Bloomfield River Oral History Project and photographs

Frank O'Rourke speaks at length from Mount Louis Pastoral Station, about the history and early European exploration of the area; Bloomfield Sugar Mill; tin mining; timber getting; Lutheran Missions and Ayton Provincial School; as well as the overland mail route.

Jean Haack came to Bloomfield in 1950, as a correspondence teacher for the children of those working at Johnston’s timber mill. She married Roy and for a time they lived together at Olufson’s farm before moving out to Tool-koor, a property to the north of the valley where they cleared the scrub and raised cattle. 

Roy Haack first came to the area in 1940, prospecting for tin and gold around China Camp and Gold Hill. He speaks of employment at the timber mill in Bloomfield, snigging (hauling) timber. Roy also talks of the overland routes taken out of the area, to China Camp and down to Daintree (CREB track); via Stucke’s Gap up to Cooktown and clearing of the Bloomfield - Rossville track, through the 12 Mile Scrub.

Brought up in a mining family, Sylvia Geraghty’s youth was spent in Rossville. She speaks of her life and times there, the hardships as well as happy reminiscences and the people living thereabouts. Her father had earlier worked as a miner in China Camp and had spent time scalping kangaroos (wallabies) and dingoes at Kings Plain.

Royce Lee came down to Bloomfield droving as a lad with his uncles. He speaks of his exploits as well as of the overland packhorse mail service, which he was one of the last to run.

Claude Le Roy mined on the Big Tableland near Helensvale (home to the Lion's Den Hotel on Shipton's Flat Road), but his real connection to the Bloomfield area was in skippering the Merinda, Malanda and Melita – the Hayles family boats which provided a regular service between Cairns and Cooktown. 

Maureen Mason’s interview deals mainly with her husband’s family connections to the area, whilst living at Bailey’s Creek and Cape Tribulation. Maureen speaks of the cavalcade in 1968 for the initial pushing through of the track between Cape Tribulation and the protests made during its construction in the early 1980s.

Bill Smith bought several blocks of land in Ayton in 1961, and later and set up a local store. Bill speaks of the many difficulties encountered in servicing the store, in inclement weather and rough terrain. Bill Smith mentions 'Cedar Bay Bill' and Michael Formenko or Tarzan; the Aboriginal people, the Mission, Bloomfield school and the influx of hippies into Cedar Bay.

Leffy Buhmann talks about life at Shipton’s Flat; the timber mill, miners, local Aboriginal people and others living in the area. He worked as a benchman at the timber mill at Shipton’s Flat before venturing into mining at Jubilee, Mt Poverty and on the Big Tableland before moving to Cooktown.

The Olufson family has the longest history on the Bloomfield of any European family. Their grandfather had initially come to the area to work on a boat ferrying supplies for the Bloomfield Sugar Mill during the 1880’s and was also a beche­de-mer fisherman.

Victor and Herbert’s provided food from their farm and moved supplies for miners up to China Camp. They had a series of boats, used to get supplies and produce in and out of the area.

Herbert worked as manager of the timber mill for a time while another brother Oscar ran the shop and the post office. Both Herbert and Oscar had lost their wives in childbirth, as well as a number of siblings.

The Olufson family developed a self-supporting farm, five miles upstream on the Bloomfield River. Over the next century they were to become a major supplier of local needs - growing coffee, corn, pineapples, citrus and making many household items. As well as setting up a general store, they offloaded supplies from passing boats and packed them up to the mining fields in China Camp.

Victor married and moved to live in Biboohra, he and his brother Herbert speak of their life of living on the river and up to China Camp.

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Doreen Fullagar was born to Kuku Nyungkul parents at Cedar Bay. She was raised in the Daintree by missionaries Joe and Madge Cope, who later became her foster parents. When Daureen was sixteen she returned to Bloomfield to meet her real father, travelling via the overland stock route through China Camp.

Doreen studied nursing in Melbourne before returning with her family to live at Wujal Wujal in the 1980’s. She became involved with the community, acting as a voice for the people and was elected to the Council when self-management first came in.

Tony first moved to the area working in the Daintree cutting timber, then tried his luck tin scratching around China Camp. Tony speaks of packing their horses and other hardworking miners. He relates stories of characters and events of this time with clarity. He left the area in 1959, briefly scratching around Poverty first, taking up work as a Crocodile shooter further north on the Cape. He then lived in New Guinea, trading skins and became a fish inspector, moving back to the area with his family in 1990.

Bob Harlow was raised on the Daintree on the family property known as Ashley Downs and came to Bloomfield after scratching a bit of tin at China Camp. He acquired Ten Mile Station, near the Boolbuns, where he ran cattle. Bob speaks of his life, of raising a family with his wife Viv and moving between Ten Mile and Ayton where they had purchased a house block. Bob relates events and incidents with humour, especially those to do with the Lion’s Den Hotel which was run by his uncle for a time.

Lewis Roberts OAM is the third generation of the Roberts’ family to reside at Shipton's Flat, his grandfather first coming to work in the Cooktown tin fields during the 1880’s. He relates events of his father Jack working in tin, timber and cattle; an avid naturalist, Jack also collected specimens of native animals for the Archibald Expedition in the 1950’s, which became an ongoing occupation.

Harry Dick first came to Bloomfield as a tin scratcher, working at Grass Tree Pocket, China Camp and later in the Granites behind Cedar Bay. A true ‘bushie’ Harry absorbed a lot of information on edible local plants, contributing to the Australian Plants magazine. Much of his knowledge he passed on to Les Higgins, the bush tucker man. Harry related a few stories, assuming an alias, once told to him by a Kuku Yalanji man, Charlie Ball - in the North Australian Monthly. 

Hank and Ruth Hershberger moved to Bloomfield from the United States to undertake study into the Kuku Yalanji language, for the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Over 25 years they incorporated the language from three sub-dialects (Jalanji, Nyungul and Yalanji) into a written format. They compiled a dictionary as well as translated the bible into Kuku Yalanji, their ultimate goal.

Hank spent much time out hunting with the men and gathering traditional foods. Their Kuku Yalanji language program was taught for some time at the Bloomfield River State School. They had returned to Queensland for a brief visit – which enabled this interview to take place.

Both Mabel and Lizzie were born at Banabila on the south side of the Bloomfield. The Olbars were Jalunji (sea) people who often worked on Trochus and other boats. Their parents also worked for the Masons at Cape Tribulation. Mabel and Lizzie talk about story sites; hunting and cooking turtle and other seafood, Torres Strait pigeon and other birds; making dilly bags and ‘marra’ – food from the zamia nut and collecting bush fruits. Lizzie Olbar, Alma Carey and Ivey Carey also speak.

Restricted access: oral history without cultural clearance

Ruby Friday was born in Rossville and because she was what was described as a "half-caste", her mother used to hide her from the authorities, and so took her to Shipton's Flat. As the tracker there was related to her mother she was never turned in. Ruby speaks of moving around between Helensvale, Poverty and Rossville – then of moving to Bloomfield.
She talks about how they used to live and how those days are all gone now; of the changes brought in by European people and how they have affected the ‘Bama’ (Aboriginal people) – laws, restrictions, food, money. She mentions story places and the taboos associated with them and ‘talking language’ with the Hershbergers at Jajikal.

Gerry Collins' grandfather Robert (Bert) Hislop - from Wyalla – collected many artefacts from the area for Walter Roth, Protector of Aborigines in the late 1880’s-1890’s. Gerry’s mother was brought up at Banabila and was exempted from the Aboriginal Act, his grandmother was Jenny Bauer, a Kuku Yalanji woman, whose name most likely came from the family who owned the Bloomfield Sugar Mill.

Mary Collins, Gerry’s wife was related to the Jose family, who resided in the Bloomfield in earlier times, working Trochus boats. They reminisce about people living there and the goings on at the time, moving house on the Hayles boat, going fishing / camping.

Doreen Stiff came first to Shipton's Flat during the war when her husband, Raney, was cutting and hauling timber for Shipton's Flat mill and mining in the off-season. A few years later they moved to Bloomfield where Raney hauled for the timber mill.

Doreen speaks of their time in the area fondly, despite the hardships, focusing on the good times and experiences they had been through. Their house in Bloomfield was nicknamed ‘do drop in’ as it was open to all and sundry. Her time there seemed to be consumed with household activities and teaching her children correspondence school.

Dolly Yougie was from Degarra, her grandfather was Billy King from Thompson Creek. Dolly grew up on the Daintree and married Youngaman (now Old Man) from up Boolban way. She mentions her traditional story places and foods; the downing of a lugger in the cyclone of 1934 which her uncles were on; young children taken by snakes; bush medicine etc.

Jimmy Johnson’s parents worked for the Masons at Cape Tribulation. Jimmy talked about story places from around Cape Tribulation, Emmagen Creek and Mt Pieter Botte. Jimmy lived for a time at Jajikal, going to school at the mill.
Later he worked on a Trochus boat, ending up in Thursday Island. He also worked for a while with Les Higgins, the Bush Tucker man, when he was still in the army. He remembers his grandfather making the traditional canoes, spearing turtle, ‘telepathic’ talking and burning/boiling special bushes to quell the rain or sea, and traditional medicines.

Harry was born in Shipton’s Flat, where his father worked for a miner, Arthur Shipton. His mother who had been in the original Bloomfield Mission, ran away to Shipton's Flat to avoid being sent to Yarrabah.

Harry speaks of the ‘black tracker' Wilba Romeo, coming to take young people, sending them down to Woorabinda and Palm Island. He speaks of working up at Jubilee, hunting, story places and ‘promising’ practices, corroborees etc. He moved to Banabila when he married Ena, a Jalunji woman.

Eileen Walker’s father was a Jalanji man who spent much of his time working on Trochus boats. She lived with her grandmother Nellie Yerry, at Degarra. She talks of going to school and staying in the dormitory at what was known as ‘Middle Mission’ and later moving up to Wujal Wujal when she married.

They lived mainly on traditional food in the camp, getting rations from the shop once a month. Eileen mentions traditional medicines, childbirth practices, beliefs and story sites. She spent time with the Hershbergers, Lynette Oates and on Kuku Yalanji language work.

Henry Walker talks about his father, growing up in Shipton's Flat, having to hide from the ‘buliman’, working for miners and others there at the time. Henry grew up in Rossville, moving down to Bloomfield to attend school. He speaks of going camping up at Shipton’s Flat; hunting Tree Kangaroos with his dad and making spears from Black Palm.

Henry also mentions taboo foods that a young fellow couldn’t eat traditionally and refers to stories he cannot tell a woman. He also talks of being reunited with his sister, Doreen, who was brought up by a European family. He also mentions being sent to Woorabinda for being a troublemaker.

Lorraine Baird’s father was Kuku Yalanji from Thompson’s Creek and her mother was Kuku Yimidhir from near Oakey Creek, past Cooktown. Lorraine's father worked on Trochus boats and she lived for a time at Banabila as well as Oakey Creek. She speaks of the difference in food etc between the two cultures (Yimidhir and Yalanji).

Lorraine spent time between China Camp and Thompsons Creek when her husband Robert was tin mining. She mentions hearing family stories from Kankaji, Ngiwa and the Bat Cave - however doesn’t elaborate on them. She also mentions Robert working at Hartwig’s Mission, her girls living in the dormitory there and of them being sent away to school in Brisbane.

Born in China Camp, George Kulka lived most of his life in Daintree and Mossman areas, but later moved back, so the interview is mostly made up of his reminiscences of his early years there. He speaks of former mining activities; traditional story places, foods, tribal law and practices (the demise of) and Bama (Aboriginal people) living there.

Jack Harrigan worked at the timber mill in Bloomfield, being one of the few local Indigenous men to be exempted from the Aboriginal Act, therefore able to be employed. Jack was born further north on the Cape, but married a local Aboriginal woman raising their children after she died.

Jack was also known as a ‘Rrunruji’ or medicine man and speaks of this briefly. Jack was hard of hearing and was joined by his daughter Grace Harrigan, so the interview is fairly brief.

Elizabeth Lee was formerly known in Bloomfield as Lizzie Peirce, whose family had a long history on the Bloomfield. She speaks about growing up across the river from the site of Wujal Wujal. Her family farmed while her uncles, Arthur and Albert Peirce worked pack teams running supplies up to China Camp in the tin mining days.

Elizabeth mentions tin miners and other Europeans around at the time; Yalanji people she was in contact with; going by boat, then on foot (after an incident with a crocodile) to school in Ayton; Johnson being given land on the river after finding Mrs Watson from Lizard Island. She also spoke of others living up at Mt Poverty, and Mt Romeo way, whom she knew when she moved from Bloomfield to live at Greenhills.

Billy Burchill was born in Bloomfield, his father was a miner from Bermuda and his mother from China Camp, so he moved a regularly between Bloomfield and the Daintree. Billy lived for a time with the Peirces, and attended school in Ayton for a short time. Billy later moved to China Camp, Main and Scrub camps, and also off-sided for a timber hauler contracting for the sawmill in Bloomfield. He mentions Bill Biddle, an early missionary type and of hiding from the police who were looking to take him away.

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Ailsa Hooker’s mother was a Kuku Nyungkul woman from Shipton's Flat. She married Alisa's father, Jack Doboy, in Palm Island, he was from Thompson Creek (the Woobada), a Yalanji man. They returned to Bloomfield where Jack worked at the mill ‘blue tonguing’ for the sniggers and doing some tin mining in the wet season.

Jack was another Indigenous person exempt from the Aboriginal Act. Their family grew up in Hansen’s old house (the first sawmill manager) on the hill at the Ayton wharf (later known as Sims’ wharf). Ailsa speaks of going to Thompson Creek; the Landin’; spending time with family; traditional foods they would eat; going to school and of others living at Jajikal at the time.

Wilma and Louise are sisters, from a mining family at Mt Poverty and Ralph’s family owned the Lion's Den Hotel and had packhorse teams. Ralph’s mum was a school teacher at Rossville and Shipton's Flat in the early days.

The sisters talk about life at Poverty and environs, and the ‘pray that you make it’ road to get there. Ralph relates stories of his packhorse days, of miners and others living in the area. Lastly they speak of the debate over freehold and leasehold land on the Cape and the blockade held by landholders, due to lack of consultation.

Donny (or Wandu) and Rainforest John relate events of the early ‘hippy’ days at Cedar Bay, of Cedar Bay Bill and others living there at the time. Donny and his brother bought the property adjacent to the National Park, so have many visitors who follow the track in and out via Auravale (formerly Tool-koor).

Since Bill’s passing the National Park has evicted the squatters. Donny and John talk of the alternative lifestyles of those living there, the pig hunters at the north end and vegetarians or fruitarians further to the south of the bay – and their contact, usually through transport by boat, with those living in Bloomfield.

Pearlie and Joe Kendrick came to Bloomfield with Bill Smith, settling in Ayton in the seventies. They speak of the hilarious life and times of the people around then, of Aboriginals and other locals, as well as hippies passing through. When they realised idea of setting up a caravan park were ludicrous (hard enough for cars to get in, in those days) they started up shop out of the annex of their caravan, the first to open a regular service based on a cash economy. Joe worked briefly at the sawmill before it closed down, out at Hicklings (Mt Louis Pastoral Co), then later at Wujal Wujal during the eighties. They also mention looking after the affairs of Bill Evans and Michael Formenko.

Bamboo Friday was born at Shipton’s Flat, grandson of Bluja King, a Kuku Nyungkul ‘maja’. His family was removed to Palm Island but Bamboo ran away and returned to Shipton’s Flat. He spoke about this time and of Leffy Buhmann giving him a job up at Poverty and helping him so he wouldn’t get sent back.

Bamboo tells of how the ‘Bama’ would hunt or work for miners and of their traditions – eg. how a Nyungkul person was accepted in their own territory, story places etc. He speaks of the Shipton’s Flat and Rossville mob and mentions how in olden times they used to go down to Cedar Bay to hunt turtle. Bamboo came down to Bloomfield, staying at Jajikal, where the Nyungkul people lived then moved from Shipton’s Flat – and raised his family there.

Clarry Hartwig came to Bloomfield in 1957 and started up a Lutheran mission of sorts. An unordained man and a carpenter by trade he started what was known as Middle Camp / Mission and took charge of Aboriginal welfare in the area. His wife Olive was a school teacher. He speaks of traditional ways of the Kuku Yalanji people, of how they communicated and of totem animals they were not allowed to eat.

Clarry talks of setting up the mission, a clinic and dormitory for the girls. The dormitory, adjacent to the now Bloomfield River State School, was closed when the young started to move up to the new site of Wujal Wujal. Clarry then worked as the mill manager for a time afterwards.

Cecil Murdoch first worked in the timber yard in Cooktown, and speaks of timber being brought in from Shipton’s Flat mill and those working in the area at that time. Cec spoke of JM Johnston’s boats moving the timber. When this mill closed down in 1945, Cec came to Bloomfield to work at the sawmill there.