Nomenclature and local sources

Yesterday there were the “dangers” of blogging. Today there are some of the joys: new connections; new information; new sources; inspiration. An avid local historian wrote to me about the issue of using the correct name for Marburg in the 1800s. He suggested that neither Frederick nor Marburg were commonly in use, even in the 1880s. This conclusion was based on the fact that in November 1882, William Dobson wrote in his diary that no-one was able to direct him to Marburg when he landed in Brisbane. When he finally mentioned the phrase “Rosewood Scrub” people immediately told him to take the train to Walloon or Rosewood.

My correspondent also said that the application for the school in 1876 was under the name of the Rosewood Scrub and the school was to be at Sally Owens’ Plain.

I was under the mistaken impression that the Rosewood Scrub was a fairly generic term and that its use by the historical society (based in Marburg) indicated tactful inclusiveness. In fact, it is probably the most historically accurate and widely used name for this area.

Arriving in the early 1870s, the Jaeckels will land at Moreton Bay, spend some time in Nundah at the German mission, then head for the Rosewood Scrub and specifically the area of Sally Owens’ Plain. They will be early arrivals to the area as the scrub was opened to German settlers in 1872. They will be able to contribute greatly to a new settlement.