John Joseph Carew (1916 - 2003)

Born 14 Feb 1916 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Moloney) Carew — married 6 Feb 1940 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 4 May 2003 at age 87 in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia

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THE CAREW STORY BY JACK CAREW

William, Michael, and Thomas Carew were the second, third and fourth sons of Michael and Bridget Carew who migrated from County Tipperary, Ireland on the sailing ship “Star Queen” in 1871. William or Bill as he was mostly called was born at Greenfield, Cappawhite in 1870.

Michael and twins Patrick and Thomas were born at Pine Mountain, near Ipswich in 1872 and 1874 respectively.

This is where the family first settled but moved to Grandchester and then finally Sandy creek, Blenheim, Laidley in the Lockyer district of Queensland.

Tom worked about the district and went out to work on the telegraph line about Wyandra in South West Queensland. Mick managed a creamery and later was licensee of the hotel at Coominya. When Gatton’s Agricultural College was being founded Bill was employed as a ploughman and taught many of the students to plough with the old Yankee or hand plough.

In 1898 he met a man named Peter Larsen who had just come down from Nanango district where he and his brothers had taken up land. Mr Larsen told him of a beautiful stretch of scrubland which extended from Coolabunia to Wooroolin in the Nanango Shire. Bill decided to take a ride up to Nanango in June 1898 when they set out camping at the stone house near Moore en route.

They eventually reached Nanango and stayed the night with Michael (Micky) Collins who ran the Hotel in the town which is one of the four oldest towns in Queensland.

Mr Collins was a well-known identity of the South East Queensland and also ran a mail run and passenger coach. He was well known for his wit. On one occasion whilst driving the coach down a steep incline with many wash outs a nervous lady passenger called out to him “I’ll give you five shillings to let me off Mr Collins” to which Micky replied “Hang on a bit lady and you’ll probably get off for nothing”. Mr Collins told them of the beautiful red soil scrub country to the North West and told them to keep a look out for the Irishman named Dan Carroll who had taken up a block with a scrub crowned hill about 15 miles from Nanango on part of Taabinga Station.

Arriving at the spot where the Electricity Regional Board now stands they saw a horse yard. Following a pad from the horse yard for a short distance through the bush they came to a slab hut, the home of Mr Dan Carroll and the only building on the present site of Kingaroy.

Dan gave them shelter for the night and told them of a scrub selection of 640 acres which lay about 2 miles from the hut. He escorted them to the selection the following day, it lay opposite to where Swickers Meat Works now stands and ran back onto Mount Jones.

Bill decide to leave Tom with Dan Carroll to put in for the property which was coming up for ballot a week or two later, returning to his job at Gatton College himself. He wanted to earn as much money as he could. They were successful in the ballot and drew the land on the 8th July 1898. The brothers gathered their goods and chattels and set out for their selection in two days.

On the way up Tom had a fall from a horse and broke his shoulder, so Bill had him return to Ipswich Hospital and again set out with the two drays on his own.

Arriving at wallaby Creek at the foot of the Blackbutt Range he was boiling his billy and wondering how he was going to cross the range with the two drays. He looked back along the road and saw in the distance a swagman coming. When the swagman arrived at his campfire he gave him a mug of tea and a bite to eat and asked him if he would like a lift. The swagman said he would as he was going to Nanango. Bill then asked him if he could drive a horse and the man said he would give it a go. Bill put the swagman up in the second dray and they got over the range. Bill said afterwards that God had sent the swagman to help him.

Arriving at Dan Carroll’s hut Bill camped for the night and the following morning set out for their selection.

The Booie Road had been surveyed but there was no track except a faint bridle path. Taking his axe from the dray he led the horse and cut his track as he went. This area is now known as Haly Street East.

The brothers built a hut on their selection and began fencing the property boundary.

Bill took a job with the survey gang which was surveying the proposed railway line from Kilkivan to Kingaroy. Tom went on felling the scrub.

Later they employed Kanaka labour to assist with the scrub felling. Carew Brothers planted their first maize crop in the ashes of the burnt scrub and when the crop was harvested it had to be taken by bullock wagon to the railhead at Kilkivan 56 miles away.

Two dams and a well 140 feet deep were sunk to provide water for the stock.

In 1902 drought Bill Carew and his neighbour Dan Carroll had to drive their stock to water at Logboy waterhole on the Stuart River, 5 miles away.

Rations had to be got by riding to James Lyon’s store at Taabinga Village or by horse and dray from Nanango.

About this time there was an outcry for water for the Booie Road settlers as well as the town people.

Taking a green fork stick Tom Carew divined an underground stream in the middle of the Booie Road about a mile from the present township.

A deputation consisting of D Carroll and T Carew was sent to Nanango Shire Council with a request for a water supply. The well was sunk with the bar and shovel by Tom Carew and Hugh Bowman to a depth of 140 feet when a good supply of water was struck on the 8th November 1902. It is interesting to note that the 1902 drought broke that evening with a fall of 2 inches. This well, known as the Booie Road well, is still in use and goes down in history as Kingaroy’s first water supply.

About this time a movement began to get a school – The Education department gave its consent and the school was built on Mount Jones above the present township. The First Committee consisted of Tom Carew, Dan Carroll, Jas Ferguson, Albert Jones and Joe Herrod.

Some of the nearby neighbours at that time (1902) were Jas Ferguson, P Hansen, N Jensen, J Cross, F Armstrong, High Bowman, O ‘Neill Brothers and the Jones after whom Mount Jones was named.

In 1904 the railway line reached Kingaroy which was then known as “the 56 Mile Peg” being 56 miles from Kilkivan.

Bill and Tom divided their 640 acre selection into two 320 acre blocks. Bill’s was named “Greenfield” and Tom‘s was “Bellevue”.

In 1906 the Union Bank opened its door and Bill Carew was the first customer, beating Dan Carroll by one day.

With the coming of the railway the timber industry began. A saw mill was built near the Booie Road well and Bill and Tom began felling and hauling the huge pine logs from the virgin scrub.

In 1907 the Butter Factory was built (Tom Carew taking part in its building) dairying was commenced on many properties.

Maize growing was also carried on. About this time (1907) their brother Mick and his family arrived from Coominya. Mick lived in Bill’s barn for 7 years carrying on dam sinking - his daughter Nellie milked a small herd of cows on Greenfield.

Grandfather Carew (Michael) died in 1908 and Bill brought his mother to live with him, building a small cottage for her, known as “Grandmother’s Cottage”

In 1908 Tom married Catherine Pedrazzini of Rosewood and raised a family of five at “Bellevue” - Dominic, Michael, Kevin, Winnie and Yvonne.

Tom was noted for the splendid team of draught horses with which he worked the property—Jack, Farer, Dick, Nugget, Flower, Madam and Snip.

In 1909 Bill married Ellen O’Keeffe of Laidley whose father was MLA for Lockyer about that time. They also raised a family of five, three girls and two boys, including Father Michael James Carew. May married Les McCormack and raised a family of five sons and five daughters. Betty trained as a nurse at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane and married Claven Fenton and had three daughters. Kath married Jim Burns and their family comprised of six sons and one daughter.

Bill died on 27th September 1951 and Ellen died 14th February 1960 - Both were 81 year old at time of death.

Jim ploughed on the property from 1924 to 1933 when he went to College. Jack then ploughed for some years, and did the droving of the cattle from 1930 to 1939 to and from two properties which Bill took up at Burrandowan in 1910 and Gordonbrook later.

Jack married Mary Moloney 3/2/1940. Jack and Mary resided on the property at Gordonbrook. The following year in 1941 Jack purchased the adjoining property. Jack and Mary pioneered the property and Jack was well known for his Hereford herd which he founded in 1937 after leaving “Greenfield”. His son Dan purchased another adjoining property to Jack’s in 1983. Jack and Mary called their property “Reedybank’. This property is still in the Carew family today. Jack’s son Dan is also well known for his Hereford herd. For some time Dan owned a property at Memerambi growing crops. In 2010 Dan sold his Memerambi property and purchased another grazing block adjacent to Jack and Mary’s “Reedybank”.

At “Reedybank”, Jack and Mary’s family comprised of three sons and four girls. Jack’s son Dan and his son John Daniel are the only descendants of William and Ellen Carew to carry on the name. The road leading to “Reedybank” has been named by the Kingaroy Shire Council as Carews Road.

In 1913 Mick left “Greenfield” and took up a selection at Wattle Grove – he called the property “Klondyke” and is credited with having named the district Wattle Grove.

Whilst in town one day Mr JB Edwards MLA said to Mick “Hows things going out on the selection Mick?” To which Mick replied “Well there’s two things doing well, the undergrowth and the over draft.”

In World War 1 Mick’s oldest son Bob saw active service in France and England attaining the rank of lieutenant was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

In 1919 a large portion of Burrandowan Station was thrown open for settlement. Mick took up 5,000 acres in conjunction with his four sons, Bob, Jack, Mick jnr, and Billy. Tragedy struck soon afterwards when the boys were out fencing the selection. Jack and Mick Jnr Were poisoned by a contaminated meat pie as were two other men who were working with them. Jack and one of the men died as a result. This was January 1920.

Mick Snr became well known for his hospitality to neighbours and others passing by who were held up by flooded creeks etc. Mick was elected as Member of the Kingaroy Shire Council in the 1920’s and also served as a Member of the Butter board. Michael Carew Jnr or young Mick as he was called was noted for the good Hereford cattle which he bred - he eventually took over the whole of the Burrandowan property.

In 1927 tragedy struck again. Tom’s wife died under tragic circumstances on December 4th 1927. Tom appeared to lose heart after this and sold his property in 1929 (“Bellevue”). Bill sold his block also in 1943 (“Greenfield”) and retired to Kingaroy. Mick Jnr sold (“Klondyke”) and later the Burrandowan property was also sold and he retired to Scarness.

The only property still held by the Kingaroy Carews is Jack and Mary’s “Reedybank”. Their son Dan now owns this property.

BOOIE ROAD BY JACK CAREW BORN 1916

They passed along the Booie Road,

A dray track through the fern,

Which was blazed by pioneer Bill Carew,

Before the Centuries turn.

I see their huts throughout the scrub,

And hear their axes too,

No civic welcome met the men,

Who came with Bill Carew.

A sad farewell to Bill and Tom,

And all that little band,

Who faced the scrub on Booie Road,

And pioneered a district grand.

POSTSCRIPT

On 11/10/2014 a park was named after the three pioneers who contributed to the development of the district through farming, community involvement (first school, hospital, butter factory, show, sporting, bush nursing) and building infrastructure (dams, railway line, first water supply) Unfortunately Jack Carew did not see this eventuate. Over the years numerous Carew descendants including Jack and his grandchildren have written to the Local Shire Council in vain to have a place named after their pioneers. The event on 11/10/2014 was a memorable day for all the descendants of William, Thomas and Michael Carew remembering their ancestors who were pioneers of the area and contributed to the development of the township.

Sources

• Queensland Birth reg. 1916/C/2714;
• Queensland Marriage reg. 1940/C/2510;
• Family knowledge;
• Photo collections from various family members.