Transport
During the early years of settlement there were not very many made roads. There were only tracks through the bush until coaches and the railway came. Up until 1889 the main means of transport was by Cobb & Co. coaches, which ran between Brisbane and NSW.
The railway was opened in 1889. When the train began operation the town that had been known to many as the Ferry town ship became known as Coomera. A punt (ferry) was used to cross the Coomera River.
Provisions were brought to the early settlers by water in sailing boats from Brisbane. These boats would then return to Brisbane with timber for the saw mills.
In 1964 when Maudsland and Upper Coomera schools were closed children were bused to Coomera State School.
The railway was opened in 1889. When the train began operation the town that had been known to many as the Ferry town ship became known as Coomera. A punt (ferry) was used to cross the Coomera River.
Provisions were brought to the early settlers by water in sailing boats from Brisbane. These boats would then return to Brisbane with timber for the saw mills.
In 1964 when Maudsland and Upper Coomera schools were closed children were bused to Coomera State School.
Cobb & Co.
In 1855 the Cobb & Co. coach service extended their operation to include Queensland. By 1890 there was 4000 miles of coach-route controlled by Cobb & CO. A daily service passed through Coomera on it's way from Brisbane to Murwillumbah. The coach left the old Pacific Highway at Oakey Creek then on to Upper Coomera and crossed the Coomera River at Binstead's crossing. The track continued back down to the crossing at Saltwater Creek then on to Nerang Via the Coombabah Creek. Mail came by Cobb & Co. and Mr William Binstead was the first postmaster of Upper Coomera. The coach stopped at the post office three times a week.
Tracks were hundreds of kilometres of potholes, ruts and dust and coach travel was no picnic for passengers. Many experienced motion sickness with the coach body continually rocking back and forward (and back and forward, and back and forward) on the leather suspension. Ladies often took a towel on the trip; men a hip flask. If a coach could not get up a steep hill passengers were expected to get out and walk, and even push. If it got bogged they had to help dig it out. After a couple of hours on the rough tracks the driver would blow his bugle, and soon the coach would pull into a change station. Here the tired horses were changed for fresh ones that could keep up a good canter. This made stagecoaches just about the fastest things on the track, averaging about 15 km per hour.
Passengers could ‘stretch their legs’ for a few moments and shake off the dust before squeezing back into the coach for the next section. It was a smelly trip as each passenger was allowed just 14 lb (6 kilos) of luggage for a journey that might take several days. On some routes lunch was eaten, or drunk, at a roadside hotel. In more remote areas lunch was provided by the family of the groom who cared for the horses, and consisted of whatever could be shot or acquired locally.
Coach travel was as expensive as it was uncomfortable. Passengers paid the equivalent of a week’s wage for just one day’s travel of around 150 kilometres. Maintaining all the staff and horses at the changes along the route made coaching a very expensive operation to run. Consequently, most people travelled only rarely by coach. Others rolled their swags and walked to the next job in a shearing shed or cane field. Yet Cobb & Co, together with their smaller coaching competitors, was vitally important to everyone in the Queensland ‘Bush’, and Queensland in this era was all bush. People relied on the mail, and the mail was not only letters but any of a thousand items that could be purchased from catalogues by mail order. Pots and pans, cloth, tools, lamps; everything came wrapped in brown paper on a coach. Many of those who did ride on coaches, such as travelling clergymen, teachers, government officials and even commercial travellers (salesmen) also brought their kind of civilisation to the regions.
Perhaps the best description of a Cobb and Co. journey in Logan is provided by the irate traveller who wrote to the Logan Witness in 1878:-
Sir, I desire through your columns, to call the attention of the proprietors and managers of the line of coaches running between Brisbane and Beenleigh, to the disgraceful and dirty state of the coaches. It is common practice for the grooms, and others in charge of the coaches to put under the seats, dirty cans of grease, or tar, and even oil for use of Cobb & Co., which filthy compound by the shaking of the coach gets driven all about, whereby the dresses of the ladies travelling are totally ruined, at a cost to these passengers of perhaps four of five pounds. I have seen this happen many times these last few years. Another nuisance is that instead of the space under the seats being clear for passengers feet they are more often filled up with old harness, collars, rusty chains, swingle trees, and other rubbish, which belonging to Cobb & Co. should be put elsewhere so that passengers can travel with a little more comfort than they have ever done on this run before.
Yours, etc. Traveller.”
Tracks were hundreds of kilometres of potholes, ruts and dust and coach travel was no picnic for passengers. Many experienced motion sickness with the coach body continually rocking back and forward (and back and forward, and back and forward) on the leather suspension. Ladies often took a towel on the trip; men a hip flask. If a coach could not get up a steep hill passengers were expected to get out and walk, and even push. If it got bogged they had to help dig it out. After a couple of hours on the rough tracks the driver would blow his bugle, and soon the coach would pull into a change station. Here the tired horses were changed for fresh ones that could keep up a good canter. This made stagecoaches just about the fastest things on the track, averaging about 15 km per hour.
Passengers could ‘stretch their legs’ for a few moments and shake off the dust before squeezing back into the coach for the next section. It was a smelly trip as each passenger was allowed just 14 lb (6 kilos) of luggage for a journey that might take several days. On some routes lunch was eaten, or drunk, at a roadside hotel. In more remote areas lunch was provided by the family of the groom who cared for the horses, and consisted of whatever could be shot or acquired locally.
Coach travel was as expensive as it was uncomfortable. Passengers paid the equivalent of a week’s wage for just one day’s travel of around 150 kilometres. Maintaining all the staff and horses at the changes along the route made coaching a very expensive operation to run. Consequently, most people travelled only rarely by coach. Others rolled their swags and walked to the next job in a shearing shed or cane field. Yet Cobb & Co, together with their smaller coaching competitors, was vitally important to everyone in the Queensland ‘Bush’, and Queensland in this era was all bush. People relied on the mail, and the mail was not only letters but any of a thousand items that could be purchased from catalogues by mail order. Pots and pans, cloth, tools, lamps; everything came wrapped in brown paper on a coach. Many of those who did ride on coaches, such as travelling clergymen, teachers, government officials and even commercial travellers (salesmen) also brought their kind of civilisation to the regions.
Perhaps the best description of a Cobb and Co. journey in Logan is provided by the irate traveller who wrote to the Logan Witness in 1878:-
Sir, I desire through your columns, to call the attention of the proprietors and managers of the line of coaches running between Brisbane and Beenleigh, to the disgraceful and dirty state of the coaches. It is common practice for the grooms, and others in charge of the coaches to put under the seats, dirty cans of grease, or tar, and even oil for use of Cobb & Co., which filthy compound by the shaking of the coach gets driven all about, whereby the dresses of the ladies travelling are totally ruined, at a cost to these passengers of perhaps four of five pounds. I have seen this happen many times these last few years. Another nuisance is that instead of the space under the seats being clear for passengers feet they are more often filled up with old harness, collars, rusty chains, swingle trees, and other rubbish, which belonging to Cobb & Co. should be put elsewhere so that passengers can travel with a little more comfort than they have ever done on this run before.
Yours, etc. Traveller.”
Trains 1912-Now
The Coomera RiveR Ferry
The ferry was operated by Mr Kropp who married a daughter of William lane. Mr Kropp originally arrived in Coomera in 1887 to work on the railway bridge and the took up service as the ferry operator.
The ferry was the major link for the coast road for travels to and from the coast and Brisbane. On June 1930 when the bridge was built the ferry ceased operation.
Coomera's last ferryman was Mr Charles Whalley. He attended the Coomera School from 1896 to 1910. His father's occupation was listed as a fisherman. Charles had followed in his fathers footsteps until he took over as the ferryman.
Oxenford Hotel provided accommodation and refreshment for travellers waiting for the ferry on the southern bank.
The ferry was the major link for the coast road for travels to and from the coast and Brisbane. On June 1930 when the bridge was built the ferry ceased operation.
Coomera's last ferryman was Mr Charles Whalley. He attended the Coomera School from 1896 to 1910. His father's occupation was listed as a fisherman. Charles had followed in his fathers footsteps until he took over as the ferryman.
Oxenford Hotel provided accommodation and refreshment for travellers waiting for the ferry on the southern bank.