Emile Gaujard

Emile Gaujard was born in Orleans, France, in 1827. He was one of tens of thousands who travelled to the gold fields of Victoria, arriving on the Windsor in 1853 with his sister Ann and two companions. He was trained as an upholsterer, but in Victoria he went into business with one of his companions, Alfred Beaufils, and traded in a number of gold rush areas. A shipping report from 1855 shows them receiving 7 cases of dry goods on the Mercedes, which arrived in Melbourne from Bordeaux. The ship carried a wide range of goods, including hundreds of cases of champagne for newly rich gold miners. Mysteriously, his death certificate records that a few years previously he had married Englishwoman Sarah Curtis in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is probably an error, and they had more likely married in Orleans. Sarah’s arrival in Australia remains a mystery. In 1857, they had a daughter, EllenTheresa, who was always known as Helene.

The family arrived in Brisbane in 1861. Emile opened a tobacconist shop and divan, a term used to describe a place where men could smoke, drink coffee, play games such as chess and dominoes, and discuss the problems of the world. He soon expanded the business, offering tea, coffee, or chocolate, as well as sandwiches, fried eggs, &c., at all hours.

In 1864, Emile built a large restaurant at the back of his shop, but just four weeks later it was totally destroyed by the great fire that left most of the block bounded by Albert, Queen, George and Elizabeth Streets devastated. He was at least partially covered by insurance, and some his stock was saved thanks to ready helpers.

The family moved to Orleans Cottage in Grey street South Brisbane about this time. In 1879, Sarah died from dysentery, aged 63. Sanitary conditions in Brisbane were at a very low level, with overflowing cesspits, widespread dumping of objectionable rubbish and dead animals.

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The Bruce-Nicols and “Marly”

In 1884, Helene married George Bruce-Nicol, who lived next door to the Gaujard’s home on Grey Street. Born in Glasgow, he had worked for some years as a purser with British India Steam Navigation Company. From 1880, they operated a regular service on contract from the Queensland government between Brisbane and India and Great Britain via the Queensland coast and Torres Strait. After several trips to Brisbane, he decided to settle here.

George worked as an accountant for employerssuch as the Queensland National Bank and the Bulimba Brewery. His name caused some confusion. He was variously called Nicol, Bruce Nicol and Bruce-Nicol. This confusion persisted beyond death, as Helene’s will was made in the name Bruce-Nicol, whilst her marriage and death records both recorded the family name as Nicol. The Bruce addition to his surname may have come from Alexander Balmain Bruce, a Scottish churchman and theologian, mentioned in George’s obituary as being an uncle. Helene and George had two sons and 3 daughters between 1884 and 1891. Sadly, the last daughter, Essie Evelyn, died in her first year.

Emile invested in real estate. In 1873, he built seven shops at the corner of Edward and Elizabeth streets.In 1880, he purchased a block of around one acre between Sussex and Franklin Streets in West End, and seven years later he built Marly, a home for himself and Helene’s growing family on Franklin Street, and Brighton Terrace, an elegant set of two duplexes behind the house on Sussex Street. All of these buildings have survived and Brighton Terrace is on the State Heritage Register Emile died in 1890. He had remained proudly French, as had always been to defend slights against his countrymen with letters to editor, and in 1879 had also sought funds for the Society for the Help of the Wounded in the disastrous Franco-Prussian War. Helene inherited his property.

An idea of Brisbane’s Edwardian society can be gained from this clipping from the social pages of the Telegraph newspaper.

The girls were, of course, both debutantes.

The West End Brewery

In 1886 George, in partnership with a brewer called Charles Lanfear, established the West End Brewery.

Despite its name, the brewery was located in South Brisbane in Montague Road between Merivale and Cordelia Streets. The imposing building was a prominent landmark for many years. Being located on low ground next to the river, the brewery was badly damaged in the 1893 floods.

The flood carried away some 500 barrels of beer, much to the delight of those living near the river.

The brewery tower survived, and new buildings were erected in a matching style.

In 1895 the quality of the beer dropped drastically for some months and sales plummeted. Some months later the brewer Lanfear, who was held responsible, was sacked. He later unsuccessfully tried to sue the company for libel and unfair dismissal.

The business recovered after some years and in 1906 was still prosperous and paying 10% dividends. In 1908, the company purchased an adjacent acre of land to establish a  brewery to produce lager.

George Bruce-Nicol remained as chairman and managing director of the brewery right through until 1914 at which time it seems to have ceased trading. Bruce-Nicol died a few years later in 1917.

From a study of Post Office Directories, it seems that the brewery building remained empty for many years. In the 1920s, Evans Deakin Pty. Ltd. established a workshop on the other side of Montague Road.  The company purchased the old Brewery buildings around 1945 as their need for space increased. They were still standing in 1953 when the chimney was demolished to make way for a new workshop.

By the early 1960s, only a section remained, with an original brewery wall being incorporated into a new Evans Deakin workshop building.

Here’s a Google Earth screen shot of the same spot today. Some of the Evans Deakin buildings remain, now used by the Queensland Theater Company. An “L” shaped end wall of the brewery which was incorporated into one of these remains there today.

The remaining brewery buildings were demolished, probably in the 1960s.

A small section of the remaining brewery brickwork is visible from Cordelia Street.

Helene and Stella

After George’s death in 1917, Helene, along with her daughters Corinne and Stella, moved to New Farm.

She sold the Franklin Street house ‘Marly’ to the Anglican Church who used it as a maternity hospital. It was called the Sumner Hospital in honour of the founder of the Mothers Union, Mary Sumner.  The Church eventually sold the property in 1938, subdividing the land in the process.

Helene was well known in Brisbane as a philanthropist. During the First World War, she and her daughters were heavily involved with the Red Cross and established a local French Red Cross fund.

Stella’s obituary mentioned that

Miss Bruce-Nicol first came into public prominence in her association with the various organisations which sprang up during the Great War, including the Red Cross and other movements. Her particular care was the Spinning Guild, formed to spin wool for making socks and other woollen comforts for the soldiers who were fighting for Australia and the Empire overseas[i].

With the high cost of woollen yarn putting it beyond the means of many, the guild had volunteers using over 100 spinning wheels made from bicycle wheels to produce yarn from wool donated by producers. This was then used by family members of soldiers and Red Cross volunteers to knit garments and socks for soldiers enduring bitter winters in the battlefields of France and Belgium. Stella served as secretary of the guild.

According to one obituary, Helene had studied art and music in France.  There’s certainly a record of her travelling to Europe with her father Emile and returning 8 months later on board the Orient Line ship “Potosi” in 1882.

Helene used her talents to assist various charities and was also a winner of prizes for art at Brisbane Shows. Her eldest daughter Corinne married Commander Rowland Griffiths Bowen of the RAN and moved to Perth. Bowen had become well known by his actions in New Guinea in 1914 leading to Australian occupation of the German colony without opposition.

Stella never married and lived with her mother Helene until the latter’s death in 1929. Stella took up similar philanthropic interests as her mother and they jointly were strong supporters of St. Martin’s Hospital, St Margaret’s School and the Mission to Seamen. Stella also had a career as a journalist. She was on the editorial staff of the “Queenslander” magazine in charge of the women’s and children’s departments.

Stella also had a career as a journalist. From 1927 until her death 4 years later, she was on the editorial staff of the Queenslander magazine, responsible for the women’s and children’s pages. She wrote a column on the Women’s Interest page using the pen name Fileuse, French for a spinner and an obvious reference to her wartime work.

As was the expectation of female journalists of the time, Stella was required to report on social events , however she regularly wrote commentary supporting changes to improve the status of women. She would include news from overseas to compare it favourably or unfavourably with the situation in Queensland. For example, in 1927 news that Oxford University had decided to limit women’s undergraduate numbers to one for every 4 males led her to comment on the more favourable situation in Australia, and to suggest financial support for Brisbane’s Women’s College. She also stressed the ability of women to achieve success in any field of university study and sporting activities. She wrote columns which included commentary on topics such as young women’s education, continuation of a career after marriage, and women’s involvement in politics. In 1929, she applauded the election of Irene Longman, the first woman to sit in the Queensland parliament, although the next woman was not elected until 1966. She also supported the unsuccessful attempt to have architect Florence Taylor appointed to the Federal Capital Commission, responsible for the planning and development of Canberra.

Stella was also a great supporter of the Queensland Country Women’s Association and reported on their activities. Founded in 1922, their work covered areas such as support for rural mothers, providing hostels at city hospitals and providing beach holiday homes for rural families. They also lobbied for changes such as the introduction of female police officers. As Aunt Fileuse, she ran a very popular children’s pen friend column.

As “Aunt Fileuse”, she ran a very popular children’s pen friend column.

Stella died in 1930 at just 42 years of age in St. Martin’s Hospital, which she had done much to bring into existence through her fund raising work.

Her death and funeral received wide coverage with one newspaper even publishing  three photos of her funeral. A memorial reredos or altar piece was installed in the Seaman’s Chapel in Petrie Bight.

A family grave in South Brisbane cemetery is the resting place of Emile, Sarah, George , Helene, Stella and baby Essie. Unfortunately it was a victim of the Council’s 1970s  “beautification scheme” and is now unmarked but a photo exists.