Allora 60 Years Ago. Written in the "Warwick Daily News" November 13th. 1965. (Oliver Neale). A WALK DOWN HERBERT STREET. By "Oliver Twist". On a bright summer morning in 1905. But before we start, I will ask you to remember that the writer has not seen the town for many years and therefore say just what stands at any point today. He can only relate what he saw in the early years of this century. So we start at 40 Herbert Street, the Railway Hotel, built in 1902 by William Leggatt on behalf of William Lambley for £1,125, and has seen many licencees since. Next we have Mrs. Joyce, a dressmaker. This lady had previously been a Mrs. Hardwick, wife of a highly respected citizen who came to a tragic end by accident. Her second choice, a Mr. Joyce, faded from the local scene and the good lady bravely battled on. Her daughter, Gladys Hardwick, became a brilliant pianist and later took up residence in Brisbane where she conducted a school of music for quite a long period, she was quite recently happily married and visited Allora to renew old friendships. She and the Hardwick family are well remembered in the town and district. Next we come to the Allora Bakery, and who is that standing at the door but cheery George Tickle- a chubby, round faced character who radiated good humour at all times. The Tickles were many in number in those days and we will doubtless meet more of the family later. Passing on we come to George Birkett's Shoe Store, a bleak type of place as I recall it, handling mostly hard-wearing footwear of the times. Sent there once to secure a pair of boy's school boots, I recall telling my mother that they cost 7/6, to which she replied "They're nearly as expensive as your father's boots." There were bargains in boots in those days! Next along the street was the home of the police magistrate, Mr. Ludgate, with daughter Laura, and, alongside, his lucerne patch complete with cow- all right opposite the old State School. This brings us to the Post Office, with Mr. Jefferies in control and in residence. My father used to supply his firewood in dray-load lots of logs gathered from the farm and carted over three miles to town, and sold at 8/- per load delivered, often to be greeted with complaints as to it's burning qualities! After the Post Office stood Holmes Bros. butcher shop, which possibly was quite up to the standard of the time, but which I recall as a gloomy and gory place with carcases hanging in unholy array. But everyone was quite satisfied with the service and the whole district dealt with Holmes Bros. butchery. Next door dwelt Willie Neale (who married Cissie Holmes). He was member of a large clan of Neales at that time of whom we may meet a few later. In later years, Willie Neale became one of the district's best known citizens as local representative of the Wheat Board. A position that he held for many years. Passing along the street and keeping a sharp eye out for puddles and waterholes on the footpath, we walk by the long weatherboard bulk store of Barnes & Co. and soon come to the great store itself, which stood at the corner of Herbert and Drayton Streets.  The store of Barnes & Co-a branch of the well known emporium in Warwick- was in those days the hub of the town and it's influence and activities invaded every home in the district. For Barnes & Co. were the "universal providers" of the day. They sold everything from pins and needles, boots and shoes, groceries and hardware, to ploughs and harrows. But even more important was the fact that Barnes & Co. were the buyers of the produce of the local farms. They bought wheat and corn, barley and oats, potatoes and pumpkins, from all who grew them and in this way were a power in the land indeed. In charge of this store on this morning in 1905 we find Mr. Dean and his son Willie Dean--both pillars of the Methodist Church and men of weight and substance, as befitted the destinies that they controlled. How well I recall that as a wee small schoolboy, it was one of my duties to call on Mr. Dean every day in the wheat season and ask what he was offering for wheat that day. I remember too, his replica- they varied from 2/- to 2/6 per bushel, and my dad was pleased to accept his offers. The office of Barnes & Co. was a sacred though gloomy corner with barred windows to the street, but a place which housed the financial secrets of most homes in the district. It was ruled over by Miss May O'Connor, daughter of the owner of the "Allora Guardian", our local paper. The Dean family-there were two daughters, Alice and Mabel- lived just around the corner in Drayton Street, in a house that in those days was considered one of the grandest in the town. I wonder does it still stand and if so, do the ghosts of the Deans walk it's floors! And so in our walk and talk, we've reached only as far as Barnes' Corner and we still have to cross Drayton Street and continue along toward the Club Hotel. But that will have to wait until I partake of a cup of tea. Don't go away. Now we will cross Drayton Street and carry on down the next block. And right on the corner, in this year 1905, we run into the store of Holmes Bros. (There were lots of Holmes family about the place in those days, all related, all worthy folk, several with good old Biblical names--Isaac, Jacob, etc, and were engaged in all sorts of activities.) The Holmes Bros. store of the day was the typical 'universal provider' and was in every way a thriving concern. In it's office another of the Neale family crops up-Ethel Neale, daughter of the old Tom Neale, out Table-Top way- and a very ladylike girl as I recall her. But the old Holmes Bros. store later ended in tragedy. It went up in flames and the corner block lay vacant for a very long time, while the business transferred to Warwick Street, where it still flourishes today.On the old site, the modern shire offices rise today and one would concede that they are a distinct improvement. But to continue down the street in 1905, we pass a fruit shop-another Holmes family venture, with at the time, Girly Holmes in charge. I recall it was in this shop that I first saw and marvelled at a mango-a strange fruit on the Downs at the time. Then on to Provan's stationary shop. This I recall was the Mecca of all school children, in search of pens and pencils, readers and exercise books, and of course slates and slate pencils and sponges, for it was with these old time articles that the students of 1905 did their daily duties, poor and unhygienic as they were. The strange pungent aroma of stationary that pervaded that shop still haunts me to this day, for it still fills the air in modern bookshops and brings back memories of Provan's of 60 years ago. And what speckless and spotless schoolbooks were carried out of that old shop, and what sad and sorry efforts were inflicted on their virgin pages. The shop later closed it's doors, but it's memories remain evergreen. Provan's later carried on in Clifton. Further on we come to another grocery establishment, owned by Mr. Scott, a tall solemn son of Caledonia, with his two fair daughters-Bella and another. They, too, were Methodists, a faith that appears to have been strong in the land in those days. And then on to Wightman's Store, still another 'universal provider,' which leads one to believe that the people of Allora were well and truly 'provided for' for their worldly needs early in this century, with a 'provider' at every dozen yards or so. But Wightman's was somewhat different. It was conducted by a rakish type of a fellow who for some reason was locally known as "Bluestone Billy," a title bestowed upon him by his mates of earlier days, but for what reason I know not. This business waxed and waned for a time and eventually folded up. Next we come to the office of the local newspaper, 'The Allora Guardian," a weekly issue published by a Mr. O'Conner, a very worthy and serious citizen, father of two children, Michael and May. Now the 'Allora Guardian' was quite a paper in 1905 and thereabouts. Colloquially known, of course, as 'The Allora Rag." It circulated widely throughout the district and for many years faithfully recorded the births and the deaths, the christenings and the marriages, the comings and the goings, the doings and the undoings of all and sundry in the locality. How well I recall it's Boer War headings in large type--the Relief of Ladysmith, Roork's Drift, Mafeking, the doings of Lord Kitchener, Lord Roberts and Sir Redvers Buller, the heroes of the Boer War of 1900---it was all in the "Allora Rag." Published each Friday, it was woe indeed for any schoolchild who arrived home that night without the family weekend reading in the "Rag." What mattered if it was poorly printed, heavily over-inked in places, weak of type and shaky in ruling---it was the organ that bound the people of the district together, where one learned of the doings of the Smith's, of the Holmes, of the Kerrs and the Allens, and of all others that one knew. It was the "little world" of Allora. And next and last on this side of Herbert Street, we land of course on the steps of the 'Club Hotel' that stands facing the bend in Dalrymple Creek. Even in those early days the Club Hotel seemed to have a new proprietor every few months, and many a man has stood behind it's well worn bar. I recall the Gorry family, but even long before them, Tom Collins (I think it was Tom) stays uppermost in my mind. Tom was one of the 'Table-Top' Collins, a son of old Tom, if I remember correctly. And with the saleyards right in the hotel backyard, there were roaring days in the old Club Hotel when Tom Collins was behind the beer pumps. But gone is this son of Old Ireland, and gone are the days when he reigned as mine host at the Club. And by what I am told, gone too indeed is the old Club Hotel itself, to make way for the saleyards that now fill the old corner near the creek. And so we come to the end of Herbert Street in 1905. Please continue on the next page.