Allora Historical Society Inc.

Name: Allora Historical Society Inc.
Address: 27 Drayton Street, Allora, QLD, AU
Telephone: +61408740622

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Allora Historical Society Inc.

The Allora Historical Society preserves local history, family histories, local research, memorabilia

16/05/2026

FOOTBALL
Allora Advertiser 75 years ago May 1951
(In September 1951 the Allora Football Club won the McGrath Shield as premiers of the Pittsworth & District Competition, going through the season undefeated.)

15/05/2026

ALLORA JUNIOR FARMERS
Warwick Daily News 75 years ago May 1951
At the annual meeting of the Allora Junior Farmers Club, members welcomed Mr Lilley, the assistant director of the Junior Farmers Organization.
The annual report was read by Noel Saal, club leader, who reviewed the progress of the club during the past year.
The following office bearers were elected: Club Leader, Graham Jensen; Deputy Leader, Geoff Stark; Secretary, Lenore Saal; Treasurer, Jim Whitton.
An interesting debate, ‘Small holdings v. large holdings’ was held, the former winning by a few points.
Mr Lilley addressed members on a visit to the Sydney Royal Show.
The retiring officers were then congratulated for their co-operative efforts.

The photo comes from Andrea Webber whose mother Shirley Smith and uncle Brian Smith from Glengallan were members of the Warwick Junior Farmers at the time of the Darling Downs Junior Farmers bus trip to Cairns in 1958. There is surely some Allora Junior Farmers members standing around working out how to get the bus started.

14/05/2026

Thank You to Jill (nee Sinton) for this great photo of two Allora Bowls Club legends 'Ginger' Frizzell (left) and Bill Sinton.

13/05/2026

GRANT REID WEDDING
Thank you to Susan Grant for sending us the wedding photo of her parents Gordon Andrew Grant and Hazel Doreen Reid who were married in St. David’s Church, Allora, on the 10th April 1944. Like many weddings of the 1940s and 50s, a report of the gift evening appeared in the Warwick Daily News but there was no report of the wedding.

SOCIAL EVENING
To honour Miss Hazel Reid, fourth daughter of Mr and Mrs Bert Reid, Allora, who will shortly wed Constable Gordon Grant, Misses Mavis and Ailsa Robin and Joyce Siddans arranged a social evening in the Town Hall recently. The function was well attended by many friends of the Reid family. Miss Reid who was frocked in green, featuring white embroidery, was presented with a posy of flowers by little Viola Robin, who also presented Mrs Bert Reid with a similar posy.
Mr W. J. T. Neale acted as chairman for the function and presented a cheque for £9 to the guest of honour as a mark of the deep affection in which she was held by her friends. Good wishes for the happy couple were also expressed by Mrs A. E. Marshall and Mrs S. Slatter.
Mr George Anderson, uncle of the bride-to-be, responded on behalf of her family, and thanks were also offered by Mr Gordon Grant. Dancing was enjoyed by the guests, and a dainty supper was served by the convenors and friends.

The Rev. Albert Loxton officiated at the wedding, the bridesmaid was Alice Reid, Hazel’s sister, and the best man was William Hill, a fellow police officer of Gordon’s at Warwick. Susan said that her mother and another Allora bride had to share 10 yards of material because of war time rationing. She believes that the wedding breakfast was held in Minnie Reid’s house in William Street.

12/05/2026

ANDERSON FAMILY
Thank you to Susan Grant for sending us this photo of her great-grandparents, William Walter and Marion Dean Anderson (nee Huxley) and their family, taken in front of their home ‘Merinovale’ at the western end of Darling Street.
Those in the photo are: Back from left – Sydney, Clifford, Ernest, Susan (Reid), William.
Middle – William Walter, Elsie (Stay), George, Marion Dean.
Front – Gladys (Sedgwick), Alice (Overland).
William Walter Anderson was born in Allora on the 19th October 1863, the son of Edward and Jane Anderson (nee Donald). He was employed as stud sheep overseer at different times on Glengallan, Goomburra and Talgai Stations. Marion Dean Huxley was born at Talgai on the 16th August 1867, the daughter of George and Marion Dean Huxley.
William Walter Anderson and Marion Dean Huxley were married on the 22nd September 1886. In 1911 they came to live in Allora where William set up in business as a horse cab proprietor.
Marion Anderson passed away in 1951 at the age of 84. William passed away in 1953, just short of his 90th birthday.

11/05/2026

BACK TO ALLORA DAY
The Back to Allora Day programme included four bus trips around the historical sites in the town. The first one took just under an hour to complete. Col Gay, the bus owner/driver, said that perhaps we needed to shorten it. The tour guide said that that he had learned the script off by heart and couldn’t adapt to cutting bits out. We speeded up the commentary for the next three trips and got through them OK.
The first photo shows, lined up for the first trip: life time Allora district residents, Charlie Tickle and Phyllis Crothers, the tour guide, and Col Gay (bus owner/driver).
To gain access from Stuart Henry Park, where the reception area, the marquees and the food and drink booths were situated to where the carriage and wagon rides and the tree planting took place, the Allora Shire Council workers under foreman, Bob Gibson, built a foot bridge. It may not have passed today’s workplace, health and safety regulations but 2,000 people attended Back to Allora Day and none of them fell in the creek.
In the second photo, the little guy at the front on the bridge, is a big guy now. (Today’s post is keeping it in the family).

10/05/2026

BACK TO ALLORA DAY
The historic fashion parade with the young models featured in yesterday’s post, was organized by Geraldine Ashton and conducted on Australia Day 1988. The 26th January 1988 was a big day but ‘Back to Allora Day’ on the 20th August 1988 was an even bigger occasion.
A packed day’s programme which included bullock wagon, sulky, and Cobb & Co coach rides; vintage cars; historic bus tours; local art and family history displays; historic machinery working demonstrations; children’s games; bar and refreshment booths; camp oven cooking demonstration. As well, open for public inspection were: Talgai Homestead (c.1500 people visited Talgai), both schools, St. David’s Church, C.B.C. Bank, Allora Cottage, Allora Museum, Machunter’s tapestry exhibition and Val Ireland’s quilt display. Allora born Broncos’ coach Wayne Bennett was a special guest. Community singing and an old-style dance took place in the Community Hall that night.
The first photo shows Merv Wickham from Killarney’s bullock wagon re-enacting the crossing of Dalrymple Creek by the bullock teams in the 1800’s. It is followed by Johnny Mackay on a horse, leading a pack horse.
The second photo is the Cobb & Co coach conducting public rides.

09/05/2026

BACK TO ALLORA DAY
These two photos are from the Smith family collection and are captioned ‘Back to Allora Day’. That day on Saturday the 20th August 1988 was arranged by the Allora Bicentennial Committee, and if there was ever a bigger function held in Allora, I haven’t heard about it. It was once said that half of the people in Queensland had relatives who originated in Allora, and many of them came to the town for ‘Back to Allora Day’.
I was tied up for most of the day with four consecutive bus tours of the historic sites in the town and missed most of the rest of the day’s programme. These photos appear to be part of a young people’s fashion parade of historic costumes. Perhaps someone will remember the parade or recognise some of the faces. If so, tell us about it.

08/05/2026

GLENGALLAN HOMESTEAD
126 years of time and the work of vandals had taken their toll on historic Glengallan Homestead when the owners of the Glengallan property, the Smith Family Partnership, sold the house and the adjacent land to the Glengallan Homestead Trust in 1993. The Trust then set out on the huge task of raising money to restore the old house.
On the 28th January 2003 an Open Day was held at the homestead so the public could inspect progress on the restoration.
The first photo from the Smith Family collection shows the old homestead before restoration. The second shows the homestead on the Open Day in 2003. Ted Cowley is in the foreground with his horses and carriage ready to take people on carriage rides around the homestead.

07/05/2026

THANK YOU ALLORA
We will finish up for the time being, our segment on the re-enactment of the ‘Eureka Stockade’ from Helen Smith’s photos with this ‘Letter to the Editor’ which appeared in the Allora Advertiser of 22nd March 1984.

06/05/2026

THE CHILDREN
The call for children in period costume to take part in Channel 7’s re-enactment of the ‘Eureka Stockade’ in 1984 brought forward plenty of volunteers. We usually don’t like to post photos of children but this photo was taken 42 years ago and some of these children could be grandparents by now.

Address

27 Drayton Street
Allora, QLD

Telephone

+61408740622

Website

https://southerndownsandgranitebelt.com.au/attractions/galleries-museums-and-collections/allora-district-historical-soci

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