October 31, 2013
Yarraman’s Heritage House has a new “old” exhibit which will interest visitors, a massive timber wagon used to haul timber to local sawmills.
The wagon, which belonged to local bullocky Fred Klein, is known to have carried logs from the Bunya Mountains to mills in the Mt Binga and Upper Yarraman areas.
In 1969, it was donated by the Klein family and placed in a reserve at Mt Binga. It was later re-located to the DPI Forestry office at Yarraman where it was restored in 1973 by legendary local timber craftsman Arthur Leis (Arthur used his skills to design and build fire towers in Queensland, including the now Heritage-listed Jimna tower).
Sadly for the local timber industry, the DPI Office closed several years ago. The building was recently sold which meant the wagon needed a new home.
Local history buff Kerry Wyvill and other Heritage House volunteers organised for the wagon – and three large logs which were also part of the display – to be shifted to Heritage House on Glen Bailey’s tilt-tray truck last week.
Kerry has strong links to the local timber industry; he was an overseer in the local forestry during the 1970s, and as a young lad worked for Jim Mangan snigging timber with horses in the East Nanango forestry. His family also formerly owned a wagon similar to Heritage House’s latest acquisition.
Yarraman and District Historical Society president Helene Johnson said Steve Wyvill, manager of Yarraman Pine, organised the forklift to unload the logs.
Heritage House volunteers prepared the wagon for its trip, and have been working on it since its arrival, oiling the timber and re-painting the metalwork. When this is completed the wagon will be shifted into a new position near the front fence and the three large timber logs will be reloaded.
Helene said the plan was to seek funding to erect a cover to protect the wagon from the weather.
The wagon has had a long history in the local timber industry, possibly dating back to the early 1900s.
Fred Klein began driving his father George’s team of 22 bullocks in 1906 at the tender of age of 12.
For a while he worked for Prenzlers Sawmill near Goombungee, hauling spotted gum for the construction of railway homes at Goombungee and sleepers for the Harlin and Cooyar railway lines.
Klein had a farm at Peranga and later moved to Mt Binga. He is buried alongside his wife Lizzie at Evergreen.
The centre’s volunteers gathered for a “thank you” barbecue.
Helene praised them for all their hard work in recent months – at the centre, at Colours of Yarraman and at the open day.
She also presented society secretary Margaret McNae with a retirement gift.
Margaret has been a volunteer at Heritage House for eight years and is retiring on Thursday.
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Also available at Heritage House now are copies of Toowoomba Regional Council’s new “Heritage Treasures of the Toowoomba Region 2013” booklet launched on Monday by Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio.
The booklet, aimed at tourists and local residents who are keen on learning more about local history, is a revision of a booklet printed in 2008.
“Like the previous volume, public nominations were called before a Heritage Advisory Committee sub-group whittled down the items for publication,” Mayor Antonio said.
The initial print run has been distributed to Council libraries, Visitor Information Centres and customer service centres across the Toowoomba Regional Council area.
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