Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 - 1908), Tuesday 4 July 1899, page 3


Glimpses of Early Ipswich. THE "QUEENSLAND TIMES" FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY. [BY RED GUM.] Dating from 1827, Ipswich has now been established 72 years, during 40 years of which time the "Queensland Times" has been in existence, advocating the claims and require-ments and voicing the opinions of the residents of both Ipswich and West Moreton. The "Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser" was established by a private company of ardent Separationists, comprising the late Messrs. Arthur Macalister, H. M. Cockburn, Walter Gray, and John Rankin; and its first issue appeared on the 4th of July, 1859. Mr. Edmund Gregory, the present Queensland Government Printer, was the printer and publisher of the "Ipswich Herald," having been specially en-gaged in Sydney to manage the paper, and its offices were situated in Ellenborough-street, about on the site where the railway bridge crosses the line. The first paper published in Ipswich was, of course, the "North Australian," which appeared on the 2nd of October, 1855, the proprietors being the Messrs. E. J. and A. C. Bays. Regarding the "Ipswich Herald," a change of proprietorship occurred, Messrs. Hugh Parkinson, J. B. Sloman, and the late Mr. Francis Kidner purchasing the "Ipswich Her-ald," and on Tuesday, the 8th of October, 1861, the paper merged into "The Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald, and General Advertiser." "The North Australian" also changed pro-prietorship—the Messrs. Bays, the "fathers of the Ipswich Press," returning to England—and subsequently the paper was published in Bris-bane. Previous to their connection with the "Queensland Times" as proprietors, Messrs. H. Parkinson, J. B. Sloman, and Francis Kidner each worked as journeymen on the "North Australian." Those were the days of the "hard fighting" for separation from New South Wales, when it was stated by the "Sydney Morning Herald" that "the revenue of Moreton Bay was hardly sufficient to support a corporal's guard in a watch-house!" Forty years have passed and now the fighting is for unification! During the existence of the "Queensland Times," what changes have occurred in Australia, especially in the news-paper life. Cables now connect this continent with the old country, and the whole world is girdied by electricity—as Shakespeare pre-dicted—it not taking only 40 minutes or so to convey the latest news from one end of the world to the other. Australia is almost en-circled by railways—at any rate, a person can travel from Gladstone (on the northern coast of Queensland) to South Australia; and whereas the passage from England to Australia formally occupied from three to five months, it can now be accomplished in from 34 to 36 days. Townships have sprung up where, 40 years ago, the primeval silence and solitude were only broken by the wander-ing tribes of aborigines. To-day, what glorious prospects are before Queensland! Forty years ago it was, comparatively speaking, unknown. And no newspaper fought harder for the open-ing up of its resources, and the populating of its vast territory, than did the "Queensland Times." In our own midst what remarkable changes have taken place. The old bullock-dray is now comparatively unknown, as is also the "coach and four;" and the placid waters of the Bremer are now very little disturbed by steamer traffic. Forty years ago the bullock-dray and the coach between the Downs and Ipswich, and the steamers between Brisbane and the "head of navigation," were the only means of communication from Moreton Bay to the interior. To-day, the "iron horse"—the railway steam-engine-reigns supreme, while the bullock-dray and the coach and four have, no doubt, followed the tracks of the kangaroo and emu, and made for pastures new in the "Never-Never-Land." In 1868, during the height of the Gympie gold-rush, Messrs. Parkinson, Sloman, and Kidner established the "Gympie Times," and eventually sold out to Messrs. Herbert Rodgers, James Chapple, and James Irwin. The "Gympie Times" is still a flourishing paper. In 1874 the office of the "Queensland Times" was removed from Ellenborough-street (owing to the land being required for railway purposes) to its present site, then known as "Dowden's Corner;" and, in the same year, the late Mr. Francis Kidner withdrew from the proprietary of the "Queensland Times," and subsequently established the "Western Star" at Roma. In 1877 Mr. J. B. Sloman retired from the firm of the "Queens-land Times," and his share was purchased by Messrs. A. J. Stephenson and W. Kippen (thus keeping up the original initials of the old firm —namely, P., S., and K.). I dare say that Mr. Hugh Parkinson is now the veteran printer of Queensland, his career in Ipswich dating as far back as November, 1855. In conclusion, I append a sample of the "sort" of advertising which appeared in the columns of the "Ipswich Herald" during the early sixties:— PEOPLE'S STORE, LITTLE IPSWICH. The inhabitants of Little Ipswich, bullock-drivers, farmers, and others are respectfully in-formed that they can now procure, at the above stores (opposite Gogg's terrace) the following goods at town prices, viz. Best tea, sugar, flour, and rice Currants, raisins, jams, and spice Oysters, lobsters, salmon, and sardines Mixed pickles, onions, and French beans Vinegar, oil, sauce, and potted meats Cakes, crystal fruits, and assorted sweets Washing soda, soap, and patent blue Best negrohead tobacco and honey dew Coffee, pipes, and very fine cigars Mustard, vinegar, and salt in jars Tapioca, Macaroni, and Vermicelli Fleming's best flour, and some from Chilli Soap, candles (both tallow and sperm), Also butter fresh daily from the churn. We close our list, and beg to call attention To a few facts, which we think it right to mention. That the whole of the above are of quality the best, And when tried will well stand the test. At under cost we don't profess to sell, We can't afford it! that the public know well). A moderate profit is our only aim, Which with civility we hope will gain For us from all classes an early visit, Which we most earnestly solicit. We thank our friends for their past support, And hope from all to hear a good report. Upon our goods, which we shall try to keep Of the best quality, and moderately cheap. Our capital being rather small Compels us to require cash from all. We purchase cheese, eggs, butter, corn, and bacon, Or in exchange for other goods they're taken.