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SOUVENIR-CHARTERS TOWERS, 1872 TO JULY, 1950
There were some tough customers too. Little Beff Taylor was a solid
proposition to take on in his day. Then there were the Browns
(Bill and Tom). Poor Bill died after one of these matches from a series
of epileptic fits. Morley and Blakeney were worth leaving alone by
those who were not acquainted with the game.
Tipperary Jim, who once carried away on his shoulder the log to
which he was chained at the
Police Station, was a glutton for "stoush," and the battles of these
men are well known by the old time miners and the lads of those by-gone
days. There were others besides these, and amongst them
were Ted Easton and Hall.
INTEREST IN SPORT
The miners were great enthusiasts of sport generally, and took an
enthusiastic interest in all international achievements of the
Australians, such as the boat races between Hanlon and Trickett, the
Australian eleven and such like, and they would wait eagerly for
the news to come through, and would hail every success with the
singing of
"Proudly
wear your colours, boys
And prove both staunch and true;
For
the flag of young Australia
Is the Bonny Native Blue."
Or its companion chorus:
"It's
the flag that waves o'er the Southern Sea
The flag of wealth and industry;
The flag that always carries the sway
Is the Bonnie Blue Flag of Australia."
And then there was always some local poet to compose a song of each and
every successful event achieved. Arthur St. Vincent and his wife were
good entertainers who pleased
their audiences with localised popular airs and vaudeville stunts.
GOOD OLD TOWERS
By J. COWARD
(Tune-"Old Black Joe")
I.
Gone
are the days, when we climbed old Towers Hill;
Gone is the noise, of the old
Defiance Mill;
Gone are the days walking Mosman
Street and Gill;
But there's a lingering longing for
the old place
still.
Chorus.
I
love it, you love it,
Though from it we choose to go;
When we moved into Brisbane
It commenced to grow.
II.
Gone
are the days of Dakes and many more,
Gone are the days of J. W. Ward's
Blue Store;
Gone are the days when the whistles
blew galore.
To live in little Brisbane Town, doth
grieve us sore.
Chorus.
I love it, you love it,
And there's tons of gold there
When Charters Towers Booms
Straight back-you bet.
III
Gone
are days of French and Doughalls Bread,
Gone are the boys and the girls we
should have wed.
Gone are the days when on Burdekin
Plums we fed,
To take away these memories, life
would be but dead.
Chorus.
I love it, you love it,
And our love is here
unfurled;
There's not a greater place on Earth,
It is-"The World."
IV.
These
are the days to renew old friendships o'er,
These are the days forgetting strife
and war;
These are the days to review the days
of yore
Still travelling, onward, upward to a
golden shore.
Chorus.
I
love it, you love it,
And our love is here
There's not a greater
It is-"The World,"
