The town of Rathdowney and surrounding areas is like a lot of towns
in Australia, a history that reflects Australia's very own
development.
The Foundation of the town
The area was opened to settlement in 1842, and a large freehold
parcel was purchased by Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior in 1876. He named
it the Rathdowney Station after the Murray-Prior (family) estates
in Rathdowney Ireland. The property was later acquired by William
Collins and Sons in 1880 who further subdivided the land, and in
1906 the township of Rathdowney began to form.
The museum is a good source of the history of the local area,
including a collection of photos showing past residents and
sporting teams as well a collection of the tramway and railway
buildings relocated to the site.
Entry to the museum is by gold coin donation
Waypoint 1 Rathdowney Tramway Station
To be found in the Rathdowney Museum, the buildings on the
outside on the left.The tramway was extended from Beaudesert to
Rathdowney in 1911 enabling local products, timber and cream to be
exported out of the area as well as providing passenger and postal
services. The tramway was closed in 1944 with the advent of the
motor vehicle.
You need to find the old station building, on which there is a
plaque. Which of the following was NOT listed as being transported
via the tramway?
(a) Sugar (answer A = 0)
(b) Pigs (answer A = 1)
(c) Papers (answer A = 2)
(d) Calves (answer A = 3)
Waypoint 2 - Serving the Town
You need to find the plaque dedicated to Jack and Annie Lucas,
(not the one near the Gazebo) who were shopkeepers that served the
community until 1973. They were the owners and proprietors of the
first Rathdowney Milk Bar and Cafe and Moving Picture Show
According to the plaque, what year did they start?
(Answer=BCDE)
Waypoint 3 - Captain Patrick Logan
Captain Logan was the commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal
Settlement, and was the first european, along with botantists Allan
Cunningham and George Fraser to explore the local area, and the
first to climb Mt Barney, the highest any European had climbed in
Australia at the time.
What year did Logan discover Mt Barney? (Answer=FGHJ)
Waypoint 4 - Interstate Railway
In 1926 work commenced on the local section of the interstate
rail link between Brisbane and Sydney. The project gave employment
to more than 1000 people affected by the depression, and they lived
in temporary accommodation of tents and shacks, in quite harsh
conditions along Running Creek. Work was completed in 1929.
The waypoint is where the rail line crosses Running Creek.
The deep girder runs between column 4 and ? (Answer = K)
Waypoint 5 - Innis Plains School
There were a number of schools servicing the local area, which
now are only short distance away from Rathdowney, but would have
been quite a considerable distance for the children of the day. The
advent of the car changed that. The memorial marks the location of
the Innis Plains School opened in 1921. Schools also existed at
Bigriggen and Mount Barney.
How many years was the school open for (difference of the
years)? (Answer=L, the sum of the digits)
Waypoint 6 - Timber Mills
Rathdowney was a prolific timber producing area and during its
heyday, timber mills operated at Palen Creek, Tylerville,
Glenapp,Tamrookum Creek, Oakey Creek, and Running Creek. The
Rathdowney Timber mill was the first to use electricity and its
establishment helped bring power to the town.
All of the mills no longer exist.
At the waypoint is a plaque for the Rathdowney Mill.
How many years did the mill operate for (difference between the
years)? (Answer=MN)
The final cache can be found at S28 13.MJA E152
51.LKD
Photos and information courtesy of the Rathdowney Area
Development and Historical Association. Website
www.rathdowney.org.au