Blackall’s 150th anniversary was marked by a visit from Queensland Governor, Paul de Jersey, who attended the 90th Anglican Flower Show on Saturday afternoon.
Bringing a brief downpour of rain with him, Governor de Jersey remarked on the momentous year that the western Queensland town was having, with a rugby league premiership to celebrate as well as a 150th birthday.
Speaking at his first official engagement in the town, he said many things made Blackall special, but its affinity with flowers – so unlikely in the landscape – was truly unique.
“Even the streets of Blackall were given floral names by early settlers – Rose, Thistle and Violet, to mention a few.
“Clearly the forebears of Blackall possessed a strong sense of irony, or were suffering a serious bout of homesickness at the time.
“But it is said that where a flower blooms, so does hope.
“Perhaps, as your founders looked across the countryside, that is what they felt in their hearts.”
- Related: Lucy blossoms in Blackall
Governor de Jersey said hope, spirit and optimism were still important parts of the Blackall community, which gave it the will to hold a flower show in the middle of a drought.
As he did a couple of months ago in Canberra for the then-Prime Minister’s wife, Lucy Turnbull, Blackall-Tambo mayor, Andrew Martin presented Kaye de Jersey with a hibiscus cutting unique to the western Queensland community.
Blackall residents were also able to take home their own hibiscus plants from a stash of 2000 raised by the Fisher family at Rockhampton and sent out for the occasion.
Rockhampton Regional councillor, Neil Fisher, first established links with the community last year while promoting the need for an east-west air link, but quickly confirmed family ties that his mother, Shirley Fisher, spoke about on Saturday when she judged the flower show.
Born a Bartlett at Blackall, she grew up on local properties, Listowel Downs and Alice Downs.
Other highlights of the flower show included a parade of fashions through the years, coordinated by Robyn Adams, and a cutting of the 90th anniversary cake.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
