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88 Herbert Street
The Allora Guardian Newspaper was first published in 1880 in the old Dalrymple Hotel building on the corner of Drayton and Raff Streets. The owners were two men called McNamara and Barnes who had apparently approached local business men to back the setting up of a newspaper in the town. The enterprise was short lived as were several other attempts to get a newspaper off the ground in the town in the 1880’s. In 1885 a man named Robert Burgess began publication of the “Guardian”. He was a man of extreme views and had numerous clashes with the local townsfolk. One of his favourite ploys was to write letters of a radical nature to himself as editor in the hope of eliciting some response. The “Guardian” again changed hands in January 1889 but it wasn’t until 21st June 1889 that some stability came to the newspaper. On that date local farmer Edward Harvey took over the business and the Allora Guardian was published weekly (and at one stage twice weekly) for the next forty-five years. At some early stage, the printing of the newspaper was moved to a building at what is now 88 Herbert Street. Edward Harvey died in 1900 and the production of the paper was taken over by his son, John. The business was leased to Mr. S. Summers in 1918 and sold to the Warwick Newspaper Co. in 1921. From that date the paper was printed in Warwick and the Allora editor was Spencer Briggs followed by Bert Sims. The Allora Guardian moved premises March 11, 1933 to "The Central Hall Buildings-opposite the Post Office" then ceased production at the end of 1934.
1933 saw the start of a succession of cordial manufacturers occupying the building for the next twenty-five years. The first of these was A. L. (Arthur) Ruhle who, when he sold out to L. K. & E. F. Jensen in August 1950, stated that he had been in business 16 ½ years. This would have been in February 1934. The date probably refers to the time when he took over Harmer’s Cordial Factory on the corner of Warwick and Raff Streets. I think that that building burned down, after which Arthur Ruhle moved to Herbert Street. L. K. & E. F. Jensen traded as Allora Aerated Waters and sold the business to M. J. (Mick) Larkin in November 1957. The business completed a perfect circle when A. L. Ruhle of Warwick Aerated Waters bought out Mick Larkin in February 1960. The soft drinks were then distributed from Warwick. In another twist to the story Allora couple, John and Lyn Wright, bought Warwick Aerated Waters in 1977.
The next run of businesses to occupy No. 88 were tyre services. Fitzgerald’s Tyre and Repair Service started there with Kev. Mason as manager in May 1962. Fitzgerald’s sold to Good Year Tyre Service in September 1965. The long time manager was Graham Masters who took over the business in April 1978. Graham and Shirley Masters traded as the Allora Tyre Service. They later bought the Clifton Tyre Service and traded as Allora-Clifton Tyre Service until they sold to Adam Bradshaw in March 1998. Adam and Renae Bradshaw traded as Bradshaw Tyres until they closed down about 2006. Barry and Ann Glass operated Allora and District Tyres from No. 88 for a short time until they moved the business to No. 47 Herbert Street. No. 88 is now vacant.
90 and 92 Herbert Street
The history of Nos. 90 and 92 is closely linked and their stories can be told together.
No. 90 was the site of a small general store owned in the 1870’s by Henry de Gorstledge. In the 1879 Allora Municipal Council rate book both No. 90 and 92 were owned by Thomas Kennedy and Eugene Gallagher and occupied by Patrick Cranitch. From about 1882 to 1890 the general store was owned by G. H. Morton and known as the Criterion Store for reasons that will be obvious from the next section. George Morton was the Town Clerk of the Allora Municipal Council for two years from 1884 to 1886. After selling his Allora store he moved to Clifton to open a store there. The Allora store was occupied by Bailey& Jones when they opened their drapery shop in Allora in 1905. A short time later they moved to a shop owned by Francis Kates in Drayton Street next door to the Commercial Hotel, before moving to No. 60 Herbert Street.
The allotment now occupied by Jubilee Gardens at No. 92 was the original site of the Crown Inn opened by John Holmes in 1867. The 1 acre allotment was originally owned by Francis Kates and he may well have provided the finance for the building of the hotel. The single story hotel faced Herbert Street and on the Jubb Street corner was an extensive set of yards which were used as a changing station for the horses of Cobb & Co. who operated the run from Drayton to Maryland (Stanthorpe) via Allora and Warwick up to the building of the railway in 1869. In the 1870’s and early 1880’s the hotel was leased by Patrick Cranitch and renamed the Criterion Hotel. Spencer Briggs writes that Mr. and Mrs. Cranitch were famous for their hospitality and many a dance took place in the hotel with the Cranitch’s providing the supper. Mr. and Mrs. Cranitch moved on to the Princess of Wales Hotel and for a short time in the 1880’s the licensee of the hotel was Mary Wallis and known as the Commercial Hotel. In 1890 James Henry Gwynne, grandfather of Harry and Les and great-grandfather of Ron, bought the hotel and it was renamed the Club Hotel. J. H. Gwynne added a two story section on the northern side and at the time it was advertised as the only two story building in Allora. The license was transferred to Martin Bonfield in 1894 and on to Robert Carr in 1897. After a short occupancy by John Pass, the license was transferred to Capt. Henri Mason in 1900. In 1903 Thomas Collins bought the hotel and the Collins family held the freehold until it was destroyed by fire on 18th April 1916. Thomas Collins had the farm at Table Top now owned by Fred McCann on what was known as Collins’ Hill. He was the great grandfather of the Cowley family of Talgai and Zeta Dwan from Allora News. Tom Collins junior was a handy middle weight boxer and, as stated in an earlier column, once took on Max Pardella, the Queensland middle weight champion. The license of the Club Hotel was held by James Coll from May 1909, N. Chandler 1911, Mary Davoran 1912 and J. C. Gory 1914. Mrs. E. E. Coughlin was the licensee when the hotel burned down in 1916.
Hubert and Charles Deacon trading as H. & C. Deacon began business as auctioneers and commission agents in May 1904. In July 1904 they had their first cattle sale in Collins’ Yards. By 1907 the firm was known as Deacon & Co. and held regular cattle sales there until 1975 when the yards closed after the building of the new municipal yards. After the burning down of the Club Hotel in 1916 the yards were extended and Deacon & Co. held regular sales in conjunction with Donovan & Son. After the demolition of the old general store, the yards were again extended on the southern side. In later years Deacon’s held monthly cattle sales and Donovan’s fortnightly sales.
With the closure of the yards in 1975, the Allora and District Co-operative Hospital Society bought the site, had it cleared, and had retirement units built. The name “Jubilee Gardens” was suggested by Mrs. Phyllis Gordon. The buildings were erected by local contractor Ray Barrett and opened for occupancy in 1977. In 1987 the land at No. 90 was purchased by the Hospital Society and, with finance supplied by R. S. L. War Veterans Homes, the Allora Sub-Branch of the R. & S. L. A. sponsored the building of one of the two units built on the site. This unit is currently occupied by Mr. George Withnall, a veteran of the Middle Eastern and Papua New Guinea campaigns.
94 Herbert Street
Apart from the Shepherd’s Crossing, the present day 94 Herbert Street would be Allora’s most historic site. The 1859 N. S. W. Surveyor General’s Department Map No. 6640 is marked “Remains of Jubb’s Inn”. While there is no other evidence of Jubb having an inn in Allora, he may well have dispensed the odd noggin or two from a hog’s head of rum stored in the back room. William Jubb was a blacksmith who set up shop on what was then part of Goomburra Station in the 1840’s. Spencer Briggs in his writings as “The Angel” in the Allora Guardian said that the real reason that Allora developed as a town was the fact that Jubb had become bogged in the black mud, had thrown his tools off the dray and set up shop. In 1846 Jubb twice applied to the Darling Downs Commissioner of Crown Lands, Christopher Rolleston, for a permit to build but this was apparently refused because Commissioner Rolleston did not have the authority to issue building permits for Crown land. The Rev. Benjamin Glennie records in his diary in 1848 that he conducted a church service in “Jubb’s of Goomburra”.
Neil Ross, a shepherd employed on Goomburra Station, and his family lived on the northern side of Dalrymple Creek on what is now the golf course. Although this was situated on the future Town Reserve it was not in the town proper. Jacob Bleaker lived in a shepherd’s hut near what is now the western end of Drayton Street. Jubb’s house probably was the first house built in the later central part of the town. It was certainly the first business. He was there at least fourteen years before the Dalrymple Hotel was built. In 1850 William Jubb set up in the “Woolpack Inn” near Cunningham’s Gap and his Allora’s house fell into ruins.
Harry Stay started up as an auctioneer and commission agent in May 1910. He had previously been a building contractor and had completed St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in 1906. In August 1913 H. W. Stay held his first horse sale in the new yards built on the old “Jubb’s Inn” site. Over 200 horses were sold on the day. H. W. Stay and later H. W. Stay & Sons when sons, Colin and Roy joined the firm, held monthly cattle sales in the yards until the new municipal yards were built in 1973. After operating for 64 years, Rodney Clunes and Deacon & Co. bought the firm from Roy Stay in April 1974. I remember Tom Duggan as auctioneer, and Roy Stay as bookkeeper in a little selling box in the south eastern corner of the covered selling ring. Len Hoey drafted the cattle into the ring from the western side. The selling ring still stands in Val Ireland’s yard but had been converted into a shed by Eric Ireland.
The Ireland’s built their new home there after the old yards were sold and demolished.
Thus ends Herbert Street from South to North at Dalrymple Creek. Please continue our Southern journey from 71 Herbert Street on "Herbert South". (Next page).
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