Rosewood History. Qld.

Evers’ Bakery 1910-1971

James Edward Amos EVERS (Baker and Proprietor)
Born: 5th March 1887, Enmore, Sydney, NSW
Died: 16th March 1925, at “Everton”, John Street, Rosewood
Buried: Tallegalla Cemetery
Father: James Thomas EVERS (Farmer; Tanner)
Mother: Amelia Fitzroy STAFFORD

Spouse: Elizabeth HENDERSON
Born: 5th March 1879, Lanefield, Queensland
Died: 3rd May 1955, Queensland
Buried: Tallegalla Cemetery
Father: John HENDERSON (Farmer at Lanefield, Portion 78)
Mother: Williamina MATTHEWSON

They had 5 children:
James John Henderson EVERS (1910-1935) = Jean Catharine LOVEDAY
Arthur Edward EVERS (1911-1974) = Isobel Edna Davidson MINNIS
May EVERS (1913- >1976) = Edward Halbert WALKER
Norman EVERS (1919-2003) = Ada Doreen HART
Raymond Amos EVERS (1922-1939)

James Evers had been living at his family’s farm at Windsor Road, Newmarket in Brisbane until he married Elizabeth Henderson from Lanefield in 1910. Like his older brother John Lawrance Evers, he was a baker. James worked for Robert Sellars in his store on the corner of John Street and William Street, Rosewood. In fact, he was the last baker to work for Mr. Sellars. James had a comfortable residence built in the Belmont Estate by local contractor John Thompson. James and Elizabeth named their home “Everton”.

In October 1915, James went into business for himself and built had a new bakery shop with an attached residence at the back at 42 John Street, Rosewood.

Messrs. W. Donald and Sons, Brisbane, who had been building ovens since 1911, installed a wood fired brick oven known as the “Beehive” in the bakery. In 1924 the firm applied for their own Letter Patent. [No. 19,406. W. A. Donald, act Inv., W. Donald, and D. Donald (trading as W. Donald and Sons). Bakers’ ovens.] This class of oven had specially patented iron fittings. It derived its name “beehive” from the main arch covering the baking chambers, and so strongly was the crown of the oven designed and built, that the firm claimed that they never had a failure. The inside of the oven was built of stone in order to give proper baking heat.

James Evers was involved with various sporting bodies in town. At various times, he was the president of the Congregational Tennis Club, the Rosewood State School Swimming Club and a member and auditor of the Rosewood Rifle Club. He was also in charge of the ammunition.

As part of his bakery business, he catered for special occasions like the Arbor Day picnic at Mount Walker school in 1916, the anniversary tea meeting of the Mount Walker Church of Christ in April 1918 and the pre-wedding party (also at Mount Walker) for Emily Henricksen, before she married Harold Muller in 1920. James made several beautiful wedding cakes for local residents, including one for Mr. Andrew Crawford McLaughlin Imrie when he married Miss Rose Emily Smith in 1920, and one for the diamond wedding anniversary of Mr and Mrs Charles and Mary Freeman of Tallegalla in 1922. This was made in two tiers, both appropriately diamond-shaped, the top one resting on four substantial pillars built upon the bottom tier. The decorations, which reflected great credit to the maker, included the inscription in white lettering,“1862-1922 – 60 years” on all sides of both tiers.

James, sometimes accompanied by Elizabeth, attended the annual Bakers’ Conference in Melbourne.

James Evers died in March 1925 (aged 38) from tuberculosis, leaving an estate of £1298. Elizabeth became the proprietor of the bakery. In May that year, Elizabeth donated a bell in honour of James. It was designated for the belfry at the front of the Rosewood Congregational Church to celebrate the Church’s Jubilee. The tower was built by local carpenter, John Bowles.

Elizabeth was a member of the Congregational Women’s Guild. She had a pure bred Alsatian dog which she showed and won awards for at the local shows. Elizabeth was also a member of the C.W.A. and their rest room was close by. She allowed the members to display their trophies for their flower and baby shows etc. in the window of the bakery. Elizabeth was a member of the Comforts Fund during the War.

Hector Ross worked at the bakery for 6 years until the end of 1927, after which Elizabeth and her son James John Evers, Master Baker, carried on the business. In fact three of her sons followed their father’s occupation as bakers.

Elizabeth Evers was one of three lady bakers to attend the 23rd convention of the Federated Master Bakers’ Association of Australasia in Melbourne in 1929. The other ladies were Mrs. Arnott (Muswellbrook, New South Wales) and Miss Buckingham (Prospect, South Australia). It was the first occasion on which lady bakers had participated in the convention discussions. Elizabeth joined Mrs. Arnott in advocating for a higher standard of quality in bread manufacture, together with the introduction of more economical methods of production.

The advertisement at right is dated July 1929.

Eldest son, James John Henderson Evers, was a golfer and he played the cornet. He married Jean Loveday in 1935 and the couple moved to Thulimbah, near Stanthorpe, on the Southern Downs. James bought a bakery in Currie Street, Nambour in April 1937 and moved again to Excelsior Rd, Gympie in 1938.

Another son, Arthur Evers, worked in the family bakery until he married in an Ipswich girl, Isobel Minnis, in 1936, and moved to Kingaroy. In his youth, Arthur was a cyclist with the Amateur Wheelers. Both Arthur and James played soccer with the Rosewood Ramblers.

May Evers married Ed Walker, the manager of the local National Bank in 1938, and moved to Roma. They left Queensland to live in Melbourne, Victoria in late 1940 when Ed was transferred. They spent the rest of their lives there.

Sadly, in April 1939, the youngest son Raymond Evers passed away in Lyndhurst Private Hospital in Ipswich after a short illness. He was 17 years old. Ray had been a member of the Rosewood Boy Scouts and the troop formed a guard of honour at his funeral. Two stained glass windows in remembrance of Ray can be seen in the Rosewood Uniting Church (formerly Rosewood Congregational Church).

James and Jean Evers returned to Rosewood when war broke out. James enlisted in the Citizen’s Military Forces and was called up for full time duty. He served with 1st Australian Field Bakery within Queensland until his disharge in November 1945. James worked in the bakery until 1951 when he moved his family to Ashgrove and became a newsagent.

A “wanted” ad was placed in the Queensland Times for a baker at Evers’ for a period of 2 to 3 months. Shortly afterwards it was reported that Colin Roach, a single man from Albert Street, employee at Evers’ Bakery, received a large lacerated wound on his left thigh. He was struck by a piece of steel which broke from a splitting wedge. Perhaps Colin was the person who answered the ad?

Third son, Norman Evers always worked in the bakery. He married Ada Doreen Hart in 1944 and they lived in Rosewood.

After Elizabeth Evers died in 1955, Norman and Doreen continued running the bakery. Ronald Edward Elliott, from Skinner Street, worked as a baker for Norman. In 1971 Norman sold the bakery to John Scholte from Scholte’s Bakery at North Ipswich and retired to Ebenezer. Ron moved to Raceview and went to work for Scholte’s.