Day trip to Dayboro

Dayboro is a beautiful little village that we use to visit regularly when we would camp at Armstrong Creek, 2km SW of the village. The first inhabitants were the Garumngar people who lived in the D'Angular Range. Originally known as Upper North Pine, the earliest recorded European settler in the area was John McKenzie in 1866, who operated a sawmill about 2.5km from town. The area he lived was known as Fishery Pocket. McKenzie supplied the timber for Day's mill and Tom Petrie's home 'Murumba' at North Pine. Bullock drivers called the area Hellhole as the river crossing was very difficult.

The township developed and was known as Hamilton, after farmer Hugh Hamilton became the post master in 1875. In 1892 the name was changed again to Terrors Creek. Along the creek was a paddock known as Terrors Paddock, after a grey stallion named Terah, owned in the 1850's by Captain John Griffin who lived on the Whiteside run south of town.

By early 1890's the town consisted of a general store and a hotel, nearby sawmill, and by 1903 a butter factory. Being a largely agricultural area, in 1915 the residents wanted the extension of the railway from Enoggera to Terrors Creek in order to facilitate the transporting of goods and passengers to Brisbane. The town in 1915 listed as having a butter factory, sawmill, bank, several stores, hotel, and a public hall.

In 1917 the Postmaster General said Terrors Creek sounded too much like Torrens Creek, so the town got a new name. Dayboro is named after William Henry Day who leased land near the town for a sugar plantation in 1867. The plantation failed but Day owned a substantial amount of land in and around town. Day was also the clerk of petty sessions and later a police magistrate in Brisbane. By September 1920 the railway was operating, and continued until July 1955 when patronage was dwindling.

We parked in front of the bakery on William Street, near the site of the railway. We were at the corner of Railway and William Streets and headed right (east) along William Street. First stop was the old butter factory.

The Silverwood Butter Factory was built in 1903 on the site of the old Terrors Creek Creamery. It was damaged by fire and restored in 1989. It closed in 1967 and fell into disrepair until 2014/5 when it was restored and now houses many unique stores.

We then crossed the road, wanting to go back after lunch when we had more time (but didn't - next time) and headed west to the arts and craft cottage. Hay Cottage is the oldest privately constructed residence in Dayboro. Built in 1869 of local timber by Mr Goetz, it was sold to Charles Hay and his wife Jane who raised 5 children in the cottage. Most of the timber used was red cedar, which was common in the area.

The floors were made of Australian beech trees, which have shrunk over time. The roof was originally a shingle roof, and was replaced over time by the iron roof seen today. The workers cottage was originally located about 5km away at Rush Creek, and relocated to here in July 1989 by the Dayboro Lions Club and the then Pine Rivers Shire Council. Today it is an arts and craft centre with some beautiful hand made goods.

Walking further up the road we come to the butchery. The Cruice Bros. operated a butchery from their farm and in 1909 they moved their business to the town. The slaughter yards still remained on the farm in Lacey's Creek Road. The business was sold to Frederick Edmund Long in 1919.

Long later also purchased the slaughter yard in 1928. Long built a new butcher shop in 1933. The shop has changed hands many times since then.

At the top of William Street in McKenzie Street is the Crown Hotel. James Kirkead Berry built the first store in town in January 1887 using bricks from the old sugar mill. This store became the first unofficial post office. He was granted a provisional hotel license and he ran the Crown hotel from his home and store. In 1913 the hotel and land was sold to Francis James Thomson Hepburn who built the present day two story hotel next door. The property of over 61 acres was purchased by Thomas Joseph Delaney and his wife Teresa Josephine (nee Cruice) in 1921. The property was sub-divided and the Delaneys kept ownership of two acres including the hotel. The hotel was sold to Castlemaine in 1936 and then sold to the Henzell family in the 1990's.

Heading back down William Street on the other side of the road we pass a few more cafes and come to the Uniting Church, built in 1901.

... and the old post office.

The old Pine Rivers Shire Council building was built about 1900 by Wilhelm and Christoph Riek and the building was known as Riek Bros. Store. They operated with their sister Annie until they sold the store to Silverwood Dairy Factory in 1907. The building was extended when a branch the English, Scottish & Australian Bank Limited was opened in 1912. It was further extended to the footpath in 1936. The building was taken over by the council in 1998.

We were then at our lunch venue, The Old Storehouse.

We had a lovely lunch with friends. 

The menu was limited but reasonably priced and the food we had was so yummy. 

We will definitely be back - after we try some of the other cafes in the street.

The streets and roads are named in honor of the early settlers. That's a story for another time. Maybe we will discover more.