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In August 1919, Charles and Minnie LATHER and their children Rita and Edward sold their pineapple farm at Woombye and purchased a dairy farm at Moggill. The property was situated between Pullen Creek and the Brisbane River and is described as Sub 1, Portion 6, Parish of Moggill, County of Stanley.

Conditions at Moggill in those early days can be described as fair. Social life centred on the Methodist Church. For years Charles Lather served as a Member of the Church property board. His son was secretary of the same board. Rita Lather was Church organist and Minnie Lather was secretary of the Ladies Guild. Edward Lather was employed as a Cadet Engineer in the PMG Department. To get to work he crossed the river in a small boar, then rode on a bicycle three miles to Darra railway station and on to the City of Brisbane by train. He did this for several years, then purchased a Dodge 4 car and travelled to the city by car in relative luxury. He was promoted to higher positions in the Engineering Division and finally retired as Director PMG Department for Queensland.

Supplies of food were not easily procured in the early days. For instance the grocer came once a fortnight in a horse drawn wagon. Fortunately a good garden with fruit trees etc had already been established on the Lather farm. Fruit and vegetables were plentiful. The nearest butcher’s shop was at Indooroopilly.

Two tennis courts were eventually built at Moggill. One at Lather’s farm (Kareellaa) and the second at the church. Thus sporting activities of the young people were well catered for.

Late in the 1920s the PMG Department carried out fairly major extensions to its country services and established a manual telephone service at Moggill. The exchange was installed at the Post Master’s home, Mr H.B. Aplin. Hours of service were 9am to 10am and 12 noon to 1pm and 5pm to 6 pm. Some twenty services were connected. Later a major event occurred, commercial power was provided in Moggill. One result of this was an automatic telephone exchange was provided in Moggill.

Charles Lather died in July 1934. He was buried in the south western section of Moggill Cemetery.

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Moggill - History - Lather
This page created and maintained by Bruce Sugars
Last updated 16 January 1997
Copyright ? 1996 by B. Sugars

 

 

 

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