Northward Bound Caravanning From Bowen, Home Hill And Ayr To Townsville

Many people today own a caravan and travel around the countryside. Just imagine the trials and tribulations of caravanning on Queensland Roads in 1928 and 1929. Thomas John McMahon, a journalist and photographer was working for the Queenslander newspaper in 1928 -1929.  He travelled in a caravan named Queenslander which was on a truck from Brisbane to North Queensland. The journey began on May 2, 1928 in Brisbane, travelling through Ipswich, Esk, Nanango, through to Maryborough and up the coast through Mackay, Proserpine, Bowen, Home Hill, and Ayr. He arrived in the Burdekin in December 1928. Thomas had with him his wife and an occasional man who was his mechanic and helper. They camped in tents. The caravan was his office and his darkroom where he developed his photos, as well as carrying his goods and chattels which he needed.

According to Thomas, Home Hill was not yet on a government map even though it had been existence for over fifteen years. Travelling by train was easy from Bowen to Townsville but getting to Home Hill from Bowen by road was another matter. It took seven and a half hours to travel over the 70 miles between Bowen and Home Hill. The road was very difficult to negotiate as were the gullies, sandy bottom creeks and two rivers with their steep slanted banks. The black soil was greasy because of the wet. It was with great difficulty that the caravan navigated the road. Home Hill became a welcoming town to him as the petrol tank of the truck needed repairing which was carried out by Jack Reid, the plumber.

The land in the town section had increased from £50 to £100 from 1913 to over a £1,000.00 in 1929. Farm land had risen in value. The towns of Ayr and Home Hill are blessed with underground water. From their camp in Home Hill, the reporter and his wife sighted twenty-six windmills. The government provided an Irrigation Scheme for the sugar-cane farms of the district. Thomas interviewed Mr Harry Ramsden, late of Charters Towers. Mr Harry Ramsden was known as “The Cyanide King” because of his working with gold in Charters Towers. He took photos of the new swimming pool at Home Hill Rural School, the Power Irrigation House, and irrigating the sugar-cane. He and his wife were impressed with the ladies of the local CWA.  

A week later, after the petrol tank had been repaired, his vehicle was ready to tackle the crossing of the Burdekin River to Ayr. The traffic bridge was not built at this stage. The Burdekin River rose so quickly the reporter had to cross the river by train with his caravan. Even this was hazardous as the water was still rising whilst the train crossed the Burdekin Railway Bridge.

Thomas McMahon detrained his caravan at Ayr.  The sugar cane crushing season was nearing completion. He took photos of our worthy councillors, The Ayr Shire Chambers, Queensland National Bank, the War Memorial and a few more of the main street of Ayr and The Sacred Heart Church.  He and his wife then left for Giru and  Townsville where they spent Christmas. After Townsville, the Queenslander proceeded to Charters Towers in February 1929. The journey from Townsville to Ravenswood Junction (now Mingela, also known as Cunningham’s Waterholes) took nine hours to negotiate the terrain. Caravanning today is not quite so bad.

Reference is from TROVE  Queenslander papers December 1928 through to February 1929.

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Contributed by Glenis Cislowski

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homas McMahon’s photo of the Home Hill Power House in 1928

Queen Street, Ayr in 1928, as captured by Thomas McMahon

Photos supplied

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