events

September 2018 marks the 120-year anniversary of the opening of McWhirter & Son, the cash drapery that went on to become one of Queensland’s biggest and best-loved department stores. In 1894, my great-great grandfather James McWhirter senior began working for T.C. Beirne in his namesake business, and would stay there for four years – three […]

13th October 2018 Not that long ago, the narrow spaces around Fortitude Valley were just that — spaces, not vibrant laneways. These days, however, the area boasts not one, not two, but now three jam-packed alleys. Yes, that’s a development that’s worth celebrating. In fact, it’s a change worthy of a day-long festival, which is

27th October 2018 Even those of us with no Italian will hazard a  fair guess as to the meaning of: “Associazione Nazionale Famiglie Emigrati”. ANFE was started in Italy after WWII to assist migrants and their families who were often left back home when the breadwinner migrated overseas. A Brisbane branch was founded in 1962

22nd September 2018 SEPTEMBER’S meeting of the Society will feature Marisa Vecchio AM telling the story of Hanworth House, the grand residence dating from 1864 which stands at 109 Lytton Road,East Brisbane. The house was built for retired naval officer Captain George Poynter Heath who had been appointed marine surveyor of Queensland in 1860, and

25th August 2018 A Young Englishman arrives to work on an outback sheep station and ends up writing a “fast-paced, suspenseful” novel that has melodrama, romance and comedy, with many surprising twists and turns.” “Completed in 1865, it proved to be Queensland’s second novel, though the miraculously-found manuscript was only published in 2010,” said Gerard

28th July 2018 THE speaker at the Society’s July meeting will be Julie Hornibrook, granddaughter of Sir Manuel (1893-1970), a name synonymous with master building in Queensland. “It’s remarkable that my grandfather was able to contribute to the building of the Story Bridge, William Jolly Bridge and Hornibrook Highway during the 1930s’ Depression,” said Julie,

THIS photo from the beginning of Griffith Uni in Brisbane was part of Dr Bill Metcalf’s engrossing presentation to more than 90 attendees at June’s meeting of the New Farm and Districts Historical Society. Early training in areas such as nursing, pharmacy, law and teaching was haphazard in the colony’s early days — but the

Early forms of training in Brisbane were very rudimentary… Come and hear more at our 23 June meeting. All are welcome!

 26th May 2018 QUEENSLAND’S record of invention and innovation extends to the design and manufacture of familiar potions and extraordinary strategies to popularise them. Queenslanders were also ready adopters of similar remedies devised overseas and marketed through personal contact. This talk examines the history of three Queensland remedies—two of which were marketed well beyond our

28 April 2018 While the George Symons’ family business manufactured uniforms for the Queensland Police, Railways, Ambulance, Fire Brigade and the RAAF, as well as lots of school wear, the name is most famously associated with men’s fashion garments and suits. George Symons himself will be the speaker at our April meeting. Applying all of