Rosewood History

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Saturday 13 November 1926, page 7

MR. SAMUEL WAITE
GROWTH OF ROSEWOOD

Through most of his 81 years, Mr. Samuel Waite, of Lanefield, has seen humour in a life of varied seasons. The result of his cheery view of things is that he is one of the most genial and kindly old men one could meet. He has travelled cheerfully, and looks back on many years of engrossing interest without any serious regrets. He was born in the parish of Poplar, London, in 1845, and left home for Queensland when he was 21 years old. “I came to Queensland to improve my conditions, and I did so,” he says. “I have gone through some hard times, and some pleasant times, and I have no reason to complain.” He landed in Brisbane in 1866, and stayed there three days. The voyage, in the sailing ship, Southern Ocean, lasted five months. Then he came to Ipswich, and stayed a fortnight. The Government of the day was giving passes to the newly arrived immigrants to take them out to the new settlements. Mr. Waite was one of about 100 young men who were given railway tickets to Gatton. When they arrived there the railway officials said: “There is the country. You can go where you like. We have done with you.”

SEARCH FOR WORK.
The day was hot and oppressive, and they travelled only about eight miles before night. A storm appeared to be rising, and the party of seven made a shelter of sleepers and camped for the night. The rain began a few minutes afterwards, and in an hour the shelter was as wet inside as out. In the morn-ing, with soaked swags and clothing, they started off in the rain. They travelled for three days, camping in the bush without shelter, and the rain continued with scarcely a break. On the fourth morning the sun broke out, and they dried their blankets and clothes. Five of the party inquired for work at Edenvale Station, on the Downs, but could get none there, and were told that there was little prospect of work in the direction in which they were travelling. They sat on their swags at the gate, and in good colonial style decided their fate on the toss of a penny. “Go on or go back” was the problem, and the spinning copper replied “Go back.” They tramped to Toowoomba, stopping at Pentecost’s Phoenix Hotel, at the turnpike on the main range. Mr. Waite got a job there, clearing in wild forest country, at 5/ a week. He stayed there until he had earned 7/6, and then walked to Toowoomba and bought a pair of boots to replace the pair he had worn out in looking for work. Reshod, he walked to Ipswich, and obtained work as a blacksmith.

GYMPIE GOLD RUSH.
In 1867 the Gympie gold rush began, and with Messrs. Charles Dutney, William Perrem, Samuel Shelley, J. Perrett, Henry Treloar, Joseph Ward, and several others, he made for the diggings. They pegged out their claims in Nuggety Gully, and “fossicked” there for a time, getting payable washings, but making no rich finds. He stayed two years, and then sold his share of the claim to his mate and walked to Brisbane. He spent the night at the Travellers’ Rest Inn in the Valley when he arrived, and in the morning crossed the river by ferry and walked to Redbank, where he boarded the coach for Ipswich. He was married in September, 1869. In the same month, he selected land at the top of the present Rosewood township, but did not settle there until 1874. Until 1870 he worked on a farm on the Brisbane River. After leaving there he worked for Messrs. Cribb and Foote at their cotton ginnery at Churchbank. He stayed there for six months, and afterwards spent 18 months on blacksmithing work on the construction of the Ipswich-Brisbane railway. At the end of it he packed up his tools and went to the selection, where he built a bumpy, and, at the end of 1874, took his wife and children to it.

INTERMINABLE LABOUR.
The first seven years on the selection was heartbreaking, as could be expected with a young Londoner on a scrub farm so thickly timbered that it was impossible to ride a horse through It. The almost interminable labour of clearing and fencing, ploughing, and cultivating, harvesting and marketing, filled all the hours of day-light. Twice a night, at least, he had to go round the farm with a gun to scare off the wallaby marauders that made fun of his fences and destroyed his crops. By such days of labour and restless nights he and the other pioneers made Rosewood. When he went there Messrs. John Vance, William Meiklejohn, John Farrell, and Matthews were the settlers on and near the site of the township. Mr. Matthews kept the Rosewood gatehouse, which stood where the Court House now is. Other and later neighbours were Messrs. James Dale, Richard Beavis, Richard Mason, John Nichols, Martin Beavis, Robert Boughen, senr., Michael Rush, Joseph Wilds, Samuel Eaton, Joseph Hudson, Bernard Farley, Lawrence Smallbone, and Pedrazzini. They sold their corn for as little as 9d. a bushel, butter for 3d. a lb., and eggs for 6d. a dozen, but at times received up to 1/9 for butter and 5/6 for maize.

DROUGHT DIFFICULTIES.
In the droughts they carried water from the Bremer, three miles away, in buckets, and had to use pannikins to lift it from the shallow pools without stirring up too much mud. The water carrier never had as great a thirst as those that stayed at home in those days, despite his long walk, for he sometimes had to pull dead stock out of the stream, and he alone knew how much green scum he had to push aside to fill his buckets. They lost their stock In the bad years, and spent their money in buying feed in the hopeless attempt to save some, but fought on through it all to a greater prosperity. In 1887, when the Rosewood Farmers’ Club, which later became the Rosewood Agricultural and Horticultural Association, was formed, Mr. Waite was an exhibitor at the first show. He was a member of the committee in the second year, and at this year’s show was steward of the agricultural section for the 46th year without a break. He is the only living original member of the Rosewood Congregational Church, which met in his humpy while the church was being built. The church was opened in 1871, with Rev. E. Mossop as its first preacher. Mr. Waite was Superintendent of the Sunday School for 23 years. His wife died in 1907, and in 1910 he sold his farm and retired. He is now living with his daughter-in-law, Mrs. C. E. Waite, at Lanefleld.