Vale Kelly Davis

It is with great sorrow that we report the passing of Kelly Davis, a long-time Paluma resident and active member of the community. Kelly passed away last Friday night. Kelly’s long association with Paluma, and the various roles and friendships he established here warrant a more detailed tribute. My most recent memories of Kelly come from recent Anagama firings at Len Cook’s kiln where he spend nightly vigils stoking the furnace and monitoring firing temperatures. But there is much more to tell about this man, so please email me (j.k.oliver@outlook.com) if you have any other information or anecdotes so that his contributions can be fully acknowledged in a separate post.

Vale Manuel Larrinaga 1949 – 2018

                  The Basque Man of Paluma and District.

A long-time resident of both Paluma and Hidden Valley, Manuel Larrinaga, died on 10th May 2018, aged 69 years, after 3 months of acute cancer illness.

Manuel was born a Basque, within the spanish  Francoist  fascist  State in 1949, into a family of long-established farmers just outside Guernica in the Basque Country, the site of the 26 April 1937 infamous Hitler/ Franco atrocity during the Spanish Civil War. (The subject of Picasso’s famous painting entitled “ Guernika”  of the same year – see Wikipedia).

Manuel was one of 11 children, some  of whom still live on the family farm, including Luciano, his elder brother with whom he fled to Australia, as a refugee,  aged 16, to escape forced conscription into Franco’s army, which was yet another attempt by the The Fascist Dictator to suppress the Basque Culture which has a feisty independent democratic tradition going back several centuries!

Franco’s death in 1975 was marked in Guernica with great joy.  Manuel, who covertly returned to Guernica for the expected occasion, would often recount how free refreshments flowed like water for days in Guernica in celebration of the Fascist Dictator’s demise, such was the not – forgotten  Basque revulsion over his crimes. (google “ Guernika”)

Manuel himself passionately hated Franco, accusing him of thwarting his plans  to become a Vet! Instead Manuel followed a life of very hard labour in the cane fields of NQ and construction work in Mt Isa and elsewhere in NQ from age 16 until he died 53 years later.

Manuel was a member of a cane- cutting gang established by Luciano in Ingham. He had to harden up from a wanna- be Vet student and despite  weeping  every night for two years from the painful consequences of manual cane cutting he became a very tough man excelling in Boxing and being a renowned hard manual worker , as well as a spell as a Pub bouncer keeping order among the thirsty cane cutters. Ingham Police dubbed him “The Bullfighter” while others called him “The Basque Terrorist”, titles Manuel proudly proclaimed!

The reality was that Manuel was a bit of a “softie” when it came to helping the less- fortunate. He also had strong views about injustice .

In 1976 he worked for Simon Carves Ltd in Mt. Isa in a multi-national gang constructing the famous smelter Smoke Stack during which time he was the macho man riding the crane loads as a rigger to the top of the stack as it rose to its 270 Metre height. His stories of pranks and escapades without safety harnesses on high were blood chilling and often led to acute anxiety attacks amongst the Health & Safety ground staff.

In 1978 he met Judy, his life partner of nearly 40 years and they ultimately moved to live firstly at Hidden Valley and subsequently to the Republic of Hussey Road  where Manuel constructed a large “Yurt” for Judy (a large Decagon house of stringy bark slabs cut by Manuel) which he subsequently re-erected at Hidden Valley, near the Furber Homestead,  after adding two wings…it is an impressive example of Australian Bush architecture which will some day end up in a glossy coffee table book on vernacular buildings of OZ.

Indeed, Many of his structures can be seen around our District. Manuel was an artiste with a chain saw and he could perform miracles with his “Skyhook” chain block and his trusty shovel severely worn down by the digging of numerous postholes over many years! Manuel produced a number of stringy bark slab tables which are memorials to his skill and labours in the forests around Paluma- Blackfriars – Mt Zero as a timber cutter and Mill worker with Mr. R. Brookes esq. (who can forget their red hair dye period?)

Manuel’s legacy is around us for all to see…including the Andree Griffin Walking Track sign and the “Trees in Memory ” slab both voluntarily erected by him.

No story about Manuel’s life is complete without mentioning his valiant attempts to conquer  the English language! He could construct alleged English sentences and adapt words so that they were but a shadow of their intended meaning but still understandable with a little prodding, poking and requests for repetition from those of us who could not understand a single word of the truly ancient Basque Language. (Please note : not Spanish!)

Indeed, it has been suggested that Manuel communicated in  Basque with an Australian accent! a very endearing aspect of his personality and perfectly understandable when one considers that his English language academy was the cane paddocks of Ingham where  the tutors spoke only Basque, Spanish, Italian , Sicilian , Serbian , Croat and Irish!

His persona of a tough hard- working battler remain in the memories of those who knew him, especially the super-critical working people of The Valley who were in awe of his prodigious work ethic and physical toughness.

May his memory be long respected in this District as one of those many oppressed refugees who have made a huge contribution to our present day Australian Culture .

Michael Drew

Vale Jean Garrett

It is with sorrow that we report the passing of former Paluma resident, Jean Garrett on Christmas Day, 2019 after a long illness.

Jean had a long association with Paluma, visiting the village regularly from the time she was a teenager, coming on a motor cycle with her then boyfriend, Graham.  They married in Perth, when Jean was 16, returning to Townsville soon after, and had a long and happy marriage.

Jean supported her husband’s enthusiasm for Speedway Side-car racing and over many years they travelled to many destinations to speedway meetings around the country with their children. They were a popular couple around the speedway, with many long-term friends.

Jean was a very capable woman with numerous other interests, especially within the Arts.  She and Graham owned The Palms Art Gallery in Townsville, from which they also ran a framing business.   Jean had a fine collection of porcelain, sculpture and prints.  Jean was also a keen gardener. An absorbing interest was jewellery-making, at which she was very talented, creating unique and lovely pieces in her studio at their home. Jean’sjewellery was in demand at craft shops and markets.

Graham and Jean bought Mist Haven units from Cec and Lois Carpenter, and later the brick house in Lennox Crescent where Jean and Graham lived until Graham’s death in 2008.  Jean was devastated by his death but remained here for several years.  However, with declining health and missing Graham deeply, she sold the house and moved to Patterson in NSW to be nearer to her children and grand-children.  Here, she quickly made friends and helped regularly in an art and craft shop until failing health forced her to retire.

Jean is remembered very fondly by her friends in Paluma and our sympathy is extended to her family in their sad loss.

A celebration of the lives of Graham and Jean and spreading of their mingled ashes, will be held by the family on 6th June in Paluma, where Graham and Jean had been so happy.  

Vale Stafford Browne

We are deeply saddened to report the recent passing of Stafford Browne, long-time resident of Hussey Road, Paluma. Stafford, best known to his Paluma friends and family as ‘Staff’ passed away on 11 December 2019. He will be fondly remembered this week at a private ‘Celebration of Life’ in Townsville. Our loving thoughts and sincere condolences are extended to Merle and the family in their great loss.

Vale Andy Bishop

It is with great sorrow that we report the passing in Maleny late in September of former Paluma resident, Andy Bishop.  

Andy and Ann Bishop were popular long-time residents having come to Paluma from Mt Isa in 1989 to take ownership of the renowned Ivy Cottage Tea Rooms. People came from far and wide to experience the warm hospitality of Ann and Andy, sample the Devonshire teas and see at close hand the many birds that flocked to the cottage gardens. One distinguished guest was David Attenborough.

The Bishops sold Ivy Cottage in 1998 and Andy took up the position of groundsman at Paluma Environmental School where he worked until retirement.

During his time here Andy built as their residence the unusually designed house at No. 13 Mount Spec Road. Always involved in community activities, Andy rode every year until 2017 in the Paluma Push cycle race.  Andy and Ann were keen tap dancers and regularly attended aqua-aerobics.  They moved from Paluma to Maleny in 2016 to be closer to extended family. They continued to live life to the fullest, frequently travelling around Australia and abroad and relishing their retirement and their life together.

Our deepest sympathy and caring thoughts go to Ann in her devastating loss.

Ann & Andy Bishop almost 20 years ago at the commencement of the construction of their home at 13 Mount Spec Road.

Vale Loris Klumpp (1925-2019)

Loris Klumpp (nee Brown), 9 September 1925 to 26 July 2019

Sadly, the last of the early pioneers of Paluma, Loris Klumpp, passed away in Brisbane recently, aged 93.

Loris, with her parents Eric and Ruby Brown and sister Averil, started visiting Paluma in the early 1930’s. Eric purchased land at 70 Mt Spec Road at the first public auction in 1934. The land was two doors down from Ivy Cottage. This property is still owned today by the Klumpp family.

Loris wrote an interesting recollection of her childhood memories of Paluma in Neal Sellars publication, The Paluma Road – 50 Years On. You can read her account in the History Section of the paluma.org website. Loris’ account starts at the bottom of page 4 in the document.

[mdocs single-file=”Paluma Road.pdf”]

During the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s Loris, with husband Bill, loved their time at Paluma, enjoying the climate, fauna, flora and social gatherings. Just for the same reasons many locals enjoy time at Paluma today.

After volunteer work in Townsville, Loris and Bill enjoyed 4 to 5 days of each week at Paluma. Every Friday night ‘it was on at the Klumpps’. Local residents visited the Klumpps for a fun night playing table-tennis and snooker, with the ladies playing cards. Everyone brought a plate to share for supper. On the weekends many ‘Wimbledon finals’ were hotly contested on the old World War 2 tennis court located opposite Ivy Cottage. The playing surface was said to be – part cement, part grass and part dirt – due to all the cracks! Contestants had to be skilled as ‘all court players’.

Loris and Bill moved to the Sunshine coast in 1991, handing over their Paluma property to son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Dorothy.

In her later years, after suffering ill health, Loris was lovingly nursed and cared for by her daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Russ Morgan. The many visits from her four grandsons and nine great grandchildren gave Loris much joy.

When not volunteering, Loris always kept herself busy with many hobbies and interests. She was an avid novel and history reader, piano player, china painter, art lover, dressmaker, crochet needle worker, gardener, extensive overseas traveller, and she loved cooking for large family and social gatherings. It may be easy to see why Loris will always be loved and missed by her family and friends.

Loris’ deep and abiding affection for the little rainforest village of Paluma now lives on through her descendants in the Klumpp family. All family members, over five generations, love visiting Paluma and enjoy the area’s natural beauty and wonders. Loris’ spirit will always reside in the village – somewhere about 70 Mt Spec Road and the old tennis court!

Article & Photo provided courtesy of Peter & Dorothy Klumpp

Vale Tom Conner 1931-2019

It is with sadness that we report the passing of Tom Conner. For almost 80 years of his life Tom was connected with Paluma.

In 1938 Tom moved to Taravale Road with his mother, father and grandfather. Tom said that their shelter was ‘up-market’ for the area as it had hessian walls. Tom’s father and grandfather were timber cutters. At the start of World War 2 the government conscripted his father (Tom Senior) and his grandfather into the Civil Construction Corp. His father was put in charge of the timber camp at Taravale Road.

Tom spent most of the war years at the Taravale camp. A simple monument at about 0.7 km down the road (off the Mount Spec-Ewan Road) marks the camp site. (Although Taravale Road is a private road it is possible for people to drive down the road – with caution – to visit the monument).

After the war, Tom lived in various houses in Paluma and became a timber cutter and a timber truck driver, delivering loads to the old Moongobulla rail siding (now gone). After his marriage to Freda, Tom moved to Townsville and worked for the electricity industry, selecting power poles to harvest in the Mount Spec area for many years. In retirement, Tom and Freda owned a house in the Paluma village. Freda is the granddaughter of the Cavill family, pioneers of the Paluma area.

Tom’s favourite sport was tennis. He hit many a ball on the war time court opposite Ivy Cottage. Tom will be remembered as a gentleman and for his knowledge and incredible memories of the Paluma area.

Our sincere condolences go to Tom’s family and friends.

Post courtesy of Bill Pyne

Vale Roy Mackay – a message from the Mackay family

Roy David Mackay passed away peacefully in his sleep at Regis,  Kirwan,  on 12 February 2019.
Roy’s wishes were that there be no service at his cremation.

So that family and friends (from Paluma and elsewhere) can pay tribute to the incredible life that was his, an event celebrating his life is being planned for Paluma. Once arrangements have been finalised another notice will be posted on Paluma.org with the details. 
The family would like to thank the Paluma community for their support of Roy,  particularly in his twilight years,  and to the family since his passing.

Kind regards, 
David Mackay 

Vale Roy Mackay

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we post the news that one of Paluma’s most beloved and admired residents, Roy Mackay has passed away.

Roy passed peacefully at 9.15 PM on Tuesday 12 February at the Regis Aged Care facility in the company of his long-time companion Colwyn Campbell and his dear friend Beth Snewin. Roy was 90 years of age.

Our sincere condolences to Roy’s family and to Colwyn at this sad time.

Roy Mackay in September 2018 in one of his favourite places – his library.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

By Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold. 

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.


Vale John Tubman

It is with great sadness that the PDCA Executive Committee posts the following notice as received from James Jackson today (21 January 2019).

RE: The Passing of John Tubman

 As most would know, John has been fighting an aggressive form of cancer for over two years. He was admitted to TGH early last week (14th) with complications arising from the condition and despite intense treatment and care failed to recover.

John passed away about 11.00 am on Friday 18th with family by his side. It will take quite some time for Junita and John’s siblings and family to reach acceptance of his passing, but all have been buoyed by, and are very grateful for the kind words, thoughts and condolences offered from many of John’s friends and colleagues.

A service for John will be held at Morley’s Funeral Home commencing at 1.00pm this Friday January 25th.  Notice to appear in Townsville Bulletin on Wednesday 23rd.

On behalf of Junita and John’s Family, I would like to convey their appreciation for your kind messages and thoughts of sympathy.

James Jackson