Apr2014_SAMFORD MUSEUM NEWS

Saturday 15th March saw many enthusiastic members join the Domrow family at the Museum to share in celebrating the 90th birthday of our very own and highly regarded member John Domrow. We were also privileged to share in the the 65th wedding anniversary of John and his lovely wife Alice.

 

The following summary of John’s life is without doubt something of which he can feel justifiably proud. We are truly pleased and grateful to have been able to share the joy and love of our treasured friend.

ABOUT JOHN DOMROW:

John Richard Domrow

born March 7th 1924

“Proudly Australian – A Samford Legend”

1918 The village began with the arrival in 1918 of the train line reaching Samford.

1924 John was born 6 years later in Rosewood.  Four days later he came to Samford at Camp Mountain.  He has lived here his entire life.

1928 Huge bushfire. John remembers his mother letting the animals out to get away.  In 1948, under the guidance of Jack Mitchell, the 1st Rural Brigade in Queensland was formed.  Naturally, John was a member.

1929 Bunchy-top, a virus, hit the booming banana industry and farmers were ordered to burn their plantations.  A devastating blow, as more bananas left Samford station than anywhere else in Queensland at this time.

1929 Camp Mountain School was finished, having been built by the local farmers.  John attended here until the teacher caned him unmercifully, so John was forced to leave and thus began his working life.

1930 The Great Depression and the beginning of the “swaggie”.  Looking for work, they had to be in a different location each week to get their small amount of money if married, and food coupons if single.  John was 8 years old and already was planting and growing vegetables with his father and helping with the dairy.

1939 WWII declared.  In 1942, John was 18 years and passed his medicals to enlist in the AIF, but then General McArthur said he needed farmers to grow food for his soldiers.  So John went home and that is what he did!  Working long hours into the night, he and his family grew and delivered turnips, tomatoes, beetroot, peas, beans, and carrots to the American army camps in the area.

1947 Train disaster on May 5th.  It is still the worst in Queensland’s history.  John worked day and night trying to free those alive and trapped in the wreckage.  What we need to realise is that there was one phone, no electricity or water, and the few ambulances we had, had to come out from the city over the old Samford Range road to reach the wounded.

1949 John married Alice, the love of his life, and he has never let an anniversary go by without recognition.

1954 Electricity reaches Camp Mountain.

1964 Milk-tankers took over from milk carriers who carted the milk in 10 gallon cans to QUF.  Producers had to make big decisions as the DPI ruled farmers had to provide an all-weather road and turning space for the tankers.  John’s family decided to stop dairying.

1964 John turned his life around and began a landscaping business with his son Colin and Peter joined them when he left school.  Over the ensuing year, John and Alice took their young family on camping holidays and a special trip on a passenger ship, the Ocean Monarch, which sailed up the east coast of Queensland, calling in at all the ports.  A holiday they’ve never forgotten.

1972 Samford State School Centenary.  John led the parade of floats and school children dressed in period costumes, in his 1926 Chevrolet truck, which did all the hard work during the war years delivering loads and loads of vegetables.  On board was a large piece of Samford granite.  This symbolised the granite from Camp Mountain that had been used for the base of Brisbane City Hall in 1922.  John delivered it to the City Hall as a commemoration.

1974 Cyclone Wanda caused a shortage of milk for Brisbane’s babies and premature babies in hospital.  An Enoggera Lions member, Laurie Hagen, heard about the shortage on the radio and rang John.  John organised to collect milk from local farmers with his tractor and carry-all through flooded creeks and over paddocks.  It was delivered to the top of Samford Range where Laurie was waiting to transport it into Brisbane.

1978 John and his boys stopped landscaping together.  Peter continued the business.  John started as janitor and groundsman at the Mitchelton Special School, where the children loved him.  He used to make them toys from timber off-cuts.  No doubt, his kind and caring nature played a major part in his work.

1984 Saw the start of the Samford District Historical Museum with a “Back to Samford” day.  It was very successful and there was John in his 1926 Chev leading the parade!

1990 Another holiday.  John bought a camper van and off he went with Alice and Ron.  They went north and south along the east coast of Australia, visiting Yvonne and her husband down south.

2000 John and Ron became regular workers on a weekly basis at the Museum.  Over the last 14 years John has been the main speaker in presenting the Early Timber Skills demonstration for schools and groups.  Stan Chambers and Gil Chard have also been actively involved.  His remarkable memory has been an asset to the district history and our records.  His generosity knows no limit. He is…

 

A True Samford Legend