Employees of the Rosewood Slipper Factory in front of the building at 8 John Street.
Photo: Jenny & Peter Naylor

Back Row L-R: June Nuffler, Jean Barram, Ruth Harding, Rita Bull.
Middle Row L-R: Miss Armstrong, Shirley Howells, Beryl Muller, Jessie Jonas, Betty Collins, Joan Langdon, Gwen Hawkins, Hazel Muller, Hazel Wiliams, Dulcie Freeman, Mary Turn, Rosea Edwards.
Front Row L-R: Bertha Burgess, Dorothy Watters, Marlene Sceeston, Fay William, Antionette Maculan, Joyce Basin.

Rosewood History

“The Slipper Factory”

In the Queensland Times on May 20th, 1946 it was announced that a Brisbane footwear firm North Australian Rubber Mills Ltd (NARM) established in 1922 at Kelvin Grove, intended to start a factory at Rosewood. There was already a small factory in Beaudesert and one was also being considered for Warwick. Scottish born Mr James McCann, Brisbane Manager, came to Rosewood to inspect suitable buildings for the enterprise.

The proposal to start a factory at Rosewood came about because of the shortage of young female employees in the city. Interested local girls could pick up an application form for employment in the sewing machine room from the stores of Messrs. N. Ruhno and Fraser Bros in Rosewood. Norman Ruhno, proprietor of Rhuno’s General Store, was instrumental in securing the factory for Rosewood. The nature of the work was the making of uppers for rubber soled shoes. Had there not been enough interest from the local girls, the factory would not have been established in Rosewood.

A site was chosen, the building being formerly a cafe in John Street next to the Rosewood Hotel (No 8). It was renovated to suit its new purpose. Twelve electrically worked machines, each with a stool, were installed along with and side benches for the laying out of patterns. Fluorescent lighting was installed throughout the building and an electric urn for hot water was provided for the staff.

On the 20th June 1946, Recreation Footwear Ltd commenced operations. Initially ten young women, under the supervision of Mrs. Rosea Edwards were employed to work there. Rosea had been tutored for 10 weeks at the Brisbane factory in readiness. The girls were engaged on the seaming and binding of cut felt for slippers. They worked Monday to Friday and started at 8 a.m and finished at 5.18 p.m. with intervals for morning tea and lunch. There was also a male employee at the factory, Mr George Lee who used to cut the slipper soles.

Six days later the factory had to suspend work because of power and light restrictions that had been in place for the previous week or so because of a strike. The  restrictions lifted at midnight on 12th July.

The close of work for the Christmas holidays in 1946 was marked by a breaking-up party for the girls and Rosea Edwards. Mr. McCann came up from Brisbane and there were also other visitors. Mr. McCann told everyone how happy he was about the splendid success of the factory at Rosewood. He predicted bigger things for the footwear industry. Ice-cream, cake, and other refreshments were served and the majority present enjoyed joining in community singing and listening to solos performed by some of the visitors.

Once the factory outgrew its John Street site, it relocated to Railway Street next to the butcher shop in the vicinity of No 17. William Norman Ruhno built the new factory building and leased it to NARM. The building had two sections and housed twenty machines in each, the front section being used for the manufacture of slippers and the back section for raincoats and Sou’westers (a traditional form of collapsible oilskin rain hat that is longer in the back than the front to protect the neck fully).

On Friday night 14th December 1948, a Ball was held in the Farmer’s Hall to mark the opening of the new factory. Mrs Rosea Edwards was the Hostess. The proceeds £57/13/6 were divided equally between the Rosewood Boy Scouts and the Ambulance. All expenses of the night were donated by the firm. Supper was served buffet style by members of the Scouts and Ambulance, assisted by a band of ladies. A Monte Carlo waltz was won by Miss S. Carmody and partner, a spot waltz by Miss J. Barram and M. Foy, and a jazz cap waltz by Miss M. Wright and partner. McCoombs’s Orchestra played music, assisted by Mr. A. Smith with extras.     Read about it here.

A choral group was formed, the R. F. L. Songsters. According to Therese Hawkins, it was Mrs. Rosea Edwards who first suggested that the girls form a choir when she heard the girls singing while they worked in the factory to pass the time. Mrs Edwards was the conductor and they were accompanied by her daughter Mrs Doris McGeary, an accomplished pianist. Miss Armstrong was also of valuable assistance.

THE R.F.L. SONGSTERS
Photo: Therese and Bryce Hawkins

BACK ROW: P. Klauke, B. Burgess, Hazel Muller.
SECOND ROW: R. Harding, J. Jonas, Jean Barram, J. Nuffer, S. Howells, Beryl Muller.
SITTING: J. Langdon, H. Williams, Mrs. G. McGeary (Accompanist), Mrs. R. Edwards (Conductor), G. Hawkins, L. Murphy, F. Williams.

The girls sang at fund raisers, fetes, flower shows and on the local radio station, 4IP in Ipswich, with catchy little numbers like “Powder Your Face With Sunshine” and “Beyond the Sunset.”

The members of the choir were Mary Turner, Phyllis Klauke, Bertha Burgess, Beryl Muller, Ruth Harding, Jessie Jonas, Jean Barram (Battaglene), June Nuffer (Schreiweis), Shirley Howells, Hazel Muller, Joan Langdon (Krebs), Hazel Williams, Gwen Hawkins, Lurlene Murphy and Fay Williams.

On Tuesday night of the17 September, 1948 the Majestic Theatre was packed to capacity when the Rosewood State School Committee conducted an “Amateur Trials and Quiz Session.” Prize winners were:- Adult trials, Recreation Footwear Songsters (choral item) 1st.  Read about it here.

During the National Coal Strike in 1949 the Telegraph announced on 11th July: There is a small factory at Rosewood employing 30 girls. They have been stood down because of the coal strike. The general feeling in the town is that as Rosewood miners are doing such a good job getting coal for Brisbane, sufficient power should be allowed for these girls to start work again. 

On Saturday night, the 2nd December 1950, the employees of the Recreation Footwear factory tendered a pre-wedding evening to their fellow employee, Miss Joan Langdon, on the eve of her approaching marriage to Mr. Keith Krebs.

At Mrs Edward’s son Les’s 21st birthday party in March 1951, moving pictures were shown by Mr. J. Navie of Recreation Footwear. The girls were entertained with a silent movie of a Laurel and Hardy comedy. 

On Saturday, 14 April 1951, a procession was a feature of the very successful jubilee celebrations of the Moreton Shire staged at Rosewood. The best decorated of the five floats: “Queen of Rose Buds” Recreation  Footwear Factory.     Read about it here.

They took part in the biggest procession ever seen in Rosewood, the Coronation Parade in June 1953. The girls tied for 1st place with the Mines Recuse Station for best “Tradesmen’s Float”.

Special mention was also given to the Slipper Factory that year for its support to the Rosewood Ambulance and it was the year that Mr McCann, managing director of NARM passed away.

The Slipper Factory closed down in 1956 when NARM ceased operations in Rosewood. The building was unused until 1962 when the Education Department rented it from Mr Ruhno for £10 per week and used it as a temporary high school. In 1964 a wing was built on the primary school for secondary use so the old factory building was empty once again.

The Show Society bought it and moved it to the Showgrounds where it became the Dance Hall in the early 1970s. The floor was polished using Pop’s and hessian bags. Pop’s was a powdery wax, scattered on a wooden floor before a dance and spread by the dancers’ feet. It made the floor very slippery! Prior to that dances had been held in the Farmers’ Hall and Memorial Hall.

Picture Ipswich has film footage of the Rosewood Slipper Factory in the 1950s.
You can view it here.

Gwen Hawkins at back, Jean Battaglene and Jessie Jonas outside the Slipper Factory in John Street.

© Jane Schy, 2024