Rosewood History
Marburg History

Hon. Samuel Griffith’s Visit To Marburg & Rosewood

While I was compling the story about the Rosewood Hotel I discovered that the Hon. Samuel Walter Griffith, Judge, former Attorney General and then soon to be Premier of Queensland, visited Marburg and Rosewood on his western political tour in December 1882.

It peaked my interest and I decided to look further into it. I was delighted to find a copy of an original document from that visit, which I have included at the end of this story about the politician’s visit. I hope it gives the descendants of the men who signed the document the same thrill as it gave me to see their handwriting.

After having lunch at Baldrey’s Volunteer Arms in Ipswich on the 15th December 1882, Samuel Griffith and his accompanying party of M.L.A.’s proceeded to Marburg. They were Messrs. William Brookes, John Baptist Louis Isambert, Francis Beattie, John Macfarlane, Arthur Morley Francis and James Foote. Messrs. Brookes, Isambert and Beattie were driven by Mr. Thomas Lorimer Smith and the others followed in John Macfarlane’s buggy.

The residents along the route were outside of their homes waiting for their arrival. Guns were fired, flags were flying from some of the houses on the hill immediately above Marburg, and other methods of welcome were enacted and displayed. 

About three miles from Marburg they encountered a large arch of green branches erected across the road, and a little further on, 50 or more horsemen lined both sides of the road. As the buggies drove by a multitude of cheers were given for Mr. Griffith.

When they reached Marburg, Mr. George Dobson (storekeeper), gave a speech on behalf of the reception committee and residents of the Rosewood district. He spoke in appreciatory terms of Mr. Griffith’s service and called his attention to the resources and capabilities of the district in the production of wheat, maize, arrowroot, cotton, and sugar. Additionally, coal and iron were to be found all over the Rosewood Scrub. He also spoke of the difficulties the farmers had to contend with such as scarcity of water, inclement seasons and bad roads.

Mr. Griffith’s replied and talked about his objectives. His speech was received with great enthusiasm, and was frequently applauded.

A banquet in honour of Mr. Griffith was given at Wiegand Raabe’s Marburg Hotel. Mr. John Louis Frederich (storekeeper) took the chair and Mr. Isambert took the vice-chair. Between 200 and 300 people were present.

A special reporter from the Queensland Times was despatched for the occasion. Two of the representatives of the press wanted to wire brief accounts of the afternoon’s proceedings. As Marburg was some miles away from the nearest telegraph office, the report was sent post haste on horseback to the Walloon telegraph station, and then to Brisbane where it was received just in time for publication.

The visitors were accommodated for the night at the residences of Messrs. J. L. Frederich, and T. L. Smith.

On Saturday morning Mr. Beattie and Mr. Macfarlane returned to Ipswich, but the rest of the party were driven by Mr. Smith and one of the German residents of Walloon, down the Plain and on to Glamorgan Vale. At about half-past 9 they reached Thomas Pratt’s Glamorgan Vale Hotel, where Mr. Griffith was given another welcome.

On the way back they stopped to inspect Mr. Smith’s saw-mill and residence. They continued on to look at Frederich’s and Dobson’s stores in Marburg, before heading to Minden. The party stopped at Edmond Moriarty’s residence and had refreshments at his dairy.

At Minden, or the Back Plains as the place was called, they stopped for a short time at Frederich’s second store and then made their way back to Michael Goos’s Farmers’ Inn at Tallegalla where they had lunch.

After another drive of a few miles over picturesque and hilly country with views of Mount Walker, Laidley Plains and Peak Mountain, the village of Rosewood was reached at about half past 4. 

The party called at the residences of Messrs. David Pfrunder, John Holt, and William Mathew before heading to Martin Beavis’s Rosewood Hotel. Mr. Griffiths had a look round the hotel and chatted with the selectors who were present. He heard a lot of complaints against the Railway Department and ascertained that the local officials were not being held responsible. The farmers told of their great difficulty in obtaining railway trucks (wagons) and in getting goods and produce to or from the towns as quickly and as they needed. The advice given by the dignitaries was that they should put their complaints in writing to the head of the department. 

At 6 o’clock, Mr. Charles Cowell announced that an address was about to be presented to Mr. Griffith. After Charles had made a few remarks, he read the address as follows: [1]

“To the Hon. S.W. Griffith.
Dear Sir,
We, the inhabitants of Rosewood, hereby offer you a cordial welcome to this part of the Rosewood electorate, and, in doing so, we, as working men, desire to express our gratitude to you for the stand you have on sundry occasions made in defence of the liberties of the people.

That these are not empty words we have already shown by electing as our representative one who is sworn to support yon in the House. 

Hoping that at the next election we may be able to assist in placing you at the other side of the House. 

We remain, yours faithfully,
S. WAIGHT, M. BEAVIS, C. COWELL, W. MATHEW, J. HOLT, C. RUMPF, J. JAENCKE, H. M’GEARY, W. LOVEDAY, JESSE NORTH, JOHN HUDSON, FRED. MOORE, JOHN O’FARRELL, JOHN LANE, JAMES PONTING, RICHARD MASON, C. F. ISZALUB, FRED. HANNANT, and Wm. LANE.”

The Q.T. reported: Mr. Griffith thanked the people for the address and the welcome given to him, and said that he had now had the opportunity of seeing a considerable portion of the electorate. He had seen not merely that adjacent to the roads along which they had travelled, but from the eminences he had seen what was, a few years ago, dense scrub, but now partly cultivated and improved land. He had seen evidences that the soil would produce not only maize but sugar, and in this he saw the earnest of considerable prosperity for the farmers who had taken up and were cultivating the land. Mr.Griffith believed that the practical work being done there would go far to remove the conclusion that such products could not be grown except by coloured labour; and it was much to the advantage of the country that they should he grown by white people, whom they could trust with the suffrage, instead of by people whom they could not so trust, and who would remain an alien or servile race.

Though the scrub was not yet completely cleared, it was apparent that a great deal of work had been done, and there was not a better place than the Rosewood to which a stranger might be brought in order that he might see the resources of the soil and the energy of the people; nor was there a better instance of close settlement by men and women instead of by sheep. He did not look with admiration at close settlement by stock, but he did so when it was by human beings of our own race: and he hoped to live to see the population of the colony tenfold what it now was, and the people making their living largely from the soil. 

He was much gratified at the kindly feelings expressed towards Mr. Isambert, who had given a test of what he would do in the future, and congratulated the electors on having him as their representative. Again he thanked them for the kind welcome which they had given to himself a welcome similar to that which he had received in every other portion of the electorate visited. (Cheers.) 

Mr. ISAMBERT said he thought it was fortunate that Mr. Griffith, who meant to take a tour through the north and west of the colony, should have commenced by a visit to the Rosewood. As the coming Premier, in all probability, he should make himself acquainted with the resources of the colony. Mr. Isambert then referred to the remarks uttered by Sir Thomas McIlwraith in the north regarding railways and coolies, which he summed up as equivalent to his telling the people that they should have their railways if they would accept the coolies.

Then some queer statements were made. The people were told that white men could not stand the work in the northern cane-fields; and again the Premier spoke of the fine climate of the north, which he found cooler than Brisbane, and compared to that of Tasmania. Mr. Isambert concluded by expressing a wish that many of the constituencies of the colony would follow the example of those electorates where contests had recently taken place, when they might confidently expect a state of things that would place their guest at the head of public affairs. (Cheers.) 

Mr. C. RUMPF said that the people of Rosewood showed, at the last election, that they had great confidence in the Opposition, and he hoped that they would soon see Mr. Griffith Premier of the colony. The visitors and a few local residents sat down to supper in one of, the rooms of the hotel, Mr. C. Rumpf being the caterer.  (This was a mistake. Martin Beavis was the caterer and corrected it via a letter to the editor of the Q.T.)

Mr. ISAMBERT occupied the chair, and in the course of his remarks referred to the welcome given to Mr. Griffith, and thanked the Rosewood people for their kind reception of that gentleman, himself, and his colleagues. 

Mr. JOHN LANE, who was called upon to make a few remarks, said that he thought he might, on behalf of the people of Rosewood, thank Mr. Griffith and Mr. Isambert for their visit; and he could assure those gentlemen that, while the members had the talking to themselves in Brisbane, the people in the country read and studied what was spoken. After their squabble at the last election, he did not think they would have much trouble over a contest, if one were to take place tomorrow, for he believed that Mr. Isambert would be returned without opposition. (Cheers.) 

Mr. JAMES PONTING, who was also called for, said he was pleased that Mr. Griffith had thought fit to visit the Rosewood, as he must have had his attention called to facts which would the better acquaint him with some of the wants of the Rosewood when he became Premier. He would now know that their chief want was water, and that they were entitled to some provision, as their district had not received the attention it deserved. He had known Mr. Griffith, and had watched his career, for a long time and he was not an enemy of Mr. Isambert. In fact, he was pretty well satisfied with him—and yet he thought that it would have been better for the Rosewood if his opponent had been returned at the last election. He hoped that Mr. Isambert would do his best for them, though, as he (Mr. Ponting) had told him at the time of the election, he felt that he could do nothing for them, as he was going in to oppose the Ministry. Next time, however, Mr. Isambert would have a walk-over. 

Mr. COWELL said that, if Mr. Isambert’s opponent had been returned, they might certainly have got a few plums, but they had preferred to wait for the pudding. 

Mr. GRIFFITH again thanked the people for their kind reception of himself and friends, and, referring to some of Mr. Ponting’s remarks, said he saw a few of the difficulties with which the people had to contend regarding the matter of water supply, and he hoped he would be able to make use of the information he had gained, for the benefit of the district, when the opportunity came. [Thursday 21 December 1882, page 3]

A dinner followed the speeches and more speeches followed the dinner. Mr. Griffith and his fellow politicians left Rosewood at 8 o’clock by the last train to Brisbane, all apparently feeling well pleased with their tour through the district.

Here is a copy of the original address presented by Charles Cowell to Samuel Griffith with the signatures of those who signed it.

© Jane Schy, 2024