North Pine (Qld.)

DETAILS

NameNorth Pine (Qld.)DescriptionBecame known as Petrie from 1911 when the railway station was renamed Petrie.

Prior to European settlement, the area was home to the North Pine clan of the Turrbal Aboriginal people who were the custodians of several sacred sites: the Petrie bora ground, the main ring of which was located near the present Petrie roundabout, the ‘Mandin’ fishing hole near the present North Coast Railway Bridge and a rain increase site on the north bank of the North Pine River.

In 1823 Lt. John Oxley, the N.S.W. Surveyor-General, discovered the Pine River, assisted by two castaway ticket-of-leave convicts. Oxley returned nine months later to help set up the Moreton Bay convict settlement. As any further development awaited the closure of this penal settlement, it was not until 1843 that the Griffin family established the ‘Whiteside Run’ on the North Pine River, an extensive sheep and cattle station. By the mid 1840s, logging was well established with the first timber-getters seeking valuable softwoods and establishing rafting grounds on the North and South Pine Rivers.

Tom Petrie acquired the lease of ten square miles from the Griffins in 1859 to create the ‘Murrumba Run’. His tenure as a squatter was short-lived, however, as the land was surveyed for closer settlement and placed on sale from 1862. Petrie and seven other settlers were the first to buy portions of this freehold land. The North Pine River Reserve (much later known as Sweeney Reserve), was set aside at this time for government purposes. By 1864 Petrie had built the first stage of his grand residence, Murrumba Homestead.

In response to increasing numbers of travellers passing through the district, Tom Petrie opened a hostelry in 1865 which became known as ‘Petrie’s Accommodation House’. This was the first building in what became the township of North Pine. In 1872 Edwin Willett opened the first hotel in Petrie’s Accommodation House and the inclusion of the North Pine Post Office in the same building gave the locality official status as a township.

The first school in the district, the North Pine River Crossing Provisional School (no.183), opened on the south bank of the river in 1874. A second school (no.183½) opened in the River Reserve the following year. Two schools were required because it was impossible to ford the river at high tide or after heavy rain. By the end of 1875, the first police officer had commenced duty in the district. Two years later, the first bridge over the North Pine River was opened, finally removing the problems associated with the old ford. This allowed the Pine River North State School, which evolved into the present Petrie State School, to open at the beginning of the 1879 school year at a new site.

The township assumed added prominence in 1881 when the first Court of Petty Sessions was held in the old schoolhouse; a new North Pine Courthouse was constructed the following year. By the mid 1880s, the growth of the small township was stimulated by Tom Petrie’s 'North Pine Township Terminus Estate', named to celebrate the impending arrival of the North Coast Railway which briefly terminated at the North Pine Railway Station. By this time, Alexander Jackson Wyllie had purchased adjoining farmland, some of which he also subdivided to promote the growth of the town.

By the end of the decade of the 1880s, Charles Patterson had established a blacksmith shop, William Reid was in business as the first bootmaker, a new building had been erected for the North Pine Hotel and James Connors had commenced work as the town’s saddler. During early 1890 the local settlers opened the building known to this day as the North Pine School of Arts. The hall quickly became the venue for the major social and cultural activities of the North Pine community.

In 1911 the Dept. of Railways gazetted the change of name of the North Pine Railway Station to Petrie in honour of Tom Petrie, who had died the year before. As postal operations were being conducted from the station, it also became necessary to change postal addresses. Many local residents opposed the name change and the issue generated a great deal of controversy.

Service Personnel

Albert Victor Houghton, SN 1924, Service Record

Albert White, SN 4785, Service Record

Alfred John Wright, SN 336, Service Record

Andrew Walter Gordon, SN 4124, Service Record

Archibald William Hamilton Slater, SN 747, Service Record

Arthur Edward Speedy, SN 5079, Service Record

Benjamin Williams, SN 6525, Service Record

Charles Archibald Hamilton Slater, SN 2325, Service Record

Crichton Ivie Gordon, SN 5343, Service Record

Cuthbert Donald Orr, SN 894, Service Record

Edward Charles Gudopp, SN 4528, Service Record

Edwin John Austin, SN 3337, Service Record

Francis Sheehan, SN 2713, Service Record

Frederick Alexander White, SN 4782, Service Record

Frederick Peter Hohrmann, SN 19922, Service Record

George Laurence Bright, SN 5338, Service Record

Henry Edwin Wright, SN 337, Service Record

Henry George Young, SN 5436, Service Record

James Feakin, SN 1350, Service Record

James Ryan, SN 1173, Service Record

James Young, SN 6160, Service Record

John Duncan Campbell, SN 286, Service Record

John James Protheroe, SN 4273, Service Record

Transcript

Alan Meek - Interviewed on 30 March 2004 - Transcript

Video

Alan MEEK - Interviewed on 30 March 2004

GEOTAG

Geo coords^[1]Geo address66,Frenchs Road,Petrie,4502,Australia

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PlacePetrie (Qld.)

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North Pine (Qld.)