Rosewood History. Qld.

John Paul WANKA “Jack”

Barber/Hairdresser and Jockey

© Jane Schy 2025

Jack was born 9th March 1903, at Lanefield. He was the son of Francis Wanka and Anna née Kraut.

He completed his schooling in Rosewood and worked on the family farm. Jack served his apprenticeship as a barber in Ipswich before opening a business at Marburg around 1920. Five years later he opened a business in John Street, Rosewood, in the second shop up (north) from the Rosewood Hotel. The first shop later became Recreation Footwear Ltd., aka the Slipper Factory in 1946.

The photo at right shows Jessie Jonas, who worked at the Slipper Factory, standing outside Jack’s shop.

Jack married Ellen O’Brien Searston (from Grandchester) in St. Brigid’s Catholic Church on Easter Saturday, 27th March 1937. After their honeymoon at Redcliffe, they moved into their brand new home at 22 Albert Street built by John Bowles.  Read about their wedding here.

Jack was a well known and popular sportsman throughout the West Moreton district. He was a Jockey in the Laidley Amateur Turf Club in 1931. A lover of horses, Jack rode with success at many provincial race meetings including Gatton and Laidley, and at earlier Kedron trotting meetings. His name was linked with many of the Baker Bros’ horses on the trotting track. (Baker Bros. had large pastoral holdings, e.g. Gowrie Station and other stations out West.) Jack was regarded as a highly competent horseman. Dog racing was also one of his interests.

He was on the committee of the Rosewood Amateur Athletic Club and a committee member for the Rosewood Amateur Cycling Club (Wheelers) in the early 1930’s and meetings were held in his shop. Additionally, with Jack being a foundation member of the Rosewood and District Amateur Fishing Club, their meetings were also held in Jack’s shop.

Jack Wanka is now a star member of the Rosewood Fishing Club. Last weekend at Stradbroke Island he hooked a big one. His rod took such heavy punishment that it came to pieces in his hands. However, Jack dived for the line and hauled the fish into the beach. It came close enough for him to identify it as a large flathead, but then the line broke. A lesser man would have let it go at that, but not Jack: he dug his heels in; and scooped furiously to fling the flathead on to the beach. As a result he won the trophy for the heaviest fish of the trip, and no one denied that he had earned it. It was the old “hands and heels” formula which carried Jack to many wins at country race meetings.
[Queensland Times, 22 May 1938]

Jack had to pay dearly for that flathead he scooped out of the water that weekend. He was finned badly as he was landing the fish, and had a few days off work as a result of poisoning. 

Jack was also a highly respected and enthusiastic member of the Rosewood and District Progress Association, the Rosewood Poultry Club, and a member of St Brigid’s H.A.C.B. Society.  He represented the Rosewood Convent in the District Sports’ Association.

He died 15th November 1951 at the the Brisbane Hospital aged 48 years, leaving his wife and three children to grieve his passing. Jack is interred in the Ipswich Cemetery.