Rosevale History

The Rosevale Hotel

© Jane Schy 2025

The internet is full of stories about the old Rosevale Hotel. They tell about the hotel being originally a homestead built in 1852 where sly grog was sold, and how after the floods of 1893 a five year plan was instigated to relocate the old building from the banks of Black Gully up to where it stands today. They say that in 1898 the hotel was pulled by two bullock teams in the charge of Mr. Sam. Denman and Mr. N. Baills to its current location. Four long haul wagons were placed under the building with the bullocks yoked in tandem, and the move took 5 days while they were still serving beer the whole time. Apparently there was a sign relating the same history on the wall inside the hotel in this century before it closed.

Unfortunately, after researching the history of the Rosevale Hotel, I would gently suggest to those “believers” that an old campfire proverb can be applied, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” I found the same to be true when I researched the Rising Sun Hotel in Rosewood. A similiar story about a team of bullocks hauling the hotel up from the Seven Mile to its current location still circulates, even though the facts invalidate the story. People just want to believe great yarns like that because it sounds more exciting than the facts. My concern is that these good yarns, while being passed on, end up in print, and are therefore read, passed on and copied multiple times. This potentially changes history.

What I found is:

• Matthew Carmody, the first publican, selected his blocks of Crown land on the fertile Rosevale plain in 1883 and 1884. Matthew built a home with enough rooms to accomodate his family as well as meet the requirements for a public house. 
• A new Rosevale Hotel was built at the present location in 1900 by William Currier. (903 Rosevale Rd, Rosevale)
• The second hotel had been trading for 35 years when Carmody’s old hotel was dismantled in 1936. It was demolished by the new owner when he bought the Carmody estate. 

The facts certainly don’t diminish the story of an enterprising pioneer settler who saw a community need and established a hotel in his family home in a developing town with do-it-yourself services. They laboured like other settlers, under a series of difficulties, with one of the worst roads in the Colony to travel over. Rosevale was about 12 miles (19km) from Harrisville and 20 miles (32km) from Rosewood Gate. Their residence/hotel survived flood after flood along with the family who lived in it, and still they persevered for 10 years, drying out, cleaning, repairing the building and re-planting crops.

When Matthew Carmody decided to acquire a part of the Rosevale Plain and try his luck in farming and business in Rosevale, I doubt he realised that his name would be recorded in annals of history. 

Matthew Charles Carmody was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 27th December 1842 to parents Matthew and Johanna née Costelloe, who immigrated from Co Clare in Ireland in 1838. Matthew’s father, a stone mason, died a few weeks before his birth. His father went with a fellow workman to Flinders Lane on business and was suddenly seized with violent pains and he was vomiting blood. He was conveyed to his home on a dray where he died about twenty minutes later. Dr. Wilkie was on the spot and did all he could but with no effect. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict of died by the visitation of God. His mother and the four children were left in, what would soon become, extreme poverty.

Matthew was educated at various schools in Melbourne. He attended a school conducted by a Miss Harris on the corner of Cathedral Place and Lansdowne Street in East Melbourne. St. Patrick’s Cathedral now stands there. Then he attended a school located at what is now 326 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, the site of St. Francis Church. Earlier buildings on the site dating from 1842 included a school (which occupied various buildings) and hall. Lastly, he went to a private school conducted by Osborne and Moran.

After leaving school aged 13 years, Matthew joined his two older brothers Daniel and John in following pastoral pursuits in Victoria.

In the years between 1851 and 1860, Victoria’s population increased from 76,000 to 540,000 as a result of the gold rush. It was becoming harder to find work, both of his brothers had married, and Matthew decided to go and explore new opportunities in Queensland around 1862. He seemingly possessed a willingness to try new things, take risks, and embrace the unknown.

He went to work for Patrick Mayne, a butcher in Queen Street, Brisbane. Patrick Mayne owned a lot of property, one of which was a public house called the Ship Inn at Queen’s Wharf, which may be where Matthew received his first insight into the business of being a publican.

Matthew Carmody married his first wife Mary Butler, from Kilkenny, Ireland in 1864 in Ipswich (probably at St Mary’s Catholic Church).

He found employment with the Wienholt Brothers (Arnold and Edward), stockbreeders and pastoralists. Arnold bought Maryvale Station (1849) and Gladfield Station (1852) on the Darling Downs and Edward acquired Fassifern, Jondaryan and Goomburra Stations in the 1870s. Their primary interests were growing pure Merino sheep and breeding champion Clydesdales. 

Matthew worked as storekeeper and head stockman over the 15 years that he spent with the Weinholts. It was written that he was held in high esteem by his employers and their descendants forever after.

After leaving the Fassifern, Matthew started in the hotel business, and successfully conducted public houses at Ipswich (1879 School of Arts Hotel, Brisbane Street) and Normanby (1881 Normanby Hotel). 

About April 1883 Matthew selected Portion 179, 52 acres at Rosevale. Then on 8th May 1884 he selected another 57 acres at Rosevale, Portion 178 for £114. These were unconditional selections.  See land purchase Portion 178

Matthew’s land was a very small part of what was originally John Ross’s sheep station, the Rossvale/Rose Vale Run (c.1845-1848). Years later, and several owners later, under the new Land Act of 1868, half of the Franklyn Vale, Rosebrook and Rosevale runs were resumed and reverted to the Crown, then later divided and thrown open for selection.

1885

In May 1885 Matthew put the Normanby Hotel up for sale and turned his attention to farming pursuits at Rosevale where he had acquired some fine property. He was an authority on stock, and his advice was much sought after and valued. There were already several established farms on the plain, all neatly fenced and under crop with lucerne and maize.

Matthew and Mary (pictured at right) had 12 children:
Amelia CARMODY 1865-1875
Margaret Angelina CARMODY 1865-1878
Maud Mary CARMODY 1868-1933 = Charles DWYER
Julia CARMODY 1870-1949 = Bernard John GOAN
Louisa Fanny CARMODY 1871-1920 = William Ross FRASER
Florence Catherine CARMODY 1873-1969 (Sister of Mercy)
Elizabeth Frances CARMODY 1875-1951 = Swyn Thexton STANFIELD
John Daniel CARMODY 1877-1941 = Lizzie DWYER
Lucy Agnes CARMODY 1879-1968  = Patrick FARRELL
Robert Thomas CARMODY 1881-1966 = Maude Emily LEIGHTON
James Burnett CARMODY MBE 1884-1977 = Maria Fredericka WOOD
William Matthew Patrick CARMODY 1887 -1931= Elizabeth Anne Mary BIRNEY

An interesting fact is that Matthew’s and Mary’s great grandson is Herbert James Elliott AC MBE, Olympian, and arguably the world’s greatest middle distance runner of his era. (via their son James)

1887

On 6th April 1887, the year his last child was born, Matthew Carmody applied for a publican’s license for a house at Rosevale. The application was adjourned for a month, in order to allow him time to complete the house and provide the proper accommodation required by the Licensing Act of 1885. He was granted a slaughtering license on same date.
Sub-section to section 30 – If any  house be situated more than five miles from the boundary of any municipality or borough, the same must contain not less than one sitting-room and two bedrooms constantly ready and fit for public accommodation, exclusive of those required for the use of the family, each of such said rooms shall contain not less than seven hundred cubic feet of air space and two places of public convenience, also stabling for four horses, with a reasonable supply of wholesome and usual provender for the same.

The hotel was located somewhere on Portion 178 or 179. He didn’t have Portion 176 when the hotel was opened. 

He was granted a publican’s license at the Harrisville Police Court before Messrs. A. Scells and C. W. Hunt on 11th May 1887, and such were the beginnings of the Rosevale Hotel.

In March 1889 Matthew placed an advertisement:  Farm to LET or FOR SALE.  229 acres; 50 acres best cultivation land; plenty of water. For further particulars reply to Mr. M. Carmody, Rosevale Hotel.

Perhaps it was because his wife Mary was ill?

Mary Carmody died on 23rd May 1889 at her residence, Rosevale, aged 43 years from Scrofula, a common form of tuberculosis infection that occurs outside of the lungs, in Mary’s case, in the glands of the neck.

On 2nd April1890, when Matthew applied for renewal of his license, it was opposed by the police and adjourned for a month until he made improvements to the premises. It was likely that the building was deteriorating because every time there was flooding rain, the hotel had water running through it. Settlers needed access to water and building close to a watercourse meant that flooding was a common event.

On 4th May Sergeant Woodcraft (licensing inspector) reported that all improvements had been made and Matthew’s license was renewed. That month he bought 640 acres at Clumber for £240.

He successfully renewed his license again in April 1891. A traveller described it in March as a comfortable and apparently well-conducted place at of the extreme end of the close settlement.

On 20th April 1892, he bought Portion 176, another 54a 2r, described as being situated about half-a-mile westerly from the Bremer River, near the confluence of Boyd River with the Bremer River, for £95 10s. (Shown above on the map.) His daughter Maud Mary Carmody, also selected 131a 2r at Rosevale on 7th May 1886. (Portion 199)

There is mention of Carmody’s Rosevale Inn in December 1892, after which there is no mention of a license being renewed or granted for the Rosevale Hotel to Matthew Carmody. He was however, referred to as a farmer from thereon.

In 1893 there were record floods in Queensland, the Black February floods. Brisbane, Ipswich, Gympie and Maryborough were the worst affected. The event became known as the Great Flood of 1893.

In the lead up there were reports of a cyclonic gale off the coast on Saturday, 21st January with 65 miles (104.6km) per hour winds and torrents of rain. (Cyclone “Buninyong”) That night a bad flood hit Rosevale and a strong gale blew all night long, peaking at about 2am on Sunday morning. The low-level lands on both sides of the Bremer were under water, and great damage was done to the crops. The Bremer River was very high. All the farmers suffered a great deal, some having planted corn for the third time because of previous floods. The flood took the fences away in some places, and shifted the soil and corn in several paddocks. A Rosevale correspondent wrote on January 25th – The wind was something terrific I have not heard the like since I landed in Moreton Bay in 1854. In my travels going round the paddock to see how much fence was gone with the flood, I came across a large black snake, half drowned, and not nimble enough to get away, so I killed it, and seeing that it was rather corpulent compared with its length, we opened it, and took seventeen young ones out, all alive, and about 8in. long. The old one was 5 ft. long.

Perhaps the 1893 flood was the “last straw” for Matthew Carmody as far as making the building presentable enough to pass inspection to meet the requirements for a license.

A few things that lead me to believe that hotel was no longer operating are:

• In December 1893, R. H. Fitzgerald was granted permission to exercise the privileges of his Licensed Victualler’s License at races held at Rosevale on the 11th of December. Matthew Carmody usually ran the booth at the local races.

• There is no mention of the hotel in 1894 and 1895 in any old newspapers.

• In 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899 a Queensland Wine License was granted to Marcuis Fischer, storekeeper, to sell wine on his premises at Rosevale (Portion 109). 

This article was published in the Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser on Tuesday, 14 November 1899, page 4.
At the Rosewood Police Court, yesterday, before the Police Magistrate, Marcuis Fischer, of Rosevale, was summoned by the police under the 19th section of the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1897, for having, on the 5th of September last, at Rosevale, supplied one Peter Rouse with colonial wine, the said Peter Rouse being an aboriginal half-caste of Australia. Defendant pleaded “Guilty,” and was find £1, with 5s. 6d. costs ; in default, 48 hours’ imprisonment in the cells.

Peter Rouse had been arrested for the robbery of £6 from the store on the same night. He confessed and was sentenced to 2 yrs hard labour in Brisbane Goal.

1900

At the adjourned bi-monthly Licensing Court at Rosewood on 4th October, before Messrs. Mark Bensley, John Yates, John Lane, F. C. Kingston and Joseph Hudson, a provisional certificate was granted to William Currier, of Rosevale, for a hotel to be erected at Rosevale within six months, in accordance with plans exhibited. 

At the same Court the application of Marcuis Fischer, of Rosevale, for a provisional certificate was refused.

William Currier, a farmer, built the new hotel on Portion 184 (see map above) which he had acquired on 4th March 1885. He paid £100 for 50 acres. He used 3 acres of this land for the hotel site and the other 47 acres for his farm. (This is the site of the seemingly abandoned Rosevale Retreat Hotel which can be seen today at 903 Rosevale Road, Rosevale.)  See Land Purchase

1901

On 2nd January 1901, at the Rosewood Licensing Court, Acting-Sergeant Perry reported that the house had been built in accordance with plans and specifications, and so a licensed victualler’s license was granted to William Currier for a hotel to be called the Rosevale Hotel.

William John Currier was born in Germany about 1854. He married Catherine Mary Angelia née Degan and had 10 children. He died in 1905 aged about 50 years old, his youngest Eileen Beatrice, being only 18 months old at the time.

William John CURRIER 1883-1971
Mary Ann CURRIER 1885-1899
Michael Frederick CURRIER 1887-1974 = Amelia Annie Mathilda BENECKE
Catherine CURRIER 1889-1974 = Daniel DANIELLS
Helena Cecilia CURRIER 1891-1981 = Richard Joseph McCARTHY
John Joseph CURRIER 1893-1972 = Margaret Annie FARRELL
Daniel CURRIER 1894-1988 = Mary Teresa Mc DONNELL
James CURRIER 1898-1973 = Mary Eliza BELLERT
Francis Thomas CURRIER 1900-1925
Eileen Beatrice CURRIER 904-1982 = Albert PRICE

On Wednesday, the 5th April 1905, before Messrs. M. Bensley (Chairman), J. Yates, G. H. Dutney, W. E. Collett, and P. H. Adams, a renewal was granted to William Currier.

On the 9th August William died.
It is my sad duty (writes our Rosevale correspondent) to have to chronicle the death of Mr. William Currier, proprietor of the Rosevale Hotel, who passed peacefully away on Saturday morning last at his residence, Rosevale. About 13 years ago the deceased contracted a severe cold, from which he never wholly recovered, and for the last few years prior to his death he had been an acute sufferer. He had been attended in his illness by Dr. Flynn, but the malady had too firm a hold to be shaken off. The deceased, when quite a boy, was employed by the late Mr. George Bashford, railway contractor, and, after reaching manhood, worked for the same gentleman on several railway lines, amongst which were the Brisbane to Sandgate line and the Townsville to Charters Towers line. He also, later on, worked on the Roma railway line. About 20 years ago the deceased settled down at Rosevale, where he followed farming and dairying pursuits, and for the last few years had conducted the Rosevale Hotel. During his residence in this district he was highly respected by all with whom he came in contact. The deceased leaves a family of nine-six sons and three daughters, the eldest of whom is 22 years of age, and the youngest one and a half year. One daughter predeceased him by six years. The remains were interred in the Roman Catholic cemetery on Sunday last, and the funeral was one of the largest seen in this district, many persons having travelled long distances to pay their last tribute of respect to the deceased and to express their sympathy with the widow and family in their bereavement. [Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, Thursday, 10 August 1905, page 4]

On the verandah of the new Rosevale Hotel soon after it was built.
L-R. William Currier, Otto Fresser, Mads Madsen, Hermann Fresser, Herman Spann, Albert Borchert, Christian Zahnow

1906

On 4th April 1906 the license for the Rosevale Hotel was granted to Catherine Currier. It was issued for the period 1 July 1906 – 31 December 1906. 

At the same licensing court hearing, an application from Johan Peter Jensen, for a provisional certificate for an hotel at Rosevale, was made. Mr. W. H. Summerville appeared for the applicant, and Mr. Callaghan (on behalf of Mr. E. J. Pender) for the objectors. The application was refused, the police also offering a strong opposition, on the grounds of there being no necessity for the hotel.

In July Catherine advertised either the sale of lease, furniture and goodwill of the hotel for seven years or the sale of the freehold with an acre of land. She stated she wanted to engage in farming and dairying pursuits.

William John Yates, an Auctioneer from Woodford, bought the lease. William and his wife Isabella née Elder had a son and daughter named after each of them i.e. William and Isabella. They had no experience with running a hotel.

1907

In July 1907, Catherine was back. She was granted a victualler’s licence, and took over the hotel in November. William Yates went to the Forest Hotel on Drayton Road, Toowoomba.

1908

In July 1908 Catherine Currier disposed of the lease of the hotel to Mr. Hugh Denis Creedy, a single man from Grandchester. He was the son of Denis Joseph Creedy and Anastasia née Rafter. 

Catherine took the good wishes of her numerous friends in Rosevale and the surrounding district with her and went to live in Clay St., West Ipswich.

On 18th May 1909, Hugh Creedy provided the liquid refreshments at the opening of a new bridge at Rosevale. It was named “Coyne’s Bridge”.

1910

An application by Hugh Creedy on 4th May 1910, to transfer the license to John Guinea, was opposed after evidence from a letter from the police at Murwillumbah, New South Wales was read, stating that Guinea was of drunken habits and unable hold a license. However, the Licensing Board decided to give him one month’s trial in which to prove himself capable of holding a license.

On 2nd June, evidence was given on behalf of the Licensing Authority by Hans Jensen, F. R. W. Primus, J. Missingham, and Constable Bond. The witnesses stated that since the last Licensing Court the applicant had been in a continual state of drunkenness. John Guinea gave evidence as to his own character. Mr. O’Loan, from the office of Mr. W. H. Summerville, appeared for Guinea. The application was refused. John Guinea and his wife Mary Ada Isabella née De Chave went to the South Burnett.

In July 1910 Hugh Creedy Hugh went to take the license of the Laidley Exchange Hotel.

Elizabeth Lilian Driscoll, bought the freehold of the Rosevale Hotel. She had the license and was in residence at the hotel before Hugh Creedy left.

Lilian seemed to have been living apart from her husband Michael since 1907 when Michael had the license for the the Royal Hotel in Rosewood. He transferred it to Lilian before he left town in August 1907. In July 1908 Lilian went to Stanthorpe and bought the Union Hotel.

Michael and Elizabeth Lilian Driscoll née Conway had 5 children. Hilda Conway, Mary Kathleen, William Michael, Elizabeth (d.1904) and Patrick Arthur. The girls came with Lilian to the Rosevale Hotel, I’m not sure about the boys. Michael later became invalided as the result of a fall from a load of wheat, which injured his spine.

In 1911 Lilian put the Rosevale Hotel, farm, stock and farm implements up for sale by auction with J. Pender, Auctioneer of Rosewood. The auction was set for 25th March but was postponed until 1st April because of bad weather.

The hotel was not sold and remained in Lilian’s hands. On 25th November she put the farm up for sale again with John Pender. The farm containing 47 acres was to be sold in one or more lots to suit purchasers. This is an area of choice lucerne land adjoining the township estate, and it has several chains frontage to the Bremer River.

Since the hotel was first built, extensive additions had been made and the rest of the building had been thoroughly renovated by Lilian when she took over. Both the interior and exterior had been painted. Lilian decided to add another aspect to her business. She engaged Charles Ridsdale from Rosewood to build a large commodious hall next to the hotel, a few yards away.

A “smoke concert” for Hermann Spann was held in the hotel’s large dining room to celebrate his approaching marriage to Mathilda Zahnow in March 1912.

Then in April,  Lilian issued a general invitation to the district to come to a social evening to celebrate the opening of the hall on the evening of Saturday 20th April. A large gathering assembled to take part. The walls were nicely decorated for the occasion, while the platform was tastefully done up with bunting and pot plants. On the eastern end of the wall was the word “Welcome,” and the scene under lamp-light was an exceedingly pretty one. Mr.James Kelly ascended the platform and formally opened the hall. 

Dancing was the chief amusement, the music being furnished by Miss C. Driscoll (violin), Miss H. Driscoll (mandolin) and Mr. C. Reistrick (piano). Extras were played by Miss Fullekrugh and Messrs. P. Spann and A. Zahnow. Mr. P. Spann acted as M.C..

Shortly before midnight a first-class supply of refreshments was dispensed, and the gathering broke up. The following ladies were present:- Misses Driscoll (two), Jensen (two), Ahearn (three), O’Brien (three), Schmidt (three), Hohenhaus (two), Tierney (three), Murray (two), O’Neil, Borchert, Merlehan, Zahnow. Reddy, Sweeney, Gough, and Fullekrugh. Songs were rendered during the evening by Miss C. Driscoll, Mr. McNeill and Mr. C. Reistrick.

The hall was well used and accommodated political functions, cricket club functions, Hibernian balls, patriotic meetings etc.

At a meeting of the Normanby Shire Council in May, a letter was read from Lilian Driscoll requesting permission to erect awnings over the footpath at her new shops at Rosevale. No objection was offered, provided the work was carried out to the satisfaction of the overseer. The ever enterprising and adaptable Lilian had divided off the front of the hall and created two shops. It appears by her actions that Lilian was was an intelligent, insightful woman who was prepared to create the means to bolster her income when needed.

Then in June Lilian held a plain and fancy dress ball.
Mrs. E. L. Driscoll, the proprietress of the Rosevale Hotel, evidently intends to leave no stone unturned in her efforts to popularise the new hall which she has had erected in close proximity to the hotel, judging by the amount of trouble which had been taken in carrying out the preparations for the grand plain and fancy dress ball which eventuated last evening, and which was highly successful in every respect. Special attention had been paid to the decorating of the hall, which had been tastefully draped with foliage, ferns, and bunting, and the floor was in first-class order.

There were about 30 couples present and there were many fancy costumes displayed.  Read about it here if you wish.

In December 1912 she tried to sell the lease for the hotel stating that she had satisfactory reasons for selling, and was once again unsuccessful.

I’ll just make mention here, that Matthew Carmody passed away aged 70 years on 5th October 1913, at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Brisbane. Since his health began failing, he had taken several trips to the Southern States where he consulted some of the most eminent professional men, but they were unable to help him. As stated in his obituary, his was a most beautiful, peaceful, happy death, in the presence his devoted 2nd wife Abigail Elsie née Angus, the attending Sisters, and a friend. He was interred with Mary at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, Rosevale. The last rites were carried out by the Rev. M. Masterson.

In November 1913 there was a storm with cyclonic winds causing a large amount of damage to the Rosevale Hotel. The new hall next to the hotel was almost a wreck after the storm. The roof and ceiling were completely blown off, twisted into all imaginable shapes and carried half a mile away. The northern wall was blown right over. The southern wall was hanging after the storm. It was pulled into position so as to avoid any danger of it coming in contact with the hotel building. The two ends were still standing, but were considerably out of position. The wind forced some of the front doors of the hotel to open and part of the hotel’s roof was shifted. The strain was so great that one of the rafters at the back was split and some of the bottles on the shelf in the bar were blown down and broken, and the clock shared a similar fate. All the out-buildings suffered to some degree. The noise of the storm was so loud that the inmates of the hotel were unaware of the hall being blown down until after the storm, and it was only a few yards away from the hotel.

1914

William Hagan, the relieving night officer at the Rosewood railway station, severed his connection with the railway department to take over the lease of the Rosevale Hotel in October 1914. John Patrick Keating, who had been working as a bar man in Rosewood, came to join him.

William was Treasurer of the Rosevale Tennis Club while he was in town. 

1915

On 13th February 1915, Lilian engaged Pender & Hall to sell the freehold of the Rosevale Hotel.

In March Lilian left Rosevale to go to the Kumbria Hotel which she immediately renovated and re-furnished throughout. Kumbria is a small town nestled into the foothills of the Bunya Mountains, 20 miles from Kingaroy.  

These were the beginning years of the Great War and the Rosevale Hotel was not sold. Nevertheless Lilian stayed in the South Burnett and William Hagan took the license.

In November Arthur McKenzie from Brisbane was appointed as Hagan’s agent until 7th December.

1916

Arthur McKenzie had the license until the end of the year. Lilian Driscoll came back to Rosevale.

1917

On 7th February 1917, authority was given to Lilian Driscoll to carry on the license of the Rosevale Hotel.

In May Lilian received a letter from Private Alfred Batchelor who had been the recipient of a Christmas box she sent. (Before the war Alfred lived at Paddington and worked for Sheard and for Keating, bakers.)
I am at present in London, on leave from France. We get 10 days leave—not very much, is it, after being ‘there’ for the past 10 months, but I suppose we must be satisfied, as there are thousands of others who have to receive the same. Nevertheless, it is beautiful to be back once again in such a city. I have been very fortunate up to the present, going through the last big push, from Pozieres to No Man’s Land where I was buried for six hours with just my head and right hand out of the ground. I remained there until the Pioneers came along and dug me out. Then I had seven weeks in hospital, being hurt down the right side. After getting quite well again I was returned to duty, where I remained until I came across to ‘Blighty’ on leave. I am very, pleased that I came away, for if we had not done so goodness knows Australia may have suffered the same as poor Belgium. Never mind, Germany is getting well paid back for what it has done. If there is any one that the Germans don’t like to meet it is our boys. Ah, what tales we shall be able to tell later on. No one knows, excepting those who have gone through it. I hope that this year will see the finish of it all, that we shall come  out of it with a great victory, and all be home to spend our next Christmas in dear old Australia. 

Lilian tried to sell the freehold of the hotel again in 1918, including a large dancing hall, with two shops in front, Blacksmith’s shop, and about two acres of Land. Alternatively she would have arranged a long lease, as Lilian wanted to retire. This property ought to prove a good investment, as there is a great prospect of the railway coming.

Regrettably, Lilian didn’t get to retire.

In March 1919, she wrote to the Rosewood Shire and Normanby Councils offering her services in the event of an outbreak of pneumonic influenza in the district. She offered to provide four beds in her hall free of cost if required.

In May she had the hotel and hall painted. She also found herself caught in the crosshairs of the Normanby Council for alleged failure to comply with a notice to extirpate and destroy noxious weeds and plants on her land. She told the council that the weeds were growing in a paddock across from the hotel that belonged to her brother Willie Driscoll, who was a serving soldier. She had been depasturing cattle there and felt she was being persecuted by a vindictive council official, and it was not her responsibility to destroy the weeds. A notice had been issued to her requiring her to destroy noxious weeds as occupier of Carmody’s property.  Lilian adamantly denied that she was the occupier of the property in question. 

She put up a fight. In June she wrote to the council objecting to her name appearing in the Press as having been summoned for not having destroyed noxious weeds. She stated that she had not refused to destroy noxious weeds. Her name had been read out in court and, as a result, the Press had reported it. She also wrote letters to the newspaper.

The Rosevale Valley. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120558756
A Few Questions    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120552624

In February 1920 Lilian appeared in the Harrisville Summons Court over the matter, resulting in the case being dismissed without costs.

1921

In February 1921 Lilian successfully applied for a new billiard licence. The Rosevale Hotel was valued by the Police Magistrate in May at £100, the license fee being £20.

Despite her creditable efforts over the years Lilian Driscoll was in financial trouble by June 1921. The Rosevale Hotel was put up for sale at a public auction along with 2 cottages she had purchased from William Ruhno back in October 1907 when she was conducting the Rosewood Hotel. 

1922

In April 1922 Lilian left Rosevale for the South Burnett (Cedars Hotel, Upper Yarraman). She sold the lease but somehow managed to retain ownership of the Rosevale Hotel.

The residents of Rosevale, led by Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, organised a very pleasant function at the Rosevale hall, on Saturday evening (22nd), when Lilian and Kathleen Driscoll were presented with Valedictory addresses and a wallet of notes on the eve of their departure from Rosevale. Mr. Murphy was M.C. and he spoke about the prominent part Lilian had taken in all matters which advanced the welfare of the district and how she was ever ready to assist whenever there was sickness or trouble. Mr. James Kelly also spoke. Kathleen was praised for always been a keen worker in all social functions, and particularly in connection with the local Catholic Church Choir. She has been organist there for some considerable time and the choir was up to a high standard. Dancing and singing ensued and refreshments were served, after which everyone present sang “For they are Jolly Good Ladies.” The party came to an end.

Charles Adolph and Dorothy Charlotte Franziska Mussig née Bollmann bought the lease of the Rosevale Hotel. They sold their farm at Coopers Plains, and at an auction sale in January, sold their furniture, stock and miscellaneous items. They had 8 children, two of whom had died by then. Franziska was born in Germany and so were Charles’s parents.

Franziska had the license and ran a booth at the Rosevale Races when there was a meet and Charles Mussig was engaged in farming and dairying while he was at Rosevale.

Booval Motor Bus Company vehicle in front of what is thought to be Rosevale Hotel, Rosevale. Picture Ipswich
(The Booval Motor Bus Company was registered at Ipswich on the 2nd August 1922 as motor bus proprietors.
The proprietors were Anna F. Watts and Samuel J. Drew. This photo was taken after that date.)

1925

On 2nd May 1925  the Mussig family were entertained at a farewell social in the Rosevale Hall, by the residents of Rosevale and district. Franziska had just recently disposed of the business to Mr. Townend.

Despite threatening weather, there was a very representative gathering, and dancing was indulged in for a couple of hours to first class music supplied by Mrs. Alexander. Refreshments were dispensed at 10 o’clock,  Mr. W. Meier carried out the duties of M.C.. Mr James Kelly spoke and said, Some might be under the impression that it was somewhat unusual to make a presentation to anyone conducting an hotel, but I maintain that those who conduct hotels are  just as respectable as those who follow any other occupation. The guests of the evening are as white as ever have been in Rosevale and have made as good an impression as any people in the district. They have always been prepared to assist in all public matters, and I feel sure they will be popular in any centre to which they might go. (It was fascinating to read in the preceding words how those of German descent were regarded.)

Mr. J. G. Acheson, on behalf of the residents of Rosevale, presented the family with a lovely E.P. tea set (silver), suitably inscribed. In doing so he assured them that they were held in the highest respect by the people of Rosevale, and he wished them many years of happiness and prosperity in their future life.

Charles Mussig thanked the gathering and said that they had received nothing but kindness from the people of Rosevale who were true sports, and the present would always bring to mind fond memories of Rosevale.

The Mussigs went to run the Star Hotel at Nerang.

Mrs Rose Anne Martha Townend née Neil (hotelkeeper) and her husband Albert William (barman) took the lease. They had two children; Bernard Athol, born 1914 and Claudia Margaret Doris “Darla,” born 1916.

The Townend family was only resident in the Rosevale Hotel for a year, but in that time something very exciting happened.

Not long before their arrival in Rosevale, Charles Edward Chauvel, filmmaker, producer, actor and screenwriter of the Australian Film Production Ltd, had been in town. He was making arrangements to film scenes for the “Moth of Moombi,” the first motion picture to be produced in Queensland. Chauvel was endeavouring to screen the pastoral and rural industries of Queensland with the intent that his productions would be a powerful advertisement for this part of the world, revealing the potentialities of this country.

(Charles was born in Warwick in 1897 and was educated at Normanby State School, now the Mutdapilly State School, and Ipswich Grammar School. His parents acquired Summerlands, a portion of Normanby Station in 1901. St Aidan’s Church of England, Mutdapilly was designed by Charles.)

The film was about a country girl, Dell Ferris (the Moth of Moonbi), who was drawn to the city lights, then loses her inheritance and eventually returns home and finds love with her father’s trusty stockman.

 Chauvel spent three months travelling throughout Queensland before choosing a suitable location. Finally he settled on the Rosevale Valley and a portion of the Fassifern Valley. Most of the action was photographed in the Rosevale Valley. The hut scene, where acts of cattle duffing and other villainy were shot, was about nine miles from Rosevale at the foot of Mt. Castle. The homestead scenes were shot on the Franklyn Vale homestead.

For many weeks before going “on location,” Chauvel scoured Brisbane for a suitable child to play the role of the principal girl “Dell” in the early portion of the story. All types of children were brought by relatives to the film company’s office, but none were found to be suitable. As the date of the filming drew nearer, the director gave up his search and decided that he would leave the matter in the lap of the Gods.

In mid May 1925, right when the Townend family was settling into life at the Rosevale Hotel, Charles Chauvel, the director and film crew commandeered practically all the available accommodation there. When they arrived at the hotel the director immediately saw the Townend’s 9 year old daughter Claudia (pictured at left). A fortunate stroke of serendipity! She was the living image of the child Dell that he had had in his mind’s eye for months! Seen side by side with the leading lady (the grown-up Dell), the likeness was remarkable. Claudia’s parents willingly agreed to lend their daughter for a few scenes in the production.

Another stroke of good fortune awaited the director because the Rosevale races were about to be held within a stone’s throw of the hotel on Saturday 21st May. A country race scene was an important part of one portion of the story.

Life went on around this event.

On Boxing Day 1925, a friendly cricket match was played between Rosevale and an Ipswich team and they all went to Townend’s hotel for lunch. That night a dance was held in the Rosevale Hall. Music was supplied by Mr. Harry Schmidt and Mr. Alec Primus.

1926

It was at this stage that a turbulent time began for the Rosevale Hotel with the license frequently changing.

In April 1926, Rose Townend disposed of the lease of the hotel to Mrs. Emma Elizabeth Stewart, of Brisbane. Her husband Herbert Khartoum Gordon Stewart was a painter. They moved to Rosevale from Victor Street, Holland Park. 

They had the hotel for a short time from May 1926 to September 1926 when Emma Stewart disposed of the lease and good will to Albert Arthur Singer a hairdresser from Sydney.

Before they left town the Stewart family entertained a number of friends in the Rosevale Hall, with dancing and music supplied by Mrs. W. Alexander (piano), and Mr. H. Schmidt (accordion). Mr. W. Meier was M. C.. Mrs. F. Borchert rendered a solo, for which she received a well-merited encore and the proceedings closed with the singing of “For They are Jolly’ Good Fellows.” The family had become very popular in the short time they were there and their departure was regretted by a large circle of new friends. They went to the Union Hotel in Maryborough.

Arthur Singer was born in Belgium. Not long after he came to the hotel, Arthur became ill and ended up in the Brisbane General Hospital until mid November.

1927

In March 1927 Arthur sold the lease of the Rosevale Hotel and he and his wife Bertha Annie née Gietzelt and family left for Townsville, Bertha’s home town.

Robert Wallace McKenzie of Gayndah took possession in the first week of April. His wife was Annie Charlotte Isobel née Fowles. They previously had the license of the Iderway Hotel in Gayndah.

It was only a matter of weeks before Robert had sold the lease of the hotel to Thomas Victor Bunkum and returned to Gayndah at the end of May. Helen Bunkum née Carley had the license. They came from their farm at Gympie Road, Aspley. Helen ran the liquor booth at the meet of Rosevale Race Club on 11th June.

The lease of the Rosevale Hotel was again sold in August 1927 to Mrs. Emily Margaret Maher who took over on the 21st. The Bunkums left for Woody Point. 

Emily and her husband Thomas Francis Maher stayed for 3 months.

Surprisingly in November 1927, Helen Bunkum returned to take the lease. The Maher family went to Sandgate.

1928

In January The Bunkums sold the lease to Mrs Margaret McCann née Auld, of Killarney, wife of Herbert McCann, who took over on 1st February. 

In March, Lilian Driscoll, who still owned the Rosevale Hotel, came for a holiday at the hotel. The purpose of the visit was actually to ensure a smooth transition from herself to the new owner of the Rosevale Hotel. Lilian sold the freehold to Mr. Albert Henry Hughes, a builder, who resided at “The Knobb”, Dean Street, Toowong. Albert intended to make extensive improvements by erecting a two-storey building in place of the present one, and a hall adjoining.

The McCanns retained the lease. In April, their daughter Jean was sent by ambulance and admitted to the Ipswich Hospital with appendicitis. After an operation and recovery period she came home in June.

The hotel was still hosting meetings and events for the local cricket club. A new club was formed there on 10th July. The officers elected were:- Chairman. Mr. S. J. Sellars; secretary, Mr. Cecil Meier; treasurer, Mr. H. W. Zahnow; selection committee, Messrs. S. J. Sellars, C. Meier, and H. Zahnow; working committee, S. J. Sellars, F. Lawrence, Cecil Sellars, H. W. Zahnow, and Cecil Meier.

When Margaret McCann went to renew her license in March 1929, it was not granted because the Health Inspector reported that the Rosevale Hotel and hall were in a very bad state. The renewal would not be granted until they were passed by the Licensing Inspector (Sergeant Tighe) himself. Extensive renovations were made and additional rooms were added. In July Sergeant Tighe paid two visits to Rosevale in company with a Government Health Inspector Health Inspector, who reported that everything was now in order and in conformity with the regulations.

For about 40 years the Rosevale residents had wanted a railway line to their town. It was promised by successive Ministers, but never realised. The district now felt that good roads would be a better and a more likely proposition. In June 1929, a group of parliamentarians inspected the road routes in the Bremer Valley. Two routes had been gazetted, a road connecting Rosewood and Rosevale and another road from Harrisville to meet the other road at Cannan’s corner. M. L.A.s, Messrs. E. T. Bell, E. B. Maher, and C. H. Jamieson, accompanied by local authority and Local Producers’ Association members, were joined at the Rosevale Hall, by Crs. E. J. Hayes (Normanby Shire Council), W. H. Stokes, C. J. Murphy, and A. Wells (Rosewood Shire Council). The group was entertained at a first class luncheon provided by Margaret McCann before a 2 o’clock meeting there. The parliamentary members expressed their intention on urging the expedition of the roads at once. 

The tennis and cricket clubs continued to entertain the visiting teams at lunch at the hotel.

1930

At the Licensing Court at Rosewood on 17th September 1930, the transfer of the Rosevale Hotel from Mary McCann to Florrie Fanny Irene Hughes was granted. Florrie was married to the owner’s son, Dudley Jack Hughes.

It was announced that Florrie had disposed of her interest and was leaving for Brisbane in December, however, her application to transfer the license to S. J. Toon was adjourned twice, the last time in February 1931.

1931

The licence transferred from Florrie to Charles Condren from Tamworth on 19th August 1931. Charles had been a widower since 1915. His son Stanley Thomas Condren was a barman at the hotel.At one time Charles had the license for the Globe Hotel in Dubbo.

They didn’t stay long in Rosevale either.  In December Eva Annie Solway née Geiger, wife of Walter Whitney Solway, farmer from Mt Forbes, took the lease. Stanley stayed on as barman for a year or so before going to take on the Kings Hotel at Clifton.

1932

Eva Solway made use of the hall by hosting balls for the local members of the Sunshine League and meeting other community needs for a gathering space. The object of the Sunshine League was to train children in acts of kindness and love, believing that such acts bring blessings to themselves and others. “Uncle William” who conducted the League, had a column in the Queensland Times. Young people became members and used nom de plumes to write to him with news and convey messages to others in the league. Children would find ways to carry out kind acts and raise money, which was used for charitable purposes. Eva’s daughter Hilda joined the league and organised a dance and “Thistle” and “Wunda” were the organisers of another ball they held.

A thunderstorm broke over Rosevale about midnight on Saturday, 22nd January 1933. The water was almost up to the floor of the Rosevale Hotel. Seed that was recently planted by farmers was washed out of the ground. The road across the plain was damaged, and on the Rosewood road the culverts near Adams’s bridge and Watt’s gate were stripped of some of the decking.

1934

In May 1934 William and Eva Solway left Rosevale and took over the lease of the King’s Hotel at Clifton. 

The freehold of the hotel had been sold to Albert August Ferdinand Zahnow, who lived there in semi retirement until he died in 1941.

Albert and Mary Paulina Zahnow née Fischer had 9 children.

Charles Herman 1902-1968= Caroline Lena CHRISTENSEN
Albert William 1903-1973 = Katherine Margaret SCHUMANN
Augusta Bertha 1904-1987 = Thomas O’SHEA
Katie Minnie  1907-1963 = Wilfred BAKER
Mathilda Louisa 1909-2003 =  Edgar Lloyd PRIMUS
Walter George 1912-1993
Elsie Myrtle  1915-2008 = Norman Thomas PEGG
Agnes Melba  1918-1964 = Lawrence William BLANCHARD
Mavis Violet 1920-1979= Raymond Wilfred LAWRANCE

It is at this point in the history that we learn the fate of Matthew Carmody’s old residence/hotel.

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Wednesday 18 March 1936, page 12
New Residence – An old land mark has passed away. Nearly 50 years ago the old Rosevale Hotel, owned and conducted by the late Mr. Matthew Carmody, was built on the Rosevale Plain. A few years ago Mr. Charlie Zahnow purchased the old Carmody Estate and like the Carmody family, had the unenviable experience of flood waters rushing through the house. He decided to build a new home on higher ground close by. The old hotel in consequence was dismantled, and “Windsor Villa,” Mr. Zahnow’s new residence now adds to the adornment of Rosevale Plain. It was built by Mr. H. Rossow. The building is nicely designed, and has plenty of room and every convenience. Mr. Zahnow is now in his new home.

Albert Zahnow successfully applied to State Licensing Commission for the alteration of the boundaries of the Rosevale Hotel (L. V. L. Area) in October 1937.

In June 1939 Albert took a leave of absence and Miss Elsie Myrtle Zahnow was appointed in his stead. He was seriously ill and spent time in St. Mary’s hospital in Ipswich after which he recuperated until December at Southport in the home of his daughter Katie and her husband Wilfred Baker.

A teenage girl who had been missing from the Salvation Army home at Toowong for two months, Phyllis Geary, aged 14½ years, was found working at the Rosevale Hotel in October 1940 by Sergeant Francis Aspinall of the Rosewood police. Phyllis was returned to the home that same afternoon.

1941

A year later, on 21st January 1941 Albert Zahnow passed away in hospital in Ipswich aged 61 years. His wife Mary was his agent at the hotel until their daughter Augusta O’Shea (wife of Thomas) took the licence.

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Thursday 30 January 1941, page 4
MR. A. A. F. ZAHNOW. ROSEVALE, Jan. 28.
After a long illness, Mr. Albert August Ferdinand Zahnow, youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. Zahnow, Rosevale, died in hospital in Ipswich on January 21. He was 61 years of age. His passing has removed a highly-respected identity from this district. He was a native of Rosevale, where he was born on October 31, 1879, and where he spent the whole of his life. As a boy he attended the Rosevale School, and in 1902 he married Mary Pauline Fischer in St Paul’s Church, Ipswich. He undertook farming and dairying with a great amount of success. Ambitious and enterprising, he later acquired big land holdings and interested himself as a grazier in addition to his former pursuits. Success again rewarded him. He purchased the Rosevale Hotel freehold about eight years ago, and lived there in partial retirement until the time of his death. His acts of kindness, his happy disposition, and his earnest efforts to help any institution, sport, or movement for the welfare of the district, made him a popular and useful citizen. For many years he was a member of the Rosevale School Committee, and was a very interested member of such bodies as the Farmers’ Union and the Rosevale branch of the Local Producers’ Association. During a term of the Rosevale Race Club he was treasurer. He substantially supported the local cricket and tennis clubs. He is survived by his wife and family of three sons and six daughters-Messrs. Charles, Albert, and Walter Zahnow (all of Rosevale); Mesdames B. O’Shea (Townsville), W. Baker (Labrador), E. L. Primus (Rosevale), N. Pegg (Warrill View), L. W. Blanchard (Dalby), and Miss Mavis Zahnow (Rosevale). There are 18 grandchildren. The funeral, which left Mr. Zahnow’s late home for the Lutheran cemetery, was largely attended. Pastor G. Dohler conducted the burial service, and Pastor Lohe (South Brisbane), President of the Lutheran Church of Queensland, gave an impressive address at the graveside.

1943

The O’Sheas went to Redland Bay to live and Edward John Schneider, a carrier from Mt. Walker, and his wife Esther née Muller, took the license in February 1943, for the term of one year. 

1944

Mrs Mathilda Louisa Primus, another daughter of Albert and Mary Zahnow, then took over the Rosevale Hotel.

1948

In October 1948 Mathilda sold the hotel to Bertie Harold Jeffery (Flight Rigger and Fitter General in the R.A.A.F.) and his wife Irene May Jeffery née Rashleigh.

Mathilda and Edgar left in November to visit the O’Sheas at their home “Warrill View” at Cleveland, before moving to Sandgate.

1949

It wasn’t long before Bertie Jeffery sold the hotel. Patrick Joseph Farley, a travelling salesman, and his wife Catherine May née Hart took over in April 1949. 

By November 1951 the Farleys had moved to Toowoomba.

1952

Frederick Richard Gulliford, a dairy farmer and wife Susanna Lilly née Turner were in residence.

In May they sent a written request to the Moreton Council to get permission to put a strip of bitumen or concrete at the side of their hotel at Rosevale. 

Fred Guillford turned 70 in March 1953, and a party was held in honour of the event. Guests from Brisbane, Warwick, Peak Crossing. Harrisville and Kalbar and friends from the district were all welcomed by Susannah. They had a sit-down supper and enjoyed a sing-a-long. Mr. Ned Schoenflsch, who presided, spoke of the sterling qualities of Fred and his popularity. Mr. Bert Lawrance thanked Susannah Gulliford and the ladies who helped her, for the supper. Fred received a number of gifts, including an envelope of notes.

1958

The Gullifords were in in Kilkoy by 1958. Dorothy May “Dolly” Witherspoon was the new licensee. Her husband Robert Graham Witherspoon worked as the bar assitant. Dolly also ran the Post Office. Robert died in August 1964. Dorothy had left Rosevale by 1968.

Norm Rackley used to deliver lots of Castlemaine and Bulimba beer to the Hotel in the 1950’s and 60’s. (Photo with permission of Des Rackley, Norm’s son.)

John August Gehrke had the mail run from Rosewood to Rosevale from 1925 to 1945. His son Cecil William Gehrke took over and continued delivering mail to Rosevale until his retirement in 1992. Cec’s daughter Marilyn has memories of many school holidays when she did the the run with her Dad and how they stopped for lunch under the trees outside the hotel, and memories of the post mistress, Mrs Witherspoon, in the little building adjacent to the hotel. Cec’s nephew, Spencer Yarrow, also used to go with his uncle on Saturdays and school holidays. Cec delivered more than the mail, and his service provided a life line between the two towns 6 days per week. He carried everything you could think of such as bread, meat, groceries, wagon wheels, tynes for ploughs etc. Spencer also remembers that lunch was at the hotel under the big shady trees, and it was an all day trip.

1968 on

Sometime after the named changed to the Rosevale Retreat Hotel.

I’ve read some memories from people who were patrons of the hotel. Bus loads of day trippers from visited the Rosevale Hotel over the years. In the 1960s and 70s milestone birthday parties and other celebrations were held in the hall next door to the hotel. A live band played 60/40 music and “Pops” floor dressing kept the floor nice and slippery for the dancers. At supper time the ladies stayed in hall and the men went to the bar at pub for a quick beer. Playing billiards/pool at the pub was a popular past time and Charlie the cockatoo was a fixture in the bar. Apparently a visitor could leave the hotel and find a peacock roaming around the verandah or perhaps sitting on top of their car, and it wasn’t unusual to see staff chasing chickens out of the dining room or a pony walk into the bar.

Before it closed at the end of 2015, it was a busy and bustling place to be. They served great home cooked meals and it was a pleasant place to visit for lunch. It was a sad day when it shut because the community lost their gathering place.

I did read in the Ipswich Tribune in August 2024 that the hotel was set to reopen that Christmas. Let’s hope that it eventually does come to pass.

I don’t have much information about the licensees after 1968 at this stage, but it will be added as it is discovered. I have these few names:- Bruce Smith, ? and Pam Carter, Matt and Eleanor Ryan (c.1994-2014), John Didia and Mitch McAlpine.

I’d welcome any additional information, photos or memories of the hotel like the great photo below provided by Lynda Flewell-Smith. It is a photo of their 1921 G1 Alfa Romeo (6 cylinder in line), the first Alfa Romeo built. Previously they were just Alfas. It was parked in front of the hotel after its first long test run from Ipswich to Rosevale in 1979/80. It was almost a twenty year restoration project for Ross and Lynda Flewell-Smith. It was sold to an Alfa Romeo dealer in Sydney and some years later it was sold to buyer in America.

If you can help too, I’d love to hear from you.  hello@rosewoodpasttimes.com

See photos from “Christmas in July” held at the Rosevale Retreat Hotel in 2012 – flickr

Patrons of the hotel may remember the old Brisbane tram that sat beside the hotel for decades.

These are photos I took in March 2024.