This website is about sharing the history of Barcaldine, a small town in western Queensland, Australia. It builds on the work of Isabel Hoch and Dell Scott. The two women researched and collated the available information to document the story – using various sources. I am adding a new dimension to that story by providing an online presence to share it even further.
Please feel obliged to share any information or stories you may have to add to this resource.
Isabel Hoch‘s excellent history, The Barcaldine Story 1846-2008
Isabel Hoch sourced much of the information for her research for The Barcaldine Story from newspapers, predominantly The Western Champion.
Since then, the National Library of Australia has developed the fantastic TROVE and made historical research much easier. Now we can search many more newspapers (up to the end of the 1950s) and millions of other documents now available online.
Hopefully barcaldine-peopleplacesthings.org will supplement Isabel’s work and add further to the rich knowledge about the history of Barcaldine, or in Isabel’s words, the ‘saga of ordinary people and their extraordinary achievements, as they settled and developed a remarkable town’ (Hoch, 1986, p ix).
Dell Scott‘s volunteer work as the curator of Barcaldine and District Historical Society’s collection
Dell Scott (Barcaldine Historical Society), is an invaluable source of historical information about the hundreds of items that she and other members of the Barcaldine Historical Society have collected over the last 50 or so years, including saving some of the town’s artefacts from ‘the dump’.
Dell’s meticulous record keeping as custodian of the Barcaldine Museum collection is a truly remarkable achievement. After more than 40 years of collecting, displaying and collating, the Historical Society records are an extremely important physical resource.
barcaldine-peopleplacesthings.org will hopefully augment and expand Dell’s work, and add to the rich body of knowledge she and others have sought, saved, accumulated and collated.
About Me
I was born and grew up in Barcaldine, attending St Joseph’s Convent School for my primary schooling before completing Grade 12 at Barcaldine State High School in 1974. My ancestors go back to the settlement of Barcaldine, the Rodgers and Hansen families. My parents were Patricia Ann (Pat) nee Duffy and John Thomas (Tom) Broughton. My grandparents were Michael Patrick (Mick) Duffy and Hannah nee McInnes; John Frank (Jack) Broughton and Isabella Gertrude (Bella) nee Schofield.
