Community & Business
9 November, 2021
140th anniversary of local government
THE 140th anniversary of the birth of local government in the region has been marked with the gifting of a photograph to Atherton Library of the man who established the first council.
On 29 October, 1881, the Tinaroo Divisional Board was first established with Samuel John Denney becoming the Chair at the first meeting held in the School of Arts Hall in Herberton on 16 November 1881.
The Tinaroo Divisional Board transferred its meeting to Atherton in 1894, then changed its name to Tinaroo Shire Council in 1903 before becoming the Atherton Shire Council in 1935.
But perhaps none of it would have happened if not for Mr Denney. His great grandson, Alan Dowling, is clearly proud of the life his great grandfather led and what he achieved.
“He was such a community minded man – he started the first council, established the first Mining and Pastoral Society in the 1890s and became the patron of that organisation, he was an assayer most of his life and was involved with prospecting and miners like James Mulligan, and he was also a magistrate,” Alan said.
Samuel J Denney originally came from England to Victoria, then to Queensland in 1864, firstly to Bowen then travelled north and made the Tablelands his home, owning one of only three houses in Herberton at the time. He died in the Atherton Hospital at age 86 in 1930.
Alan, who was born and bred in Yungaburra, said he wanted to gift the library with a photograph of his great grandfather to mark the milestone.
He is currently doing a lot of research in the hope of writing a book one day on the history of his family in the region.
Alan presented the image to local historian and librarian Gwen Price at the Atherton Library where it will be displayed.
