H Savage
Before the 1896 Oak Street fire, H. SAVAGE‘s store carried perhaps the largest stock of drapery in the west. The groceries were apparently ‘but little touched’ during the fire, but the drapery department was emptied. ‘The store presented a sorry appearance, with its enormous stock carried all over the street. Mr. Savage estimated his losses roughly at £500’.
By 1929, after another disastrous street fire, Savage’s stores were the only business buildings left in the street since the early days of settlement along the Central railway line.
Arthur Parnell
ARTHUR PARNELL’s store had been constructed in Bogantungan in 1883, moved with the line to Pine Hill 1884, Jericho 1885, and Barcaldine 1886.
The Townsville Daily Bulletin (9 November 1929) reported:
‘Parnell’s was a household word from Copperfield days: indeed the old Champion office was Parnell’s store at Clermont. The building escaped the big Pine Hill fire, and had a narrow escape some ten years after Barcaldine blossomed as a town’ in the 1896 Oak Street fire. It was almost ruined, the roof partly pulled off and the eastern side destroyed. Half the stock burned or was destroyed with water. It was insured for £2500.
The store was then fortunate to escape the 1927 fire when Meacham & Leyland’s was damaged, the Railway Hotel – including Mr Jackson’s business in the hotel – and the Exchange Hotel burnt down. Parnell’s had a particularly close shave as the flames had entered the store from the south-eastern corner.
In 1929, however, Parnell’s General Store was totally destroyed along with Meacham & Leyland’s furniture story, the Railway and Exchange Hotels and Mr Jackson’s business in the Railway Hotel.
