Welcome to Warra, Queensland

Originally known as Warra Warra, named after the Warra Warra pastoral run, Warra is about 260km from Brisbane, and about 50km from Dalby along the Warrego Highway. We stopped here at the donation camp - The Richard Best Memorial Park - for lunch on our way to Wandoan. 

The area, Barunggam lands, is the traditional land of the Cobble Cobble people.

On 4th October, 1844 Ludwig Leichhardt and his party set up camp by the Cooranga Creek, near where the school is now located. There is a memorial plaque on the site with details of the camp.  

The pastoral run of Warra Warra was established in the 1840's by Henry Dennis and from 1848 was operated by Colin McKenzie. About 1864 it was operated by a Mr Thorne.

European settlers came in the 1870's, with a promise of the western railway line extension from Dalby. With the establishment of Jimbour Homestead and property, farming was promoted in the area in early 1900's. The station was relocated from the other side of the Warra Hotel to the Richard Best Memorial Park, where many of the old town buildings have been relocated.

The announcement of the railway line extension prompted Richard Best to move to Warra in 1875 and he later opened the first hotel, post office and store. The first school was opened in 1881 to cater for the farm children and the railway workers children. The post office was located across the road from the park where the hall is now located. All that is left is this horse hitching rail.

 

Just west of Warra a coal mine was opened in 1914 and supplied coal to run the trains. By 1914 the town had two hotels, three butchers, three stores, a church, a school, and a sawmill. The school buildings at the park have been relocated from Haystack, a nearby town.

The mine was worked until 1919 and closed due to continual water seepage in the mine, and the miners strike. 

Shortly after the mine closure, the area was infested with prickly pear and the population almost halved. The story of the prickly pear eradication is an interesting one and information can be found in Chinchilla. Following years saw WWII soldiers settled in the area and another population increase. However, in the 1960's as Dalby grew in size, towns around, including Warra were again in decline.

The Richard Best Memorial Park is on the highway/main street of town, opposite the memorial hall and next to the Warra Hotel. We stopped for lunch and had a walk around. There are picnic tables and bbq's, toilets, and historic buildings. It is also a donation overnight camp.

The old lockup, built in 1904.

 

All the buildings have been relocated to this park.

This map is the town in 1900. Thorn Street is the main street now, and the historic park is on the corner of Robinson and Thorn streets.

The pub is still in the same location where it was built. Originally known as the Sun Hotel, it was established in 1876 by Richard Best as a meeting / drinking place for the workers on the railway. Best also established the post office and general store about the same time. The hotel was renovated in 1901 by Theo and Eliza Burghardt to the two story building one sees today. Shortly after it was renamed Rising Sun Hotel the new symbol worn by the Australian Imperial Forces introduced in 1902. Today it is known as the Warra Hotel and is still an operating hotel, but with limited hours of operation.

Today Warra has a school, a hotel, a hall, and a petrol station. Well worth a visit.

Port Chalmers - Cruise Destination Port for Dunedin

Port Chalmers is located on the northern side of Otago Harbour, and is the cruise port destination for Dunedin, 14 km south-west of Port Chalmers. 

This is the last stop before sailing through the Sounds.

The Cruise ships dock at a working port.

Passengers and crew can exit via a walkway to a large 'welcome' building.

This is where one can walk directly into town, or catch excursion or public transport to Dunedin. 

Port Chalmers is a mix of historic buildings, cafes, arts and craft markets and shops as well as interesting galleries and shops.

In July 1844 the area, originally known as Potakere - meaning hills, and later Koputai, was sold by the Maori people to the Otago Association New Zealand Company. The Otago deed was signed by 25 Maori chiefs. Captain Wing of the ship Deborah, and Frederick Tuckett were the first to  select land in order to establish a Scottish settlement. By December 1844 other, mostly Scottish settlers, came and settled there. The town was surveyed in 1846 by Charles Kettle and a town board was set up. 

By April 1848 many ships were arriving with settlers, and the first church service took place. 

Port Chalmers is named after one of the founders and the leader of the Free Church of Scotland, Thomas Chalmers who died in 1847.

By the mid 1870's many shipping companies were using the port, and the dredging the entrance to the harbour made the port a deep water port, to rival the port of Lyttelton. Port Chalmers and Dunedin were first connected by road (1860's) and then rail (1873).

One famous visitor to Port Chalmers was Mary Mackillop, Australia's first Saint - Saint Mary of the Cross. Mary and 3 sisters of St Joseph arrived on 15th January 1898, and lived in Port Chalmers for several months establishing a school and convent in 1898. A portrait "St Mary Mackillop at Port Chalmers" by Margaret-Ann Howard, is on display at St Mary Star of the Sea church, 34 Magnetic Street, Port Chalmers. The wooden frame is believed to have come from the rented house where Mary and the 3 sisters of St Joseph lived in 1898.

What to See and Do in Port Chalmers:

There are buses that will take you into Dunedin for a price and there are many tours one can do from Dunedin. If, like us, you have been to Dunedin many times it is lovely to walk around Port Chalmers. This was our third time to Port Chalmers, and we still have more to see there.

Port Chalmers Maritime Museum

Located to the right as one leaves the port building, the Maritime Museum is housed in the old Post Office that was opened in 1877 and is a heritage listed building. Built on a beach where the first immigrant settlers landed in 1840's. We were fortunate to visit the museum before the new renovations, and I think it had more character then. The new extension, although lovely, doesn't have the same sense of history, but more a display area. Extended to the side with a large glass wall displaying memorabilia, and extended up with a view over the port. The entrance is now via the glass building and not the old post office entry. Entry is by donation.

Iona Church

Located part way up Mount Street, Iona church in some form has been on this site since 1852. It is the most beautiful church with rabbit warren type maze of rooms and a large pipe organ that we were lucky enough to hear one trip. The church is only open a few hours when cruise ships come in. 

The first building was of wooden construction with a square tower that seated 150 people. The foundation stone for the second building was laid in 1871, and designed to seat 300 people. By 1875 a gallery was added to accommodate more people.

By 1882 a larger building was needed. The foundation stone for the present building was laid 23 November 1882, and the church was opened a year later to seat over 600 people.

It is a beautiful Gothic building made with local stone. A second building, known as Johnson Hall was added, and then a third building to connect to it  

The 165ft spire was fitted with a clock in 1885.

The first pipe organ was installed in 1907 and moved in 1930 to Sawyers Bay church. The next pipe organ was installed about 1928. A beautiful church one should visit if it is open.

Port Chalmers Old Cemetery 

3 Church Street. Worth a visit if you are into cemeteries. It is only a short walk up some steps from Iona Church, and full of history.

Flagstaff Lookout

If you like walking, walk down Grey Street and left into Scotia Street, and left again into Constitution Street up the hill to Flagstaff Lookout. A great view of the port and the ship from the top. It's only 650-700m, but it is mostly up hill. 

Arts and Craft Markets

The markets are usually open on cruise days.

Last cruise they were conveniently located across the road for from the port in the library building - there is also free wifi in the building.

So many other interesting things to see in Port Chalmers.

Don't forget to watch the wonderful passing scenery while sailing out of Otago Harbour - you may see sea-lions.  

Brisbane City Town Hall, Queensland.

Built in the 1920-30's, Brisbane Town Hall in King George Square was not the first town hall in Brisbane. The first Brisbane Town Hall was built in Queen St in 1864, and less than 20 years later was deemed inadequate. The foundation stone for the new town hall was laid in 1917 by Governor Gould in swampland, and a call for designs was submitted. The decision to build the Town Hall on swamp land in the 1920's may not have been a good idea. During construction of the building the site was flooded with wet weather and a workman drowned.

A second foundation stone was laid by the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) in 1920, along with a time capsule, By 1927 the council had moved in, despite the building not being finished. The town hall was finally completed in 1930, and another foundation stone was laid by the then Governor of Queensland Sir John Goodwin to officially open the building. When it opened it was the tallest building in Brisbane.

The town hall is built on over 2 acres and is considered the largest town hall in Australia. There are many things to see in the Town Hall. It is open 7 days a week and has two cafes. I suggest you book the Shingle Inn if that is the cafe you want. You can pick up a free visitor guide at the front desk or in the Mayors office.

1. There are daily free guided tours of the town hall. We have never been able to book one on the day we decide to go. I suggest you book one on the Brisbane Town Hall website if you know in advance.

2. The Museum of Brisbane (MoB) is a free museum on the 3rd floor of the town hall. It has a changing display of history and culture. We love visiting there and have seen many different displays over the years. When we visited the display was about the history of habitation in the Brisbane area, and included art work of the development. 

We were pleasantly surprised with the addition of a QR code with a signing video to explain the display.

3. The 92m Clock Tower was the tallest structure in the city until 1973. You can book a free tour to the clock tower from the Brisbane City webpage. It is free and books out quickly. Sometimes if you are in the MOB - Museum of Brisbane - you may be able to take a 'no show' place. The accent up to the top is in an original 1930's cage lift. Be aware that the clock chimes every fifteen minutes and it is very loud.

4. The auditorium is a lovely art deco designed area with a huge Father Henry Willis Organ, built in 1891 and relocated to Brisbane City Hall.

The organ has 4300 pipes.

5. We were told by a member of the Town Hall staff about the Gold Mirror Room. We looked up the guide and found it near the Lord Mayors office. This room is used for press conferences and as a waiting room for visitors to the Lord Mayor.

Just outside the mirror room is a hallway with plaques from many different councils around the world, and all the past lord mayors.

The foyer off King George Square had a historic display of the building of the town hall, which I  don't remember being there last year when we visited.

We came across this door, although I don't remember which floor it is on. 

It comes from Brisbane House in Largs Scotland, the home of Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, whom Brisbane is named after. 

The Ann Street foyer had another display of history and art work.

 

 

So much to see at Brisbane Town Hall, and the best thing is that each time you visit it is different.