Dayboro Show:  Once again our Society had a display at the Dayboro Show (pictured at right) and throughout the weekend I spoke to a number of descendants of early pioneering families.  One young lady had entered her dogs in the show and Alison Taylor thought that with the surname Raaen it was possible she had some connection with our district – after all the first Terrors Creek Provisional School was situated in Haagen Raaen’s barn in 1874.  Ole Raaen was her great-grandfather so she was going home to ask her family some more questions.  Other people I spoke to were from the Rohlf, Skerman, Long, Scanlan and Bloomfield families to name a few.  Also a number of people were interested in finding out more about the house or property where they now live.
New Members:  New members are always welcome – it is certainly not necessary to be a long-time resident or descended from a pioneering family.  If you have an interest in history come along.  The Society meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month in “Dayboro Cottage”, 27 Williams Street, Dayboro at 7.30 p.m.
100 Years ago:  Following on last month’s Grapevine article listing the 1909 businesses, I thought the following would be of interest.  About three years ago a gentleman came into “Dayboro Cottage” and donated to our Society a “Holy Childhood” Prayer Book which had been presented to his grandfather on the occasion of his first communion in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.  The notation in the book reads: 
“Joseph Thiele, Terrors Creek, 9th August 1909”
Exactly 100 years ago. 
Joseph Thiele was living with his grandparents at the time.  His father, also Joseph Terence Thiele, was a Policeman but not stationed locally.  Joseph Jnr. was the grandson of Christoph Thiele, who with his brother Wilhelm, arrived in Moreton Bay on the “Helene” on 2nd August 1865.   Christoph was only 16 and his brother was 22.  They were from Liebenburg, Hannover.  Other passengers on the “Helene” were Hans and Elsabe Rohlf and Carl Ihm.  We know that the Rohlf family was in this district by 1868 and it is believed that Carl Ihm was with them.  We do not know where Christoph Thiele went on his arrival in Queensland but we do know that he selected his first block of land in this district on 6 Sep 1871- Portion 44 Parish of Whiteside containing 60 acres.  This property adjoined property selected by Carl Ihm.  Fingerboard Road was to later divide this property in two.  Christoph, or Christopher as he became known, married Mary Elizabeth Meahen (or Meaken), an Irish lass, on 4 June 1872.  On 14 April 1877 Christoph Thiele obtained his Horse & Cattle Brand “9LT”. He went on to select a number of other properties:
· 1 Oct 1978 – Portion 99 Parish of Whiteside – 58 acres adjoining the first block off Fingerboard Road.
· 31 May 1881 – Portion 97 Parish of Whiteside – 100 acres.  This property was divided by what was to become the Mt. Mee Road.  75 acres were transferred to Charles Doyle on 11 Jun 1910.  This is the property on which Glengariff Historic Estate stands today.  Christoph Thiele retained the remaining 25 acres.
· 6 May 1887 – Portion 2V Parish of Whiteside – 100 acres – adjoining the Fingerboard Road properties.  This property was forteited in 1898.
6 Mar 1898 – Portion 107V Parish of Whiteside – 38 acres 18 perches – adjoining the Mt. Mee Road property.  Dayboro Cottages and Llama Walks are presently situated on this property.
On 14 May 1912 the Fingerboard Road properties were transferred to Carl Ihm and the Mt. Mee Road properties were transferred to Edward Holt.  The family moved to Collingwood Street, Breakfast Creek.
There are so many connections but what amazed me was that Joseph’s grandson just walked into “Dayboro Cottage” one day unannounced and donated this prayer book to our Society.