People of the Sunshine Coast

Review of People of the Sunshine Coast                                                 

by Betty Garrad

“People of the Sunshine Coast”,  Stories of some of the people who helped make the Sunshine Coast great. Edited by Carolyn Slade and Wendy McMullin, Genealogy Sunshine Coast. Published 2013, produced and printed by volunteers. Soft cover, 210 pages, illustrated and indexed. ISBN: 978-0-9803538-5-3 . Price $35 plus postage. Enquiries: genealogysc@gmail.com

“People of the Sunshine Coast” the sequel to “People of Maroochy”, pays tribute to some of the lesser-known people who lived on the coast and played their part, large or small, in its development. The stories cover many professions, and show us life as it was lived from the late 19th century to the present, as the countryside changed from mainly rural to the industrial and tourist-orientated coast of today.

The attractive cover of the book grabbed me at once, an image of Currie Street, Nambour in 1915. Next surprise for me was the sensory appeal of semi- gloss paper which really enhances the photos. The detail in the illustration of “Alex Hunter, Woombye shopkeeper c1900” is amazing. The reproduction of Cooran school pupils in 1918 is another example of the wonderful clarity that can be achieved provided the original photo is of good quality, even if it’s over a century old.

The Contents section and List of Illustrations is followed by a Foreword by the Editors giving an introduction, some background information on contributors, and a promise of what is in store for the reader. Next is a Glossary of terms and abbreviations.  As you progress through the book you find a brief but concise list of Sources of information at the bottom of each article.

And now the Index! Not only is there an index of names, with names of those in photos in italics, but a second index of categories, e.g. Banks, Businesses & Shops, Cemeteries, etc.

The book has about 130 stories of varying length. Renowned local historian Dr Berenis Alcorn’s research was the basis for at least sixteen of them. I heartily endorse the editors’ comment that Benny’s research has given us years of cultural history of our coastal and hinterland communities. Selected from her study of Blackall Range, were three stories about the Smith family, Henry, Alfred and Monte Smith: how each contributed to the early history of Montville. But you must read the tale she wrote about Thomas O’Connor, surveyor of the coastal strip, a man before his time. He was a land developer and community benefactor whose vision in the early 1900s was of the coast as a tourist destination. It is thanks to Benny’s persistent efforts to document his life story that we can read about the achievements of Thomas O’Connor.

The story, “Wanted  - one Fire Brigade” was a surprise. I knew Nambour had experienced a few fires, but research by the editors revealed so many years (1914, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1948, 1986 and 1987) that were disastrous ones for the streets of Nambour. How heartbreaking it must have been for the shop-owners in the 1920s! Many illustrations accompanying the article are good, with a spectacular photo of the Commercial Hotel burning at night in 1914, courtesy Heritage Library, Sunshine Coast Council. 

This is a complete book. To me it has everything a book of this nature should have. In my opinion it’s the best book that has been published so far by Genealogy Sunshine Coast. 

The title is: PEOPLE OF THE SUNSHINE COAST

Subtitle: Stories of some of the People who helped make the Sunshine Coast great.

Category: HISTORY; GENEALOGY; LOCAL STUDIES

ISBN: 978-0-9803538-5-3

Soft cover  A4

Full colour cover with black and white interior.

Text and historical photographs.

UNIT PRICE: $35.00 plus postage and packaging

All sales requests to Publisher:

GENEALOGY SUNSHINE COAST

PO Box 1051 NAMBOUR  QLD  4560

email: genealogysc@gmail.com