Beaudesert, in southeastern Queensland, is situated on the Logan River about 45 miles (70 km) southwest of Brisbane. Beaudesert is a regional hub serving surrounding communities.
The Mununjali People
The Beaudesert area is part of the traditional lands of the Mununjali people.
The word Mununjali means "Black Earth People. The Yugambeh word, munun, which refers to a type of "black soil" with -jali meaning "people" .
Tribal boundaries are believed to have extended east to the Birnam range, north to Jimboomba, south to Tamrookum, and west to the Teviot Brook.
The Mununjali language is a dialect of the Yugambeh language.
Porcupine, Wallabies goannas and witchetty grubs were common food for the local Aboriginal groups. (1.)
Dead hollow trees provided shelter.
Many Aboriginal people removed bark from certain trees to makes shields and canoes. These scar trees can be found in the region.
G.K.E. Fairholme wrote about Aboriginal life in Southeast Queensland when he lived at "Bromelton", his property near Beaudesert in the 1850s. He wrote:
"The men are covered with the scarifications common to all the blacks of the colony, when they rise to a very large size, they are very proud of them. They are made chiefly on the back, breast and shoulders. The membrane of the nose is pierced & this by way of ornament is carried (tho- rarely) a spritsail yard, made of the small bones of some animal....."
"When [?full] dressed they are smeared or striped with red or yellow ochre mixed with fat...."
"Their ornaments are not numerous & consist of the following, -a neck- lace of small portions of seed, cut & strung (this is either wound round the [?neclk or in the hair) - a small piece of pearly shell hung by a string on the breast -the tail of a native dog tied round the forehead....."
Aboriginal
heritage sites in the region may include: Dreaming sites, grinding groves, scar trees, stone circles, artifact scatters and burial sites.
 |
| Portrait of Coolum from the Beaudesert District,QLD, 1900-1908, SLQLD |
1820s
Allan Cunningham and Patrick Logan explored the area around Beaudesert in the late 1820s. Allan Cunningham (13 July 1791 – 27 June 1839) was an English botanist and explorer. Patrick Logan was the. Commandant of the Penal
Settlement at Moreton Bay.
 |
| Captain Patrick Logan (1791 – 17 October 1830) was the commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement from 1826 until his death in 1830 |
1830s Free settlers from the Darling Downs arrived in the region in the 1830s.
1840s
The area was named after Beau Desert station, which was established in the
area in 1841-2 by "Ned Hawkins", or Edward Brace Hawkins, who claimed the area as a sheep station on behalf of employer William Henry Suttor senior (1805–1877). Perhaps named after Beau Desert Park in Staffordshire, UK, for an unknown reason.
 |
| Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 2 July 1948, |
Between 1842 and 1846, cattle and sheep runs dominated the area, later replaced by cattle.
1860s
From 1860 to 1875, cotton was
grown in the district (a period of American Civil War when cotton production was reduced).
 |
| Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 14 September 1907 |
Many of the immigrant farmers were of German background. And due to lack of farmland, much of the scrubland was cleared.
1870s
 |
| Copy of a photograph of Mrs White, with three children and members of domestic staff, on the verandah of Old Beaudesert Homestead, QLD, 1871, SLQLD (William and Jane White and their two children emigrated from Ireland to Sydney as assisted immigrants in 1840. When he arrived in Australia, William assumed his grandmother's maiden name as a second christian name, and became known thereafter as William Duckett White. From 1842-44 White taught school in the Mangrove area north of Sydney until accepting an offer in 1845 to manage the Beau Desert run in the Moreton Bay District for his cousin Joseph Phelps Robinson. When Robinson died in 1848, his brother George Robinson and W.D. White took over the lease of Beau Desert, one of the largest runs on the Logan.) |
1880s
The Beaudesert Railway Line ran from Bethany outside Brisbane to Beaudesert from 1886 to 1996.
Enright's Beaudesert Sawmill dates from 1888.
Beaudesert Provisional School opened on 26 March 1882, and closed on 9 September 1886. On 13 September 1887, it reopened as Beaudesert State School.
 |
| Logan Witness (Beenleigh, Qld. : 1878 - 1893), Saturday 14 July 1888 |
On Tuesday 24 July 1888, the foundation log of St Thomas' Anglican Church was laid.
The
construction of the first Catholic church in Beaudesert.began in 1889.
1890s
An old photograph of Beaudesert, QLD, from Eaglesfield St (about 1892), Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954) |
 |
| Cattle team passing the Beaudesert Hotel, Beaudesert, QLD, ca. 1899, SLQLD |
The Lahey brothers opened their sawmill at Beaudesert in 1895.
In 1897, a Baptist church was
opened in Beaudesert,
In 1899, a committee discussed building a convent for the Sisters of Mercy who would teach the students of a new Catholic school. On the 19th August 1901, St. Mary’s School.opened with 101 students.
1900sBeaudesert Hospital began as a small cottage hospital in 1900, with four rooms, with capacity for eight patients.
St Mary's Convent School, opened on 19 August 1901.
 |
| Very early view of Brisbane Street, Beaudesert, QLD, ca. 1902. (SLQ) |
 |
| Beaudesert Station on the Beaudesert Tramway, QLD, sepia 1903, SLQLD |
After the leases of the large pastoral runs expired, many were subdivided into small
farms.
The Beaudesert Shire Tramway was a narrow gauge tramway that operated from Beaudesert to Lamington and Rathdowney from 1903 to 1944.
 |
| The Logan and Albert Co-operative Daily Co., Ltd*BEAUDESERT. Queensland Country Life (Qld. : 1900 - 1954), Friday 1 March 1907 |
 |
| Hospital in Beaudesert, Qld - early 1900s, Aussie Mobs |
 |
| Streetscape in Beaudesert, Qld - very early 1900s, Aussie~mobs |
 |
| St Mary's Catholic Church in Beaudesert, Qld - early 1900s, Aussie~mobs |
 |
| Governor's party at Beaudesert Show, Qld - circa 1905, Aussie~mobs |
 |
| Brisbane Street, Beaudesert, (looking north) Qld - very early 1900s, Aussie~mobs |
 |
| Women and children in the Beaudesert district, QLD, 1907, SLQLD |
 |
| Camp at Widgee Creek, near Beaudesert, QLD, 1907, SLQLD |
 |
| Brisbane St Beaudesert, QLD, 1908 Dept No.A577, Queensland State Archives |
 |
| Train on the Beaudesert tramway halted at Rathdowney Station, QLD, 1912, SLQLD |
 |
Bushmen from Beaudesert serving as special constables during the General Strike in Brisbane, 1912, SLQLD
|
 | | Crowd of men attend a pig auction at the sale yards, Beaudesert, QLD, 1912, State Library of Queensland |
|
WWI
 |
| PRIVATE T. A. RABNOTT, Son of Mrs. E. Rabnott, Albert street, Beaudesert ; killed in action, 4th July, 1916. Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), Friday 6 July 1917 |
 |
| Photograph appears on page 26 of The Queenslander Pictorial, supplement to the Queenslander, 26 January 1918 Digitised from The Queenslander, 26 January 1918 Indigenous enlistment First World War, 1914-1918 Image number: 702692-19180126-s0026-0064 Digital copy available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/415683 Arthur Walsh (1898-1978) was born on Torella / Torilla Station, central Queensland to Ettie Ethel Walsh, and was working on Nindooinbah Station, Beaudesert, when he volunteered in July 1917. After spending just a few weeks at Rifle Range Camp at Enoggera, Arthur travelled to the Machine Gun training camp near Seymour, Victoria before departing for overseas on board HMAT 'Indarra' in November. Just before his 20th birthday, he arrived in France and joined the newly formed 4th Machine Gun Battalion in the field, where they were stationed at Bussey Les Daours, in the Somme Valley. The battalion took part in the final stages of the war, seeing action during the German Spring and the Allied Hundred Days Offensives, which finally brought an end to the war. Arthur Walsh returned to Queensland in August 1919 and married Christina Wylie in 1922. Arthur was later employed as a linesman and married Alice Elizabeth Hars in 1938. Arthur served during the Second World War from September 1942 to January 1945 when he was discharged at his own request. He died in May 1978 age 79 and is buried at the Southport Lawn cemetery. Arthur Walsh’s younger brother Charles also enlisted during the First World War, but did not embark for overseas. SLQLD |
The foundation stone of the War Memorial was laid by the Mayoress of Beaudesert, Mrs. H. L. MacDonald on 10th December 1919.
"For their name shall live for ever."
 |
| EMPIRE DAY AT BEAUDESERT. The Procession in William-street.Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 12 June 1915 |
 |
| Loggers posing with a large log in Brisbane Street, Beaudesert, QLD, ca. 1915. State Library of Queensland |
 |
| Beaudesert, QLD, 1917, SLQLD |
 |
| Class 2, Infant school at Beaudesert, Qld - circa 1918, Aussie Mobs |
 |
| A.I.F. MARCH OF FREEDOM COLUMN AT BEAUDESERT. QLD. Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), Friday 20 September 1918 |
1920s
 |
| Empire Day Parade in Beaudesert, Qld - 2 August 1920, Aussie Mobs |
 |
| Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 29 March 1922, |
 |
| Fire at the Grand Hotel, Beaudesert. QLD, 1924, SLQLD |
In April 1927, the visit of their Royal High-nesses the Duke and Duchess of York, to Beaudesert Bushman's Carnival.
 |
| Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Monday 11 April 1927 |
 |
| ABORIGINES IN THEIR WAR PAINT AT THE BUSHMEN'S CARNIVAL, AT BEAUDESERT. QLD, Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), Thursday 14 April 1927 |
 |
| AN ABORJGINE EXPLAINING TO THE DUKE OF YORK HOW THE BOOMERANG RETURNS WHEN THROWN INTO THE AIR, Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), Thursday 14 April 1927 (THE ROYAL VISIT The Bushman's Carnival) |
 |
| Beaudesert QLD, Bushman's Carnival. Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 11 April 1927 |
 |
| Grand Hotel at Beaudesert, Queensland, 1927 [picture] / W. E. Sharpe (hotel built from 1903), NLAUST |
 |
| Beaudesert Show at the Albert Street Showgrounds, Beaudesert, Queensland, April 1927 [picture] / W. E. Sharpe, NLAUST |
 |
| Beaudesert Hotel, Beaudesert, Queensland [picture] / W. E. Sharpe, NLAUST |
 |
| Logan and Albert Hotel in Beaudesert, QLD, ca. 1929, SLQLD |
 |
| State School and general Hospital, Beaudesert, QLD, Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Thursday 7 March 1929 |
 |
| THE TOWN OF BEAUDESERT, QLD, Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Thursday 7 March 1929 |
1930s |
| Circus elephant pulling a dray at Beaudesert, QLD, 1930, SLQLD |
 |
| Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 1 January 1932 |
 |
| Four aboriginals from the Beaudesert area, who competed in the professional athletic events. They showed plenty of paceTelegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 23 March 1935 |
 |
| The Parish Church of St. Thomas,Beaudesert , QLD, Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 16 September 1938, |
Rugby played in Beaudesert in the 1930s.
 |
H Sandy and W Sandy played rugby at Beaudesert, QLD,
Mon 12 Jul 1937 Page 18 BEAUDESERT WINS COMFORTABLY |
 |
| Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Thursday 16 June 1938, |
1940s and WWII
 |
| Racegoer Miss Laurie Coote, from Beaudesert, QLD, checks the racing form at Doomben racetrack, 1940. SLQLD |
 |
| Miss Elva Brett at the Beaudesert Show, QLD, Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Friday 10 May 1940 |
 |
| Light Horsemen ol the 1st Cavalry Brigade, in camp at Beaudesert, QLD, Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 17 February 1940, |
 |
| The Bcaudescrt Troop, QLD, Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Friday 9 February 1940, |
 |
| The Sailors and Soldiers' Church of; England'; Help. /Society recreational hut at the. Beaudesert Cavalry Camp, built to replace the marquee which was destroyed in a recent storm.'Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Friday 1 March 1940, |
 |
Staff Nurses Thompson and: R.. E. Davis, two of the. remaining seven nurses who .have been .chosen to go. overseas with the Second A.I.F;, on. duty at the B'eaudesert Camp, Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Monday 12 February 1940 |
Camp Tabragalba, about 6km east of Beaudesert, was located on the cattle property "Tabragalba", in 1942, for the No. 1 Heavy
Training Battery, the Anti Aircraft Training Battery and Anti Aircraft Searchlight Training Company. During early 1943 it was used for training four of the 155mm “Letter” coastal batteries, batteries ‘M’,‘N’,‘O’ and ‘Q’.From early 1943, it was used by the Allied Intelligence Bureau.
The US Army’s stockade at Round Mountain, south of Beaudesert, was built by the Civil Constructional Corps (CCC) in late 1942.
 |
| Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 21 May 1943 |
 |
| Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 8 December 1944 |
 |
| Beaudesert Police Courthouse, QLD, 1946, SLQLD |
 |
| Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 25 January 1947, |
 |
| Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 22 October 1948 |
In 1948 / 1949 part of the Waterford Shire and Tamborine Shire were merged into Beaudesert Shire.
The foundation stone for the civic centre was laid on the same day the baby clinic
opened; the 11th of October 1958.
1950s
 |
| Beaudesert Ambulance will enter the twenty-fifth year of its existence, QLD, Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 10 July 1953 |
 |
| Queensland Country Life (Qld. : 1900 - 1954), Thursday 17 September 1953 |
 |
| Beaudesert Show, QLD, Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), Friday 2 September 1955 |
1960s |
| Beaudesert State High School, QLD, 1968, Queensland State Archives |
Margaret Sharpe, a linguist of Australian Aboriginal languages, recorded Joe Culham, son of Coolum, known as the "King of the Mununjali", in 1968 and Mununjali grammar and vocabulary.
1970s
In 1974, members of the Mununjali clan started the Beaudesert Aborigines and Islander Cooperative society.
 |
| Beaudesert, Brisbane Street, QLD, (1977), Queensland State Archives |
 |
| Beaudesert, Brisbane Street, QLD, (1977), Queensland State Archives |
Swedish linguist Nils Holmer compiled a grammar and dictionary of the Mununjali people in 1978.
1980s
The Beaudesert Historical Society erected three monuments, in 1986, to remember Chinese shepherds, killed by Aboriginal people.
1990sIn 1991, Stephen Page of Nunukul and Munaldjali descent, was appointed creative director of the Bangarra Dance Theatre, with his brothers Russell and David joining around the same time.
Population 36,423 people in 1991.
Population 47,558 people in 1996.
Around Beaudesert
 L & A Hotel (Logan & Albert) Beaudesert, QLD, built about 1934. |
 |
| Railway Hotel, Beaudesert, Qld |
 |
| St Mary's Catholic Church, Beaudesert, QLD, was completed in 1907 |
 |
| St Thomas' Anglican Church, Beaudesert, QLD |
 |
| On April, the 14th 1901, the foundation stone was laid for the Beaudesert Convent School, QLD, Now called Mercy Hall |
 |
| Beaudesert Racecourse Heritage Stand, QLD, built 1912 |
 |
| The land for the Masonic Lodge was donated by Thomas Brayford in 1910 to trustees of the Theodore Unmack (Irish) Masonic Lodge. The building was designed and constructed about the 1950s, Beaudesert, QLD |
 |
| Fully furnished, to the period original, “Slab Hut” built locally in 1876 and relocated to Beaudesert Museum, QLD, museum |
Things To Do and Places to Go
Beaudesert Historical Museum. The Beaudesert Historical Museum is one of the largest country town museums in Queensland,
L & A Hotel (Logan & Albert) Beaudesert, QLD, built about 1934.
