Bowen Historical Society & Museum

11/10/2026

💰To fundraise for the museum we have books for sale from $2! 🤩

💲Come and visit us for a museum visit and leave with a few books 📚

07/10/2026

02/10/2026

JAMES MORRILL
Castaway • Adopted • Go-between 1824–1865

Considered the first white inhabitant of North Queensland.

The shipwreck — 1846
In February 1846, Morrill sailed from Sydney for China aboard the Peruvian. Nine days later, the vessel was wrecked on a reef in the Coral Sea.

Twenty-one people escaped onto a makeshift raft. After approximately 42 days drifting at sea, only seven reached the mainland near Cape Cleveland.

Weak and close to death, Morrill was found and cared for by First Nations people.

He was accepted into communities associated with the Bindal and Juru peoples, learned their languages and customs, and lived on Country with them for the next 17 years.

He survived because First Nation people shared their food, knowledge, Country and community with him.

Morrill lived principally around Mount Elliot and travelled through country between the Black and Burdekin rivers.

He used the knowledge of how to find water and seasonal foods, hunt, fish, make shelters and understand the natural environment to survive and thrive.

Returning to the settlers — 1863
As European settlement spread into the region, violence against One Nation people increased.
On 25 January 1863, Morrill approached two station workers. Fearing he might be shot, he called:
“Don’t shoot, mates, I’m a British object!”
After 17 years, he had re-entered European colonial society.

Between two worlds
Morrill became an interpreter and intermediary. He argued that Aboriginal people and settlers could coexist and attempted to reduce conflict.
His proposals were largely ignored as pastoral settlement continued across Aboriginal Country.

His Bowen Connection
Morrill returned to Bowen, which he reportedly called “my country.”
He worked for the Customs Department, bought land, built a cottage and married Eliza Ann Ross in 1864. They had a son.
James Morrill died in Bowen on 30 October 1865, aged approximately 41, and is buried here.

Why his story matters:
Morrill’s story is not simply an adventure about a shipwrecked sailor.
It records Aboriginal generosity, knowledge and resilience—and gives us a rare account of North Queensland’s colonial frontier from someone who had lived on both sides of it.
This interpretation is supported by Morrill’s 1863 memoir held by James Cook University and the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Bowen Historical Society was founded with the first research being done on the life of James Morrill. The research book is still for sale at the Bowen Museum.

29/09/2026

😷 Medicine in the Home — Now vs the Late 1800s

This morning you might wake with a headache or a sore back. You reach into the medicine cabinet and take a pain reliever that you assume is safe for you and your family.
But what would you have found in a medicine cabinet 130–140 years ago? 🤔

A late-19th-century medicine cabinet could contain brightly labelled patent and proprietary medicines. These products were heavily advertised and incredibly popular.
😧 The surprising part?
Some contained ingredients that we would find alarming today, including alcohol, o***m, morphine, co***ne, chloroform, mercury, arsenic and strychnine.
And consumers often had little idea exactly what was in the bottle.
💁‍♀️ Patent medicines were particularly interesting because their ingredients were not always clearly disclosed.

🩺 So, what might have been in a household medicine cabinet around 1880–1900?
💊 Castor oil — a very common household remedy
🧂 Epsom salts — commonly used as a laxative
🌿 Laudanum — an o***m preparation used as a painkiller and sedative
🟤 Tincture of iodine — used for wounds
🧼 Carbolic soap — used for cleaning and disinfecting
🌿 Eucalyptus oil — a popular household remedy
🌱 Camphor
🧴 Vaseline/petroleum jelly
🧴 Glycerine
🥄 Bicarbonate of soda
🧂 Borax
🌿 Mustard powder — used to make mustard plasters
👃 Smelling salts / aromatic spirits of ammonia
🌿 Herbal preparations and tinctures
🌡️ A thermometer — if the household could afford one
And when it came to treating cuts and injuries, there were no Band-Aids!
Instead, you might find:
🩹 Lint — soft, scraped linen used over wounds
🧵 Linen strips — used as bandages
🩹 Adhesive plaster — cut from a roll and used to secure dressings
🧻 Muslin or calico — for larger bandages
☁️ Cotton wool — for padding
📌 Safety pins — to secure bandages
🏛️ What have we forgotten?
What do you know about the medicine cabinet of a pioneer household?
Did your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents have an old remedy they swore by?
We'd love to hear your stories and memories in the comments. 👇
And perhaps, with the help of our community, we could even put together a representation of a late-1800s pioneer medicine cabinet at the Bowen Museum.
If you have an old medical bottle, medicine box, medical instrument, remedy container or other historical medical artefact, we'd love to hear from you.
What might be hiding in your cupboards, sheds or family collections? 🔎🏛️

25/09/2026

Bowen River Saga
By Mr. E. Cunningham

[CONTENT WARNING: This account could be triggering for some. Reader discretion is advised. Themes of death, su***de and gore are discussed. If this is not appropriate for you please do not read on. These are true accounts of the events of the time. Please seek help if needed.]

[Part 3 - last instalment]

It was, however, in the early 20's that the River began to amass a reputation.

In July 1921, Joe Marshall (in the horrors) took a dose of strychnine and died on the right bank of the river, about 100 yards upstream from where the bridge is today, alongside what used to be the old crossing.

The story is that the some aboriginals were sent over from Strathmore with a dray to bring the remains to Strathmore for burial. The body was very decomposed, and when lifting it into the dray the head came off and rolled down the bank.

The boys had had enough and promptly came home minus the remains of his co**se.

He was later rolled into a shallow sand grave on the wagon track, and would have been washed away the first flood.

Just after this, an old traveller, Hipworth, was staying at the hotel drinking heavily. He failed to return from a walk down the river one evening, and a search found him still barely alive, with his throat cut. Bull ants, blood and sand had made a gory mess but he was brought up to the hotel.

Meantime, Cunningham had been summoned from Strathmore, and with the aid of Billy Harris, proceeded to stitch him with speying tw**e and needle. Nineteen stitches were inserted, he was given a reviver of brandy and rushed by buggy to hospital. Here he responded to treatment, until one morning the nurses found him dead. During the night he had unpicked the stitches with his fingers and bled to death.

A little later, there was an altercation in the bar one evening. Shots were fired and one of the participants dropped to the ground, bleeding profusely. He re-covered, but the blood stains could be seen on the boards for many years after, and only disappeared with the laying down of a new floor.

The story is told of an old swaggie who had spent all his roll, but still had a large thirst left. Unable to borrow any money, he tried to cut his throat in the bar, with a blunt pen knife, but only succeeded in inflicting a bad wound. This aroused the sympathy of all present and a collection was taken up to assist him on his way. However, the old chap decided the best thing to do was to stop and drink out the collection, which he did.

Late January 1922 saw two
young travellers (one a returned ex-serviceman from World War I.) come to the River looking for work.

Nothing was available, but
the lessee, Mrs. Curren, said they could stay if they cared to stay on the verandah free of charge, which they elected to do.

Jack Baron (Flash Jack) had driven the top end mail through that day.
A big, quick tempered man (as
a driver of a six in hand he had no peer) he was bombastic and overbearing, and prone to king hits, and by such measures had won many fights and acquired a reputation. He was drinking and right or wrong wanted the young travellers to drink with him. They refused, and a row developed during which Baron struck the returned man. The travellers then returned to their swags.

Jack Faulkner, the Bowen mailman, was in the mailman's room and kept niggling the man to shoot Baron, saying ‘You've got a gun, don't let him bluff you'
Baron came out and again insisted they drink with him.
When they refused he threatened to hit him again.
The young chap called ‘Don't come any closer Baron, or I'll shoot'
Baron just laughed, and came on. At point blank range the shot hit him in the belly and a rush of blood gushed out. (The stains can still be seen on the old verandah).

The impact spun Baron around, and he staggered out to his camp. A little later, they went out to see how he was - Baron was sitting hunched up over a hurricane light under his buggy. They asked how he was, whereupon Baron threw the light at them and told them to ‘Go to hell.' He was dead in the morning.

The body was to be taken by coach to Bowen, but on the road where Briaba is now situated they met the Bowen police coming up. The weather was hot and the body bloated, and it was decided to bury him there and then. A grave was dug under a leaning ironbark tree at the side of the road.

The rail line was going through, and the Strathmore stockmen and rail fettlers for years attended to and saw that the little rough cross was always hung on the fence. When the Collinsville line was reinforced to take the bigger loads, and crossings, and shunt lines were put in, the shunt line at Briaba went right over the top of the grave.

The years rolled on and the old hotel became a favourite rendevous for the Strathmore ‘ringers', who used to ride over after tea at night and return in the early hours of the morning.

Nearly all the licencees had daughters with sparkling eyes and light feet ready at all times to trip the light fantastic in the parlour or on the old verandah, and many were the gay and pleasant nights that were spent amid the surroundings of this old bush hotel.

Over the past few years the old hotel with all its memories has been the
'resting down place' of a youthful group of Bowen River Race time enthusiasts— may it so continue."

Photo: What the Bowen River Hotel looks like today. Photo credit: Time Gents: Australian Pub Projects page

20/09/2026

✍️School Holiday Idea: A morning at the museum! Open 9:30am -12:30pm.

We have worksheets to keep the kids busy while you browse. Or, we have worksheets for you to help lead your child in a truely engaging experience for you both.

Want the easy one? Grab a scavenger hunt.
Want a more in depth experience? We have heaps of ones like the picture below. On heaps of different topics.

Created by a teacher to support the Austrian school curriculum. (If you needed any more excuses 😀)

$5 Adult entry, $2 Child entry. $1 per worksheet. Or better still - grab a membership for $10 and come and go as you please.

❤️See you down at the museum! ⭐️

19/09/2026

Bowen River Saga
By Mr. E. Cunningham

[Part 2]

Hotel Licensed
On 8th July, 1882, the lessee was informed that an area comprising 640 acres and known as Portion 1
Heidelberg was to be resumed for freehold purposes. Six months notice of resumption was given and on 1st March 1883, at Bowen, the land and property were offered for auction and were purchased by Gottleib Hornung for £480 plus survey fees of £9.4.0, and deed of assurance fee of £3. Hornung at this time was living in the building and gave his address as Bowen River. On 4th June, 1883, Deed of Grant No.51175 was issued in the name of Gottleib Hornung.

On 22nd July, 1886, by registered transfer No. N32733A the property was transferred to William Fane De Salis (part owner of Strathmore).

Three years later, whilst still owned by De Salis, a liquor licence was issued to William George Hornung, and the premises went into legalised liquor trading under the name of The Heidelberg Inn.

By transfer. No. N5913A on 21st. December, 1894, the land and property became the property of Hornung. This existed until 1904, when the licence lapsed due to the death of Hornung. In 1905 the land became the property of his wife Mary Hornung who leased the licence to Dan Harris in 1906.

Race Track Started
At this time the Bowen River Races were held at Telemon Plains Station on the bank of the Bowen River just downstream from Mrs. Allan's property, Glenbowen.

It was an isolated corner and Dan Harris saw the advantages of staging the meeting in the vicinity of his Inn.

He made an offer to the club to the effect that he would put down and fence a mile track on the poplar gum flats behind the hotel if the club was agreeable to moving there.

This was agreed to and 1906 saw the first meeting staged at the present site.

Coaching Inn
Meanwhile, country to the West had been opened up.

All along the Bowen Downs Road were properties served by horse drawn wagons operating out from Port Denison on a return trip to Bowen Downs that took almost six months.

Three mail coaches met and stayed overnight at the Bowen River Hotel (as Harris now termed it). One operated from Bowen via the Old Police Camp at Upper Don thence Euri Creek Hotel Eton Vale, Peter Gordons and Strathmore to Bowen River. The second came down the river from Exmoor (where it used to meet up with a service from Rockhampton) through Emu Plains, Havilah and Birra-lee, crossing the river at Leichhardt Crossing and through Hornung's paddock to the Bowen River Hotel. The third was the Clermont mail that travelled long stages via Mt. Hope, St. Ann's, Conway and Hidden Valley.

Roads were bad and tracks rough and dusty, and it is no wonder that both travellers and drivers alike w**ed and dined freely overnight.

B**r was unknown; spirits, mostly O.P. rum and wh**ky, w**e and Schnappes were the main drinks.
No wonder then that gatherings were merry and many times quarrelsome.

Ownership Changed
In mid-1907, Arthur Henry Wickham Cunningham, of Strathmore, purchased the hotel and land from Mrs. Hornung for £100, and transmission was registered on
20th March, 1908 by deed No.20025A.

The Harris family had moved out and
Cunningham sent two young stockmen, Dan Schultz and Val Johnstone over to act as caretakers until new tenants arrived. All that was left were three bottles of Schnappes which Dan promptly bought and more promptly drank.

The buildings at this time consisted of the main hotel, comprising a bar and servery, parlour, cellar, four
main bedrooms, and the mailman's room situated at the rear of the building on the verandah.

Some fifty feet to the rear and connected by a covered and hand railed landing was the kitchen and dining room, together with a bedroom and store room. On the left side of the main building was situated the butcher's shop and a long storage shed. All these formed part of the original layout.

During the meeting of 1910, W. Bailey Snr., who was camped at the race track and racing a horse called
Orthello, became ill. When the race was in progress he staggered to the flap of the tent in time to see his horse win and then collapsed. He died that night and was buried at the rear of the hotel. (This grave has never bean located, but it is thought to be alongside that of Hornung).

Another little known grave at the 'River' is that of Baby Baxter, who was brought to the River Hotel dangerously ill from the Sunbeam Silver Mine, where her father worked as an engine driver (incidently, Baxter was the last engine driver before the mine closed down following a fall in which three men lost their lives). She died that night, and was buried next day.
Art Whalan and W. Harris dug the grave and the late A. H. W. Cunningham went over and signed the burial authority.

[More to come…]

Date photos taken: Sunday, October 15, 1995 by David Anthony. Found on a Facebook post.
This was prior to the hotel being restored.

15/09/2026

The Bowen River Hotel (and Surrounds)

The Road to Bowen Downs included many pubs for the teamsters, cattle men and the like, to rest and recharge themselves and their animals. This is our last story in the series that the Bowen Historical Society is uploading about our pioneering days and the stories along the old Bowen Downs Road.

This true account, also written by a founding historical society member, is available for purchase in full down at the Bowen Museum 9:30am - 12:30pm weekdays.

We hope you enjoy it.

Bowen River Saga
By Mr. E. Cunningham

[Part 1]

"Much water has flowed down the river and many droughts have come and gone since Phillip Sommer and
his partner Harvey settled with their cattle and sheep at the site of the old Bowen River Hotel more than 100 years ago. The year previously, Sommer had been a member of a private exploration party under the leadership of Edward Cunningham who had left Melbourne to take up country in North Queensland. Sailing to Brisbane, they 'tendered' for their runs and then embarked for Rockhampton, proceeding overland to Port Denison.

On arrival at Port Denison in early April, 1861, they found the sailing ship ‘Jenny Dove' anchored off Stone Island with a party of would-be settlers from Sydney. After spelling their horses for some three weeks the little party comprising Cunningham, Sommer, Miles, Allingham and Stenhouse and an aboriginal boy called Jimmy, set out to explore the middle reaches of the Burdekin River and to mark out their runs.

Striking West they crossed the Bogie, where Eton Vale is today, and struck the Burdekin and crossed that river where Strathalbyn is now situated.

Runs Selected
Proceeding up Expedition Creek they struck the Burdekin at the junction of the Cape and travelled upstream to the Broughton and further North to the Clark.

Here they turned South and having
secured all the country they required, headed back to Port Denison.

Cunningham selected Burdekin Downs, some 140,000 acres, Allingham took Hillgrove 200,000 acres, Sommer Fanning Downs and Dotswood, and Stenhouse selected Maryvale. Miles, the other member of the party, selected the country now known as Mt. Elsie.

Returning South the party disbanded and each proceeded to get together horses, sheep and cattle to stock their runs. Sommer, apparently liking the Bowen River country, elected to stay there and settled and built his home.

In January 1861, James Mead, of Rockhampton, had tendered for Heidelberg, some 95 square miles which included the Bowen River area, but had never stocked it.

Explorer Returns
On 16th August 1861, McKinlay had been commissioned by the South Australian Government to follow the tracks of Burke and Wills through to the Gulf. The sailing boat River Norman' was to sail around and await their arrival and bring them back. May 1862 saw Mackinlay (or 'Battling Mac' as he was more affectionately called) reach the Gulf only to find his relief ship had departed a few days earlier.

Realising he did not have enough food to return to Adelaide he decided to strike South-East an endeavour to reach Burdekin Downs.

Missing that property he hit the Burdekin lower down, and followed
that river South until he struck the impassable Leichhardt Range. He then headed inland past where Glendon Station is today and located and camped at Desmond Springs.

Matters were desperate.
They had no food left and had eaten all but one each of their horses and pack horses. Here at Desmond Springs they killed and slaughtered their last camel - a faithful old thing called Nellie Siva. Next day, after cooking strips of camel meat, they buried everything they could not take and decided to make a bid for the coast. After travelling some ten miles they came on some cattle tracks and followed them to Sommer's station.

John Davis, a member of the expedition, wrote in his diary under date August 2 1862: 'Mr. Sommer was from home when we arrived but he soon made his appearance, and hospitality in the most extended sense of the word was the law. We had already astonished some cold roast beef etc. etc.. The murphys were fine, and you may be sure we did justice to the novel fare. We remained at this station for one day quite enjoying ourselves. Mr. Sommer has our warmest thanks for the kindness shown to us - and may the station flourish. We then changed our camp some five miles to another station Strathmore, owned by some Germans, Mr. Sellheim being the chief of the firm and a Mr. Toussaint the other partner.

Burke And Wills
By a strange coincidence McKinlay's relief party met at Sommers Station Brahe, the big Swede who was with Burke and Wills, and who had been commissioned by his leader to remain at the depot at Lake Bulloo with provisions whilst Burke, Wills, King and Gray pushed Northward in a desperate effort to reach the Gulf.

After months of waiting Brahe decided to return to Menindie and broke camp, less than nine hours prior to the return of his fever stricken leader. Thus was the doom sealed on the fate of three of Australia's most gallant pioneers, Gray having died before the depot was reached.

The track followed by McKinlay from Glendon to the Bowen River was later gazetted as a stock route and remainder as such until its closure in 1970.

Records are incomplete as to how long Somers stayed at Bowen River, but we do know that in 1864 he forfeited Fanning Downs for not fulfilling the stocking clause and in 1866 he was residing at and had stocked Dotswood. Macmillan in his diary mentioned meeting both Phillip Sommer and Edward Cunningham at Dots-wood in April of this year.

In 1865 Mead transferred Heidelberg, including the land contained in Sommers Station, to Milton Cummins, who later that same year transferred it to Emilius Hifling and Angus George \ Petersen, who had taken up Havilah. By the end of the year they had mortgaged the property to the Trust and Agency Company of Australia and in 1872 it was transferred to the Bank of New South Wales.
[More to come…]
[The building was originally built around 1861 as the Heidelberg homestead and operating as an inn by 1865]

Below Photo: Queensland Country Life January 18 1951.