History worth preserving

THE Caboolture region has a rich history dating back to the mid-1800s but 101.5FM radio president Craig Hewlett is worried that a lot of it could be lost in the next 10 years if something isn't done to preserve it.

From early settlement through to the area's role as a Cobb and Co route in the gold rush and the more recent population explosion, there's a lot of big-picture history that could easily disappear.

Craig is more interested in the people who shaped the towns and the events of the area and one of those people is George Edwin Bishop, otherwise known as Ned, the "Big Man" of Caboolture.

Caboolture identity Ray Bishop, who took Ned's middle name at birth, recently approached the council for help to fix up Ned's gravestone, which had suffered the ravages of time.

When he was told by councillors and council staff that gravesite maintenance was a family responsibility he went to Craig to see what could be done.

"I'd like to see the gravestone done up as a memoriam," Ray said.

"There's the history of Caboolture there and it's just buggered."

Craig called on a loose group of people he referred to as the Guerilla Gardeners, a mixture of residents and business owners in the area.

In the past they helped clean up the Morayfield Rd bridge after the floods and they quickly agreed to help with the gravestone project.

"Ned was a great character," Craig said.

"He wasn't anybody special. He was just part of the fabric of the community."

"The region owes the Bishop family a tremendous amount for what they've done, as well as those other pioneering families."

The legend goes that Ned was as high as he was wide and was in the habit of carrying full 44 gallon drums of fuel, weighing more than 150kg, up the beach from his boat.

He was a merchant trader both here in Caboolture and on Bribie Island, selling everything he could get his hands on, including "Bribie mutton", otherwise known as goat, the only meat available on the island at the time.

But the plans to keep history alive extend much further than the refurbishment of the gravestone.

Craig plans to work with the Caboolture Historical Village.

He is working on a radio segment on 101.FM, with details still to be finalised.

"I want to hold a regular segment and just capture some of these moments," Craig said.

"Some of these little fascinating, quirky bits of our history, not focusing on politicians just characters," Craig said.

The features will touch on a variety of the region's history, from Queensland's first rum, brewed on the banks of the river at Donnybrook, to the rich gold miner who settled here and kept the town afloat through the great depression.

If you have any interesting historical stories or facts from around the region call the Caboolture News office on 54901420 to ensure they aren't forgotten.