The following two reminiscences of Bribie in the 1940s and 1950s were written in 1997 by Ted Simpson and Ted Clayton respectively.
Bribie Jetty, 1945
Photo: The Longreach Leader 30.6.1945 p.9
22. Reminiscences of Bribie (1946-1950) by R.E. Simpson
About the author: In 1997, Ted and Rose Simpson returned to Bribie Island and Ted Simpson wrote the following reminiscences, of his time on Bribie from the mid-1940s till he left to serve in Korea and Japan, which were published in the Island and Mainland News, 29 Oct 1997.
Interestingly, a 23-pound snapper16 caught off Bribie Island by Dick Simpson in 1951 was cast in plaster by the Queensland Museum.*
In the mid-1940s my parents Dick and Melba Simpson (both now deceased) moved to Bribie Island along with eight of their nine children. The house we lived in was located near where the Bongaree Post Office now stands. Dick Simpson was, at different times, a professional fisherman, skipper of the barge which transported vehicles from the mainland to the Island as the bridge had not been thought of at that time. He also operated a butcher shop for a time where the second-hand shop is now [in 1997]. After that he converted the 28-foot launch Sunny Girl to a flush deck trawler and so became what was most likely the first commercial prawn trawler operator in Moreton Bay. His wife Melba Simpson, as well as being housewife and mother, sold fish and crabs and shell ornaments from her front verandah. My younger brother Max drove an old international truck and delivered ice. I am not sure but I think Ivan Tesch might have owned the truck. Another brother, Albert, worked part time assisting Tex the slaughterman.
At that time the Post Office was located near the Koopa jetty to the rear of the service station. In 1950 I joined the army and after that I only returned for a few short holidays. Two brothers Ronald and Albert eventually joined the navy. William and sister Marjory joined the Air Force. My teenage girlfriend, Rosaline Long, later to become my wife, lived at Graceville but worked weekends in the Cafeteria on either the Koopa, Miramar or Mirana.
As a point of interest, a vehicle used only on the island cost £4.10 per year to register. At that time, I don’t think there were any sealed roads on the Island. Mail was picked up at Toorbul Point and transported to Bribie by motor launch. I know that progress has brought many changes to the Island. Some good, some not so good, but I cannot, for the life of me, understand why places like Campbells Creek (now Williams Creek) had to suffer a name change. After all the Campbell family owned and operated a business on its banks for many years.
I wonder what the Island will be like in another fifty years. Still free of traffic lights I hope.
23. Reminiscences of Bribie (1940s-1950s) by Ted Clayton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ted Clayton’s parents Ernie and Marion met on Bribie Island in the 1920s and while Ted grew up in Brisbane most of his childhood family holidays were spent on Bribie. After Ted married Patricia, the couple chose to settle on Bribie Island and raise their family. As the Island’s carpenter, builder, fisherman and regular contributor to Fishing World for over two decades, Ted Clayton’s knowledge of Bribie Island’s natural environment is extensive. Ted’s large collection of Aboriginal artefacts were gifted to the Queensland Museum in recent times. Ted also collected copies of many of Vera Campbell’s photos thus capturing a wonderful pictorial memory of Reg and Vera Campbell.
Letter by Ted Clayton to the Editor. Island and Mainland News, 11 Nov 1997.
I read Mr R.E. Simpson’s letter in your October 29th edition. His brother Max delivered our ice for quite some time. Certainly the ice works (and probably the truck) belonged to the Tesch family. I had no idea that the name of Campbells Creek had been changed to “Williams Creek” – if that is so, then it saddens me. Another case of out of sight out of mind.
I do not know who the Williams referred to would be but they could not have a claim that would surpass that of Reg and Vera Campbell, two modest and lovable people whose ties to the creek go back a very long way. I do not know the exact date that they acquired their creek bank lease but I was buying aniseed balls from their shop prior to World War 2. At that time they had a well-established business alongside the creek as general store/garage/professional fisherman/boat hire, boat building etc. They were there before a road bridge existed across the creek. The remains of Reg’s boat shed can be seen in a popular painting at the local library.
As a child Reg attended Clark’s school at Toorbul Point. On Bribie he was a prominent and popular businessman, someone who could fix anything. He deserves to be remembered. It is a pity that the Campbells Creek where I caught mullet as a child has been turned into something resembling a drain.
On another point of historical accuracy. Toward the south west corner of the island there used to be a delightful little inlet with mangroves and a few mud crabs. It was called “The Yabby Patch Creek”. It became involved in the erosion of the foreshore and putting a dam across it saved the adjacent properties. The dam filled with fresh water, grew reeds, and attracted bird life. It has come to be known incorrectly as “Buckley’s Hole”.
“Buckleys Hole” – historically – refers to an area of deep water alongside the ledge in front of the parking area at the south end of South Esplanade. The real Buckley’s Hole has strong memories of dark nights and exciting times for generations of fishermen. Who it was named after I don’t know – someone else who has lost their mark on history – but the name goes back to the very early days prior to World War 1. My father was fishing it by 1920. There are many people alive who object strongly to the name being hijacked and the old timers will be turning over in their graves. It was – and is – a very well-known local feature.
REFERENCES
*Rival for “Snozzle” [illustration]. The Courier Mail, Wed 22 Aug 1951, p. 3
Reminiscences of Bribie (1946-1950) by R.E. Simpson. Island and Mainland News, 29 Oct 1997. Reproduced in: Describing Bribie Island 1865-1965: historical first-hand accounts of visiting Bribie Island (2017) chapter 22.
Reminiscences of Bribie (1940s-1950s) by Ted Clayton. Letter to the Editor, Island and Mainland News, 11 Nov 1997. Reproduced in: Describing Bribie Island 1865-1965: historical first-hand accounts of visiting Bribie Island (2017) chapter 23.
Photo: Bribie Jetty, showing part of Bongaree township. The Longreach Leader 30.6.1945 p.9
The above stories are two of 27 stories presented in Describing Bribie Island 1865-1965: historical first-hand accounts of visiting Bribie Island produced by the Bribie Island Historical Society in 2017.
