Julia MINISTER ^863,864

  Events

• Julia was born on Friday 29th May 1857, in Weston.

• It is recalled that "Aunt Ju", as she was known to the Smallwood family, lived in a small town on the way from Townsville to Ingham.

She would sometimes visit the family, and was referred to with great respect. It was an occasion of great importance when Aunt Ju was visiting.

• Julia married Andrew Siep, and went to live at Yabulu Siding.

The Yabulu Siding is located ear Greenvale Junction, where the line crosses the North Coast line, which carries the Sunlander from Brisbane to Cairns.

It was just an old shelter shed, 14 miles 28 chain north from Ingham.

The North Coast Railway Act enabled the line to be surveyed, and from 1883 to 1884 it was surveyed from Townsville to Ingham.

Construction began on 11th September 1911.

The rail was built by day labour - Queensland Rail contracted workers to come in on a daily basis to build the line.

The line was opened in 1912.

The first section opened at Kurukan on 14 April 1914, to Rollingstone 5 April 1915, and so on until the line was fully operational.

Yabulu is an aboriginal word which means "Grass". It is located longitude 146,6, latitude -19,2166 (Decimal degrees), or Latitude (DMS): 19° 13' 0 S, Longitude (DMS): 146° 35' 60 E (Degrees, minutes and seconds).

It is located 1364.23 kilometres from Brisbane's Central Railway Station.

In train journey times, it is about thirty minutes north of Townsville Railway Station.

• According to the Electoral Roll of Queensland of 1913, Julia was occupied with "home duties" at that time.

• According to the Electoral Roll of Queensland of 1913, Julia's residence was at "Southwick Station", in the Subdivision of Dalrymple, Division of Kennedy.

The following is taken from RICHARD SYMES ALFORD

MEMORIES OF YEARS GONE BY

and other items

By Richard Symes Alford,

“Hardeen,” Yeronga, Brisbane, Queensland

November 1908

"We returned to Port Douglas by coach, and joined the northern steamer again, going on as far as Cooktown. At Cooktown, we spent the evening at Mr. W. V. Ealston’s private residence (he was the manager of the Queensland National Bank there). My brother Willie and I parted company at Cooktown – he went on to Maytown to take up the management of the Queensland National Bank branch there, while I returned by steamer to Townsville.

From Townsville, I went by train to Charters Towers, where I purchased two horses and an outfit for the road. Next day I journeyed out past Burdekin Downs station on to Dotswood station, the manager being Mr. A. H. Glissan, formerly of Drayton, an old friend. The most striking feature about Dotswood head station, to my mind, was the beautiful mandarin orange tree which was then fully bearing and a pretty site to see, the largest tree of the kind that I have seen. Next morning I went west passing Southwick station, Nulla Nulla, Maryvale, Cargoon, Reedy Springs, Mt. Emu Plains, Wongalee, and reached Hughenden about the middle of May 1883.

• Aunt Ju and Sydney Charles Albert Lucas, the husband of Aunt Ju's grand-niece, relaxing in a park, about 1928.

• Aunt Ju is seen here, relaxing, with her Grand-Niece, Gladys Lucas.

Aunt Ju is on the right.

• Claire Smallwood remembered that dirt floors were quite common in her child hood days. She recalls that when she used to visit Aunt Ju, who was immaculately clean and tidy, that she had swept her floor so well it was shiny.

These days were connected somehow with Claire's childhood - whether in Townsville, Charters Towers, Barcaldine, or Ayr, it is not yet known.

Julia married Thomas (Butcher) ORTON, son of Thomas (Farmer/Carpenter) ORTON and Frances PILKINGTON, in Dec 1882 in Christchurch, Hampshire.⁵¹ (Thomas (Butcher) ORTON was born on 3 Apr 1851-2 Apr 1852 in Wood Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicester ⁵³, christened on an unknown date in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicester, England ⁵⁴ and died on 29 Sep 1896 in Cairns, Queensland ⁵⁵.)

Julia next married Andrew SEIP.