These days the most common animals to be seen on the streets of Highgate Hill are Scrub Turkeys .
Scrub Turkeys in our Highgate Hill backyard
This wasn’t always the case. The following article concerning Colville Street appeared in the Brisbane Telegraph in 1894.
Telegraph, Monday 3rd September 1894 – Trove
The unfortunate young boy later died from his injuries.
Colville Street seems to have been prone to wandering animals as just a few years later the following incident was reported.
Telegraph, Saturday 5th May 1900 – TROVE
Bullock teams continued to be used well into the 20th century (State Library of Queensland)
There’s no sign of bullocks on Colville Street today though there have been sightings of a goat
The backyard goat in Colville Street munching on a rosemary bush.
At the time of these incidents, Highgate Hill still had a lot of open land that would not be subdivided for many years. The photo below taken looking west from Highgate Hill around 1901 illustrates this. I also touched on subdivision in previous posts, The Blakeneys of Highgate Hill, The Hazelwood Estate, Highgate Hill 1885 , and Sankey Street, Steeped in History .
- The view from Highgate Hill in 1901 (State Library of Queensland)
As late as 1916 accidents were still occurring with the victim in this case being an elderly lady residing in Dornoch Terrace.
Telegraph, Friday 30 June 1916 (TROVE)
Even tethered animals could be risky as described in a previous post, Runaway Horse and Cart 1907. Here’s another horse accident from 1905, this time from Carlton Street.
Telegraph, 3rd April 1905 – TROVE
In spite of all this, I think we could safely surmise that the risk today from vehicles speeding down roads like Dornoch Terrace is far higher than the risk of being injured by an animal in 1900!
Highgate Hill and Its History 
Great stories! There are a few wandering chickens and the odd tethered goat in Colville Street today. I proceed with caution!
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Thanks, I’ll have to try and get a photo of a goat to add to the post .
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Great post Paul.. I keep finding horse shoes here at home in the garden of Jones Street.. the original owner in the 1880s was a drayman.. I always wondered where he kept his animals..your post has given me a few clues
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Thanks Jenny. I found an unused stirrup in one of our fireplaces!
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Hi Paul,
I was wondering if I could get your last name so I can cite you in my honours thesis.
Im a James Cook University student who’s a 4th year archaeologist.
I’m interested in your Ebenezer Thorne story and his association with John Ching who were dugong hunters.
Please email me your last name on timothy.russell@my.jcu.edu.au
Kind Regards,
Tim Russell
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Hi Tim sure thing, it’s Paul Granville. I’m glad my post was of interest. I thought it strange that an interesting character like Ebenezer hasn’t had more written about him.
Paul
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Hi Paul,
Yes it is interesting. Ebenezer never missed a chance to aggrandize himself either at other peoples expense especially after Ching died.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article146961259.3.pdf?followup=521e64d1ac29976fe36fb685fac44dbb
Follow this link and it will back up what im talking about.
Regards,
Tim.
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Yes I’ve seen that one. His whole life was full of pretty low acts
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