41 Herbert Street
The allotment on the north eastern corner of Herbert and Warwick Streets was first purchased in the 1860’s by William Naish who is remembered for finding the Talgai Skull in 1886.
Dr. Francis Pain came to Allora in 1887 from a coal mining town in the north of England and in 1899 moved into a house and surgery on this corner. Dr. Pain administered to the medical and dental needs of the people over a wide area from Glengallan to King’s Creek and Goomburra to Talgai. He was called out at any time of the day or night, in all kinds of weather, covering the district in a horse and uncovered sulky. He would have encountered every form of medical condition and emergency including the accidental death of one of his two sons. Ill health caused Dr. Pain’s retirement from Allora in 1920. He would have been sadly missed by the residents of Allora and district but sadly, people being people, spent the next couple of years in his Sydney home trying to recover money owed to him by his former patients in Allora.
Dr. Pain’s place in Allora was taken by Dr. Clinton Pelham Sapsford. Dr. Sapsford was a former medical superintendent of the Warwick Hospital. The Herbert and Warwick Street’s corner on which his house and surgery stood was for many years known as Sapsford’s Corner. Dr. Pain had also handed over the administration of Miegunyah Private Hospital at what is now No.33 Warwick Street to Dr. Sapsford. The people of Allora farewelled Dr. C. P. Sapsford in September 1950. Between them, Drs. Pain and Sapsford had served the people of Allora and District for 63 years. By this stage Miegunyah Hospital had closed and the Dalrymple Private Hospital had opened at No.86 Herbert Street. Dr. C. Pelham Sapsford was succeeded at his Allora surgery by one of his two doctor sons, Dr. Derek Sapsford, who ministered to the medical needs of the people of Allora and district until he left the town in October 1951.
Cresswell’s, the Warwick Ford dealers, bought the site and in October 1952 opened their Allora branch there. Dr. Sapsford’s house and surgery had been modified with the addition of workshops on the northern side of the house. Part of the old house and surgery remained and that not used as the showroom and office was converted into a flat.
Former employee, R. J. (Bob) Ball, took over the business from Cresswell’s in March 1966 and traded as Ball’s Garage until April 1974.
Peter Stewart moved his Allora Motors garage and Holden dealership from the Drayton Street corner to No.41 in July 1976. In February 1980 he took over the Warwick Ford dealership of Peter Gordon Ford and sold the Allora garage to Les and Shirley Gwynne, and Mal and Kay Graham, all former employees of Allora Motors. Mal and Kay bought out Les and Shirley’s share of the business in March 1983. Mal Graham had started his working life at Allora Motors as a 13 year old apprentice mechanic and was presented with an award for 55 years service to the R. A. C. Q. after his retirement in April 2000. Kay was also a long time employee of Allora Motors having worked there before her marriage. The new owners of Allora Motors were Norm and Jocelyn Dallison. In 2003 the name of the business was changed to Allora Automotive and Fuel Injection Service. In December 2005 it was sold to John McLean and Jane Hefferen who restored Dr. Sapsford’s old house and surgery. The garage closed in 2008 and the residence is currently rented out.

C. B. C. Bank Corner
Our arrival at the south eastern corner of Herbert and Warwick Streets ends our walk down Herbert Street. Although the former C. B. C. Bank is situated at No.37 Warwick Street, the former chemist that it replaced faced Herbert Street.
 In the 1860’s Samuel Gordon owned the 1 acre allotment on the corner. By 1879 the entire block bounded by Warwick, Herbert, Darling Streets and Gordon Lane was owned by members of the Rickert family and Rickert & Son’s saw mill was situated on the Warwick and Herbert Street’s corner.
George Chapman started a plumbing business in Allora in 1890. In July 1898 he called tenders for a new shop and dwelling on the Warwick Street corner. By June 1899 the house, shop and plumbing business of George Chapman, insolvent, was up for sale. In November 1899, F. W. Clarke, late dispenser at the Brisbane Hospital, opened business as a pharmaceutical chemist and dentist in the premises, late Geo. Chapman. Frank Clarke closed the chemist business and left Allora in August 1909.
The Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney, which started operations in Allora in 1906, must have bought the site. The former chemist’s shop was moved diagonally across Warwick Street to a site next door to the Railway Hotel where it was subsequently used as a butcher’s shop.
Tenders were called for the building of new premises for the C. B. C. Bank in Allora on the 17th November 1909. The architects were Marks & Son of Toowoomba. Allora builders Daniel Stoddart and William Leggatt were awarded the contract but had to relinquish it due to numerous other contracts. Toowoomba contractor, Mr. J. D. Droney, then took on the construction of the building for a completed cost of £1,800.
The foundation stone was laid on the 22nd February 1910 by the Allora manager of the C. B. C. Bank, Mr. Malcolm Corden, in the presence of the architect, the contractor, and the Mayor, Ald. Henry Ludgate. Except for Henry Reppel’s bake house, it was Allora’s first brick building. It was generally believed the brick buildings would not last in Allora’s black soil. The official opening of the new building took place on the 5th October 1910 followed by a luncheon at the Protestant Hall.
The C. B. C. Bank closed in 1981 following its amalgamation with the National Bank of Australasia to form what is now called the National Australia Bank.
Dental Surgeon, Alan Smith took over the dental surgery of Paul Mezger at No.74 Herbert Street in February 1985. In May 1985 he opened in the former C. B. C. Bank building and as the building enters its 100th year, Alan Smith is in his 25th year at No.37 Warwick Street.

Thus we come to the end of our journey along Herbert Street. I would like to congratulate Colin Newport for his diligent research into the history of each business. Colin, who is the President of our Historical Society and Chief Research Officer has surpassed by far, what started out as just the names of each business in the History of Herbert Street. I trust you enjoyed the journey as much as I did, and thank you again Colin.

Photographs used in "Herbert Street History" were supplied by our Hon. Secretary:  Carolyn Anderson. 

Ray Tippett (Webmaster).