Councillor LANDERS:
“Deputy Chair, I rise to speak about Grace Beecher, a former resident of
Bracken Ridge Ward.
I was very excited to finally be able to welcome Grace and her family and friends
to see the new seat outside the Bracken Ridge Library, that has been named in
Grace’s honour. Although the seat was installed earlier in the year, we were
unable to show Grace until recently due to COVID-19 and her inability to leave
her home. So once residents of her retirement village were able to go out again,
she was able to visit the library and see her name on the plaque.
In 1986, Grace Pearl Beecher joined the Sandgate and District Historical Society
and Museum Incorporated to research her family history. Her passion for research
soon expanded to encompass our local area’s history and Grace was appointed
researcher for the museum. Grace would travel by public transport to the Archives
John Oxley Library and the State Library at least once a week.
Grace has been instrumental in naming many parks and recreational areas in my
ward and has now provided copies of her talks, photographs and research to the
State Library and Sandgate Museum. Even now at the age of 90, Grace is still
researching and produces a historical newsletter for the residents in her retirement
village. Her latest publication is a story about Augustus Hodgkinson Davies, or
Gus. Gus, an indigenous man born in Port Douglas in 1885, later moved to the
Sandgate area. He served in both World Wars and was granted a parcel of land
under the Solders Settlement Scheme in the area now known as ‘Tinchi Tamba
Wetlands’.
Gus married, had a family and later hired out boats at Deep Water Bend near
Wyampa Road. Of course, one of our much-loved local parks in Bald Hills is
named ‘Gus Davies Park’ after Gus.
It was a pleasure to meet Grace who is now a life member or the Historical Society
and to also have her fellow society members, Pam, Yvonne and Barbara, there to
see Grace’s work recognised by the Brisbane City Council.
Thank you.”
Tuesday 10 November 2020
