THE rich history of Rosewood was brought to life during a tour that took place last week hosted by the Convenor of the Rosewood History and Memories Group, David Pahlke.
A brief background history of why David has such a great interest and love for Rosewood started the tour for over 20 people who had travelled from Brisbane to be involved in the day.
David said it is very important to him to keep the town’s history alive.
“Our guests travelled from Brisbane and I welcomed them over coffee, tea and brunch before as a group we set off to enjoy many great stories,” he said.
“There are many very early origins here in Rosewood including the establishment of the Rosewood Rail Station, the rich history throughout the Rosewood Scrub, the settlement in the area and the history of the buildings, churches and schools.
“Just in the main street alone, there is the old court house which is now the Bremer Valley Realty, the former Jailhouse which is on display in the Cobb and Co Park and the original Royal Bank of Queensland utilised now by the Rosewood Country Women’s Association, just to name a few.
“Fires were a re-occurring tragedy that struck many times in the hotels and businesses in Rosewood in the early days, the Rosewood Hotel is just one of the buildings on the list.
“In most of the hotels there are also stories of spirits or ghosts that have been seen, or unexplainable events that have been recorded.
“The town though has really grown so much over the many years from the drapery, grocer and general store that was opened by Robert Sellars in 1903, to the many stores that we have available in town today. It is a town that is rapidly changing.”
A highlight of the tour was standing next to the St Brigid’s Catholic Church which is renowned as the largest wooden church of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
“The group asked many questions and expressed how impressed they were to see what the town has to offer, and it was great to share this with them,” he said.
“After the tour we all enjoyed a lunch at the Royal George Hotel before my new friends set off back to Brisbane with new stories and history to tell.”
