two films with news reel at beginning. First up, when lights went out, we all stood up to attention when they played God Save the King/Queen. Maybe there was another newsreel after matinee prior to the film.

Out the front of the theatre, the films showing that week were displayed on large paper posters about 2ftx3ft. Also on picture night the local ambulance held a raffle selling tickets to patrons on entry. The raffle was then drawn and prize collected after the show.

Loved Ruhno’s Store, could get about anything in there. Loved going in there chatting with Aunty Rose, watching her send the money off up into the office, great Memories.

Rosewood was lucky as in the early days we had 2 bakeries. Evers bakery was in John St opposite the Farmers Hall. There was a residence with shop in front . The bakery was out the back. The Property I think extended back to Albert St. The other bakery was further up John St near the Ambulance Station. Not sure who owned it then. We used to love going up there to the bakehouse early and getting the fresh bread. The shop for the bakery was down in the town next to Boughen’s picture theatre.

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Girl Guides Memories by Kathryn Sue Rodgers, Diploma of Teaching (Primary) (Shared 2024)
I attended Rosewood Girl Guides led by great friends Lorna Kanofski and Pam Evans – the Guiders.

Guides was a fun night out for me on Fridays with great people. We played Duster Hockey often in the Guide Hut in Matthew St, Rosewood. This was played with hockey sticks and a duster like school teachers used then on the blackboards. We had campfires in the backyard of the Guide Hut. We made damper and toasted marshmallows there. Great friendships were made. Sometimes we had a Chalk Chase. A group of Guides would mark a trail on the local roads for the rest of the Guides to follow and complete, ending back at the Guide Hut. The Guides decorated a float to be in Street Parades in Rosewood. We loved riding on these and waving to the crowd. 

Sometimes a Rosewood Girl Guides’ Camp would be held at Lorna Kanofski’s paddock at Lanefield on a weekend. Much hiking took place there. One morning I woke up with my head outside the tent looking up at a cow! 

Lorna Kanofski later became Rosewood Citizen of the year.

Guides could gain badges when they passed tests on various topics. My Mother Daphne Irene Rodgers was the Badge Secretary. She organised clever Rosewoodites to test each Guide at an arranged time. We were very thankful to her and the rest of the Guides’ Ladies Association (called the LA).

My time in the Girl Guides from 1974 to 1976 was wonderful. 

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Re Smith’s shop that used to stand on the corner of Upper John Street and Waight Street. In the early 60s it was run by Arthur and Minnie Smith from Albert Street. Their daughter Robyn work there. Smith’s were my Grandparent’s neighbours, and when we stayed at holiday time at Grandparents, we went to Smith’s shop to get lollies and a few groceries for Grandparents. We also went to Ruhno’s shop and got lollies. It was Mrs Imrie who served us most times. If it was Tuesday when going to Ruhno’s, my Grandmother used to tell us to be careful because the farmers in horse and sulky would be bringing cream to the station. It was many a year since Tuesday was cream day, but we always said ‘Yes Nana.” (Shared by P J. Dale November 2020)

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Lester Raymond Schreiweis (Retired Miner) came to Rosewood when he was one year old and has been a resident for 80+ years. (Shared February 2025)

I remember that Ruhno’s had a Night Watchman. Lloyd Ruhno had a .22 rifle in the window and I said to myself, I’m going to buy that gun.

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I enjoyed Lester’s life story as I can relate to that as my Dad, Archie Stephan worked underground at Rosemount #4 for most of his life and heard all those work tribulations. Too much risk for me as I’d been underground with him a few times (illegally in the 50’s) and saw water over your ankles, rats, possums & 2 foot high seams, biilly for tea & one with your lunch in, working in sandshoes. Saw him come home in an ambulance too many times from roof falls. He had acid burns from the batteries that Lester spoke of. Their “hardhat” was segments of bakelite laced together with shoe laces & mounted on a head webbing of sorts & the carbide light & later battery hung on the front of it. I had an uncle that worked on top on the “picking belt”, taking off lumps of sandstone as the coal went past him to the bins & QR rail wagons. Helped him at times too as a kid when on school holidays, thought I was crash hot, being there at start up, having lunch with the men & knocking off in the arvo. Did not entice me to go mining though as lot of my school mates did, they were busting their necks to leave school & go mining as almost everyone did in Rosewood. – Doug Stephan (Shared February 2025)

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I was born in 1959 in Rosewood and lived at 8 William Street Rosewood. I lived next door to ‘Tony’ and Flora ‘Zande’ and was good friends with Kerry Sbeghen (son of Peter and ‘Betty’) and Ronnie Gabado (not sure which of the Gaboados). Interesting, Peter and Betty lived as long as I remember at 14 William Street and until their passing. Thanks for the host of old memories. – Graham McBean (Shared February 2025)

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Rosewood Police Officer, Senior Sergeant Leonard Thomas Bales. – Susan Bales (daughter)

I remember hanging out in the Court House/Police Station when I was little. I could be wrong but I believe it was both. The Police Station office was on left side & around the back. My gosh I remember the piles & piles of paperwork – no computers obviously back then. Our house phone use to be the direct Police Station line and if the station was unattended it would redirect to the house. Part of that number is still the home phone about 50 years later. Dad was there is 1966, and relieved at other country stations in the area – Gatton, Marburg, Esk, Boonah and more. So many memories of Dad. Sadly Dad passed in 2018 from Motor Neurone Disease.

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