Butchers

Rosewood History

Cattle on farm near Rosewood, Ipswich, 1945
Photo: Picture Ipswich

From the time human beings began raising livestock and there was a demand for meat, butchers have existed. Butchers are highly skilled in their field. They have to be strong enough to carry animal carcasses, be able to stand patiently for long periods of time in cold conditions while skilfully using knives etc. to prepare many different cuts of meat. They have to attend to vital hygiene practices, have knowledge of storage and cross contamination, make enticing and attractive displays, maintain the quality of their products and operate machinery. Successful butchers are usually pleasant, amiable and social people who recommend and advise their customers about their choices. They understand their customers’ needs and try to meet them the best they can.

This list of butchers may be incomplete. The dates shown are the approximate times they worked in the district.

James Ryan 1876–1883
Henry McGeary 1876-1893
Edward Boughen 1886
Walter Bros. 1888
Iszlaub & Hannant 1889
M. O’Sullivan 1892
Mrs. Jane McGeary 1894-1900
James Patrick Simmonds 1895-1906
A. J. O’Sullivan & Pedrazzini 1897
June 1900 – Mr. A. J. O’Sullivan (Butchers) changed hands to Mr. G. H. Dutney, who only held it a few days, when he, in turn, sold to Mr. W. Hodge, of Ipswich, brother of hotel-keeper, Mr. R. Hodge, of this township.
William James Hodge 1900-1905 (Insolvent debts of £1285)
McGeary & White 1901-1911 (Henry George McGeary & William White)
Francis Pedrazzini 1903
Robert Elliott 1907-1908
James Simmonds jnr 1909-1913 A fire on the night of 1st November 1913 destroyed J. P. Simmond’s butcher shop and residence.
Francis Arthur Kingston 1911-1924 Mt Walker
H. Harris 1911
Rodger Toohey 1912 Grandchester
McGeary & Grant 1912-1954 Henry George McGeary & Henry Mark Alexander Grant (Joe Geiger- employee 1915) (Samuel Chalk was slaughterman)
Gordon Alexander McGeary Master Butcher (carried on the above business)
William Henry Collett 1906-1917
Joseph Adam Geiger 1916, 1917
Patrick Joseph Meehan 1917 Calvert
Frederick Dyson 1914, 1917 Grandchester
David Gough 1912, 1917 Rosevale
Edward Alexander Logan – 1921 Lived Railway Street, Rosewood.
F. Bignell 1924-1925
O’Shea Bros 1923-1930 (Michael Coleman was slaughterman in 1923) The partnership of William O’Shea and Michael Joseph Carmody was dissolved by mutual consent in October 1930. Carried on by Michael Joseph Carmody.
Thomas Francis O’Shea -1927, 1932 Lived in Matthew Street, Rosewood.
James Patrick O’Shea 1929, 1941
Ernest George Wright 1925,1928, 1929 (O’Shea Bros), 1934, 1941
Michael Joseph Carmody 1926-1959
Michael Henry Baker 1928 Grandchester
James Norman Yarrow 1931, 1932
Colin Freeman 1932, 1941
Charles Wass 1914-1937
Edward Herbert Hohnke -1928, 1934, 1941 John Street, Rosewood
Henry Hall 1928, 1941 Mt Forbes
Leslie Thomas Lawrance 1941 Rosevale
Henry Smith Wilkes 1941 Lived in Albert Street, Rosewood.
Bonney & Son 1934-1938 Herbert Alexander Bonney, Herbert Clive Bonney, Ivan Graham Bonney – Lived in Matthew Street, Rosewood.
C. Morrison & Sons 1937-1942 Charles Morrison and Roy Morrison lived in Matthew Street 1941.
Roy Morrison 1942-1969 (lived in Mill Street) Business purchased by R. Auld in September 1949. Roy Morrison had a slaughter shed in Mill St. The shop was situated in Railway Street opposite the station. Sold to Alton Walker in 1962.
R. Keith Auld 1949 Railway Street, Rosewood.
Victor Birch 1959, 1969 Lived in Mill Street, Rosewood.
Noel Alexander Plant 1959 Lived in Toowoomba Road, Rosewood.
Roy Clarence Christensen 1959, Rosevale; 1969 Lived in Walloon Rd, Rosewood.
Eric Crawford 1963 (Morrison’s)
Pat Cameron (Worked at Morrison’s then Walker’s in 1962)
Alton Stewart Walker October 1962–1969 George Schmitt was the slaughter man for Walker’s. Pat Cameron & Bruce Hinton worked in the shop. Irene Dickfoss worked in the office.
Some of the children in those days would bring newspapers from home to the butcher shop. Alton weighed them and for every pound in weight of papers he would pay the children a small amount. Butchers in those days wrapped their meat orders in newspaper and tied the parcels up with string.
The shop was in Railway Street and Walkers later moved the business to the shop at 38 John Street which is now Rosewood Bakery.
The Walkers leased the slaughteryard in Mill Street for a number of years before Alton designed & had built (by Muller’s Industries, Gatton) what was at the time, a state of the art slaughteryard on land in O’Reilly’s Rd (Paddy’s paddock). Phil and Maude O’Reilly owned the farm on that road.
Franklins Butchers 1959-1969 (Stanley Joseph Franklin lived Albert Street, Leonard John Franklin lived Yates Street)
Signs in the shop: “PLEASE TO MEET YOU AND MEAT TO PLEASE YOU” “NO EXPECTORATING”
Patrick Joseph O’Reilly 1960 Lived at 58 Albert Street, Rosewood.
Thomas Patrick Cameron 1969 Lived Walloon Road, Rosewood.

Photos of calendars kindly supplied by Zane Sinnamon

Photo of calendar kindly supplied by Paul McGeary