Cardwell & District Historical Society
 

Countdown to Cardwell’s 150th birthday

On the 22nd of January, 2014, Cardwell will turn 150 so CDHS has set the clock ticking as a reminder that this historic birthday is less than three years away. It’s time now to plan how we should commemorate this important milestone, and we invite you to submit your ideas.

  1. Bullet The Calophyllum Shore - A Cardwell Memoir is one of our Historical Society’s first and most significant 150th birthday projects. The book was launched on April 8, 2001 and is now on sale. Published by 3e Innovative for the CDHS, The Calophyllum Shore is from a manuscript based on 35 years research by the late Sandy Hubinger, whose four grandparents were among Cardwell’s earliest settlers. The Calophyllum Shore is Sandy’s perspective on a virtual lifetime spent in Cardwell. The Hubinger family, through four generations, maintained close links with early Aboriginal families and their descendants, making for a unique historical interpretation. You can buy your copy of the book online here using Visa or MasterCard or click here to purchase via bank transfer, cheque or postal order. For a slideshow of the April 8 book launch click here.

  1. Bullet Cardwell Cemetery contains a wealth of historical information, but its burial records, both official and unofficial are far from complete. If you have information or family records which can help restore this vital part of our history we’d love to hear from you. It is our plan to ultimately publish on this site, the general expanse of public information so you can not only pursue your interests but perhaps also contribute to research.

  1. Bullet The Kirrama Range Oral History project is a gathering of stories from a time when the Great Depression of the 1930s dominated people’s lives worldwide. The Depression spawned the Public Estates Improvement (PEI) program in Australia, similar to our Federal Government’s 2009 ‘stimulus’ program to counter the global financial crisis. One major PEI project to provide work during the Great Depression was the construction of a road west of Kennedy up the slopes of Kirrama Range, a road which remains unfinished and in disrepair 80 years later. The CDHS has captured many interesting first-hand stories of those momentous times from Kirrama workers and their families. The CDHS also believes it’s time the Kirrama road is restored and completed, to provide that direct link between Cardwell and the Tableland, to which past governments dedicated so much public time and money.

Headstone of John Ogilvy Lloyd

who died October 1865

  1. Bullet Individual short stories that bring to life the history of the Cardwell district were planned for release on regular radio broadcasts throughout 2011 although this project will be reviewed once the major impact of cyclone Yasi abates. When the stories are released they will also be available through this website, so keep in touch, and if you have an interesting yarn you feel might be suitable for this project, please get in touch.


Cardwell & District Historical Society Inc  ABN 19 796 648 530

P.O. Box 221 Cardwell Qld Australia 4849   www.cardwellhistory.com.au  cardwellhistory@me.com

© 2010 Cardwell & District Historical Society Inc.

  1. Bullet  Cyclone Yasi is now part of Cardwell’s history and will be written about and discussed by people for generations. It’s vital therefore that those who lived through Yasi, document their experiences, so we invite you to tell us your story if you were resident in, or visiting this district during those turbulent days around February 2nd 2011. You can email your account, or post it via the address at the bottom of this page. Please include your name and address for authenticity, although you should indicate if you do not wish to have your story published, or your identity revealed, on our website. Be part of the story of Cardwell district by documenting your experience of this momentous event in its history.

      Save Cardwell Railway Station

  1. Bullet While the Cardwell district community is working hard to repair and rebuild after the battering by cyclone Yasi, the Historical Society has received advice that our old Cardwell Railway Station is to be either demolished or sold. This information came from Queensland Rail via the Cassowary Coast Regional Council, without any tangible offer of support from either to help preserve the building. It was at Cardwell in 1924 that the last spike was driven to link the first rail line connecting Brisbane and Cairns. A Refreshment Room and Dining Room room operated in conjunction with the Railway Station until the 1950s. From the 1920s through to the 1970s fish and chip cafes, famous throughout the nation for the quality of their fresh catch and fast service, lined Bowen Street and did a roaring trade when passenger trains pulled into town. Please add your voice and any support you can give to help preserve this important part of Cardwell district history. For a flyer click on Save our Station.pdf