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The History of Mayo Vale
1896 --- NOW
In 1896 James Lyons purchased a property from Len Gradwell and named it "Mayo Vale". James and his wife both came from County Mayo in Ireland. At first James concentrated on grazing cattle but later he erected a general store in 1900 which he and his family conducted business with until 1918 when he retired. |
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Mayo Vale in 1985 |
| The Lyons family raised 9 children at Mayo Vale, 7 girls and 2 boys. Some of the girls worked in the general store which stocked groceries, clothes, boots and shoes, produce and hardware, in fact almost anything the settlers needed could be found there. The family also carried on dairying for many years.
James Lyons was gifted with a personality which attracted hosts of friends, but paramount among his many good qualities was his generosity to those in need of practical assistance. |
| The Family often had many visitors who loved to play cards or sing around the piano and enjoy the hospitality of the family members.
James was a member of the Kingaroy Shire Council from March 1914 until September, 1921. After his death Councillor McLaughlin remarked, "Nobody knows the number of people he assisted in the early days when life was in the raw. When people were struggling along he extended a helping hand to many." |
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James Lyons 1926 |
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Diagonally opposite the Lyon's home was the home of Michael and Norah Haydon. Catherine Lyons and Norah Hayden were sisters. The home formerly owned by the Haydons burnt down and later another home was moved to the same site. This home was then owned by Mr. Cliff and Nell Caswell, who purchased and renovated the Lyons home in 1985. It then became a restaurant and was known as "Nell's Country Kitchen".
Not long after that two other buildings were moved onto the property that remained of the original 160 acres that was Mayo Vale. The land had been divided into several smaller lots of which 20 acres still had the Lyons family home and the Caswells home that had been moved from across the road when the airport was extended. A railway workers cottage, which had been brought over from Gympie by dray and bullock team over 90 years ago and a small building which had been the kitchen of a larger homestead where set up as part of the complex now known as the Artists Cottage. |
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The property, "Mayo Vale" was situated close to the edge of the Taabinga Village which was established well before the town of Kingaroy was even proposed. The existing road (Geritz Rd) that borders Mayo Vale was the southern fence line of a 5,000 acre paddock called Kingaroy paddock that was used to water and graze cattle. The railway line came through just behind the Lyons home and went on to a site in the paddock that later sprouted the heart of Kingaroy Township.
The Village Flat and surrounding farms were not fenced in and here strolled stray station cattle which snorted and made off when humans came near. Across the creek from Taabinga Village school close to where the rail line ran in the early days was an aboriginal camping ground, where for a number of years they returned to conduct their corroborees. |
| Catherine Lyons Frequented by cattle the areas under the trees here rarely grew high and it became the site of the first Village Picnic, usually after that held on New Years Day.
In those far off days Nanango was the shopping centre when rations ran short, and it meant a strenuous day in the winter months to set out at break of day in order to return by evening, for travelling the 16 miles - or 32 return - in a dray over a winding, rough bush track was no pleasant jaunt. The track was used so little that at times it became overgrown with grass and thus was difficult to trace at night. For that reason if a 'shopper' failed to return by dark, frequently a lantern was hung in a tree close to the hut to guide the wanderer home, or, if the hours grew towards midnight a gun would be fired to enable the traveller to gain his bearings.
The running of the Lyon's General Store made life that little bit easier and safer for those pioneers of our region. Today the building remains to tell a story of times past and she starts a new life greeting an exciting future. | | |
