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By Fitzroy
It is not usual for a newly-foundered township to be formed to into municipalities
for a few years after they have assumed the appearance of permanence, but
Rockhampton advanced so rapidly, and its position as an important town seemed
so assured, that the State of Queensland had only been formed a a few months,
when the residents of the Fitzroy River began to recognise that the sooner
Rockhampton was in the hands of a municipal council the more rapid would be
its advance on safe lines.
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Rockhamptons new Council Buildings 1950's |
Accordingly all preliminary so having been carried out a municipality was
proclaimed on December 13th, 1860, within 12 months of the proclamation of
the state of Queensland. The election of aldermen followed in due course,
on 26th February, 1861. The number of aldermen was restricted to six, and
the following were return:- John Palmer, Richard McHelhgett, John Ward, John
Stevens, P D Mansfield, and Alexander Grants. We choice of Mayor fell on John
Palmer, who in 1858 had followed his brother Richard in the proprietorship
of the first store, opposite the Criterion Hotel. John A. Lanach and William
Ross were elected auditors, and F K Milne, town clerk.
The council having been duly sworn in, the next business was to raise money
for current expenses. The Union Bank, Brisbane, was accommodating enough to
discount a bill for £500, which was andorsed by all the aldermen, and
so the Rockhampton Council started with the smallest indebtednes it has ever
being burdened with.
No one was worrying particularly about the overdraft, for it was absolutely
necessary that attention should be promptly given to the formation of streets
and other things, and rates would soon be coming in.
It is not the writer's intention to deal at any lenght with municipal affairs
during the decade since the municipality came into existence, or even in very
early times. Every person recognises the difficulties and responsibility and
that citizens at first undertook gratuitously when they became aldermen and
as few of them had any practical intimate knowledge of what had to be done,
it is not surprising that mistakes were made, useless expanditures occasionally
include, and that the ratepayers in consequence have to pay heavily for the
improvements and convenience that they enjoy.
The position now is that Rockhampton in some respects is almost a model city
with its broad, straight, spacious streets and parks, and with convenient
lanes that take of so much unsightly traffic. Maintenance of broad streets,
means extra cost, but those broad thoroghfares prevent the traffic congestion
and so noticeable in cities with narrow crooked streets, and also on a hot
days meant, leaving a breathing space so difficult from towns less artistically
laid out.
The andless schemes and controversies for an adequate supply of pure water
have at length anded in an ample supply from the river at Yaamba, which naturally
was the sorce from which most people at the very outset proposed it should
be obtained. Had their scheme been carried to fruition a score of years ago,
an enormous sum of money would have been saved, but certainly some of the
schemes tested and cast aside would ultimately have found advocates, which
is not likely to happen now.
Rockhampton lends itself to tram services, which will increase as population
spreads more to the environs of the city. The first seven miles of tram were
opened in 1909 by the late Hon. W. Kiddston, during the mayoralty of John
Edgar.
During the sixty-five years of its existence the Rockhampton municipality
has had only four Town Clerks, which in ordinary circumstances is a very fortunate
thing as that important official gets so closely identified with the intricate
work of the office that new men are placed at a disadvantage. F. K. Milne,
the first to fill the position, only lasted a year or two, for William Davis,
was appointed to the position near the and of 1863, and he was a annually
reappointed until 1901, when he retired and Thomas Valentine Nobbs was appointed
to the position. In 1910, William T Dean, who is a native of Rockhampton,
was appointed, and during the fifteen years he has held the position has given
satisfaction alike to the council an ratepayers generally.
Other important officials early in the employ of the municipal council were
the Town Surveyors, of whom there have been a fair number. The first gentleman
to occupy the position was Thomas Burstall, but to those following did not
fill the position until after a lapse of time, their services being apparently
dispersed with, chiefly on the grounds of economy. A. C. Campbell appears
to have followed Burstill, and then came F. J. Byerley, W. C. Clemnts, J.
W. James, Thomas Parker, H. E. Bellamy, and W. H. Parkinson. Among the early
rate collectors were H. Burechell, P Payne, B Clark, J Foran. Of all the accountants
no one has held the position longer than the gentlemen who now fills the post-J
A Thompson.
In early times there was occasionally very warm contests for seats at the
municipal table, but only on rare occasions was there a hot contest for the
position of Mayor, and once a desirable man filled the position he generally
retired because the duties and absorbedd to him much of his time. John Palmer,
who headed the list as the first Mayor,, was always held in esteem as a business
men and the one whose whole heart was in the progress all the town of which
he had virtually been the founder from a business point of view. He died of
fever in the late Sixties.
P D Mansfield, the second Mayor, was also a general merchant, and was elected
Mayor in 1862. He also was the first Postmaster, holding the position in connection
with his business. Mansfield was again chosen Mayor the following year, but,
if no mistake is made, he died, and Richard McKelligatt, another merchant,
whose business premises was at the corner of Quay and Derby Streets, took
the position for the balance of the year. The next year (1864) McKelligatt
was elected Mayor, and either died or left the district, the writer is not
sure which. Edward Pike Livermore secured the honourable position in the 1865,
but during the four successive years Robert Milne was the City's chief magistrate.
In 1870 the Mayor's chair year was held by Thomas Macdonald Paterson and Charles
Scardon, followed by a E. P. Livermore for for three years in succession.
This placed Captain Hunter and E. P. Livermore on an equality with four years
each, and though there have been several gentlemen who occupied the chair
on three occasions, no one has yet been able to beat the veterans of early
times -R M Hunter and E P Livermore.
Appended is a list of all the gentleman who have been the Mayors of Rockhampton from the time the municipality was formed to the present:-
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1897 W. Wilson Littler. 1926. T. W. Kingel |
TOWN CLERKS
1861-62 F. K. Milne
1863-1901 William Davis
A. H. Campbell T. W. Nobbs
1910-32 W. T. Dean
1932-42 J. A. Thompson
1924-52 R. J. Ross
1952 G. A. Williams