Discover our Heritage
a Sherwood Arboretum trail
Tea and trees … Sir Matthew Nathan (front centre) joins guests of the Queensland Forestry Association at Avonleigh, the Sherwood home of Francis and Julia Nixon, on 1 November 1924 to discuss the future arboretum.
Sherwood Arboretum’s Sir Matthew Nathan Avenue is one of the few examples in Australia where a wide cross-section of the community came together to plant an avenue of trees to mark the opening of an arboretum or botanic gardens.
On the 21 March 1925, the Queensland Governor, Sir Mathew Nathan and William Jolly, the first Lord Mayor of Greater Brisbane, joined guests in planting the iconic avenue of 72 Queensland Kauri pines to celebrate the Arboretum’s official opening. Each of these rainforest giants bears the name of the citizen who helped create this historic record of Brisbane society in the 1920s.
1925 Kauri Avenue tree planters
Sir Matthew Nathan
The popular State Governor of Queensland from 3 December 1920 to 17 September 1925. A graduate of the Royal Military Academy, Sir Matthew also was Governor of Hong Kong and three African countries.
image courtesy of State Library of Queensland
Sir Charles Hercules Read
British archaeologist and a noted member of the British Museum.
Guest of Sir Matthew Nathan during a visit to Australia in March 1925.
Image courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London.
George Trotter
Farmer and shopkeeper. A member of a pioneering Irish family, who settled on land beside Oxley Creek, Corinda in the 1860s.
Ald Frederick Arthur Stimson
Newly-elected member of the first Greater Brisbane City Council in 1925, a former chairman of Stephens Shire Council and a prominent cattle breeder of Fairfield in Brisbane.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Ald William Alfred Jolly
Elected the first Lord Mayor of the Greater Brisbane City Council in 1925, following the merging of 20 Local Government areas. A former accountant, he was well respected for his commitment to our city.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
John Harry Coyne
An elected member of State Parliament 1908 to 1923 and former President of the Land Court. As Land Minister, he played a prominent role in the 1920s working to conserve Queensland’s timber resources.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Archbishop Sir James Duhig
Born in County Limerick, Ireland, his driving energy saw him become one of Queensland’s leading Catholic Church leaders over almost 60 years until his death in 1965.
Image courtesy of Fryer Library, The University of Queensland.
Ald Hugh McDiarmid Russell
A leading businessman, Vice-Mayor in the first Greater Brisbane City Council in 1925. Elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1926 and later Leader of the Queensland United Australia Party.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Thomas Fielding
A Sherwood resident and teacher for 51 years and Head Teacher of Sherwood State School from 1914 to 1927. On 21 August 1925, 100 of his students completed the first community planting in the Arboretum.
Image courtesy of the grandchildren of Thomas Fielding.
James Garfield Bayley, MP
Born in Tasmania, a graduate of Stanford University, California; a teacher and school principal in Queensland. Served as the Federal Member for Oxley from 1917 to 1931 and later in State Parliament.
Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia.
Charles William Lyon
The last Chairman of Sherwood Shire Council from 1920 to 1925. The Shire purchased the Arboretum land for ‘park and water purposes’ in 1923. Vice-President of first Sherwood Shire Show Society in 1921.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Arthur Rewa Webb
Named after Rewa Island, Fiji, where his father served as a Minister with the Wesleyan Church. A partner in a Brisbane real estate company and one of the final Sherwood Shire Councillors in 1925.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Thomas George Johnston
The second son of the pioneering Johnston family from Ireland. A Sherwood master builder, chairman of the Sherwood State School Committee for 25 years and a Sherwood Shire Councillor from 1920 to 1925.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Harold Evelyn Wawn
Born in Durham, England and served with the Queensland Forestry Service’s harvesting and marketing branch. Appointed to the newly formed State branch of the Empire Forestry Association in March 1922.
Thomas Nimmo
A former company director, serving on both the Ipswich City Council and during the last years of the Sherwood Shire Council. A Corinda resident, represented Oxley in State Parliament from 1929 to 1943.
Edwin Lewis Jerrems
A former alderman with Lane Cove Council in Sydney, worked as a manager in Brisbane’s printing trade. A Graceville resident and active community volunteer, served on the Sherwood Shire Council to 1925.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Joseph William Hammond
A Graceville resident, electrical engineer and president of both the Sherwood Shire Show Society and Sherwood Progress Association. Councillor with Sherwood Shire Council until 1925.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Charles Jesse Povey
During his 19 years with the Queensland Forestry Service, he worked closely with the Forestry Board Chairman, Edward Swain in harvesting and marketing, before joining a private timber business in 1938.
Edwin Lewis Jerrems
A Corinda resident and former president of the Sherwood Volunteer Fire Brigade, Corinda Progress Association and Oxley Golf Club. An elected member of the Sherwood Shire Council until 1925.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Thomas Murray Hall
A Corinda resident and successful accountant. Served first as Sherwood Division Board chairman and in 1898 as a Brisbane City Council alderman. Elected in 1906 to the Queensland Parliament Upper House.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Dr William Nathaniel Robertson
A graduate of Scotland’s University of Edinburgh medical school. A Sherwood Shire Councillor, leading Brisbane surgeon and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Queensland from 1926 to 1938.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Mrs Annie Isabel Spowers
Long-time Corinda resident and wife of Queensland’s Surveyor-General, Allan Alfred Spowers, appointed in 1907. Her father, William Davidson was Surveyor-General (southern) for Tasmania in 1860.
Allan Alfred Spowers
Born in Melbourne in 1857, his long career in surveying included Surveyor-General of Queensland for 19 years until his retirement in 1926. He served as the first president of the Graceville Bowls Club.
Mrs Zoe Annie Clara Jones,
for the late Captain Mervyn Jones
A London trained artist and foundation member of the Royal Queensland Art Society. In 1891, Zoe married Mervyn Jones. His eventful maritime career, including captain of the steamer Merrie England.
William Robinson
Born in 1844 in Valparaiso, Chile and an early settler along Oxley Creek, Sherwood in the 1860s. It is believed Robinson opened the first general store in Sherwood near the Oxley Creek bridge.
Victor ‘Peter’ Grenning
Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1919 before studying forestry at Oxford University. Replacing Edward Swain as Director of Forests, Grenning achieved major Queensland forestry reforms from 1933 to 1964.
Image courtesy of descendants of the Grenning family.
Alexander Cumming Raff
Born in Brisbane in 1853, completing his engineering degree at Glasgow University. A Corinda resident, Raff supervised the construction of key railway lines as District Engineer with Queensland Railways.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
John Moffatt
Born in Scotland in 1851, he worked on his father’s Oxley farm and was elected as the first Chairman of Sherwood Shire from 1891 to 1920. Supervised the Sherwood Methodist Sunday school for 40 years.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Fabian Joseph Street
Born in Dorset, England and later a resident of Oxley. He was highly regarded as the first Shire Clerk of Sherwood Shire Council from 1891 to 1905. He resigned due to ill health and died in 1928.
Ald Malcolm Peter Morrison Campbell
A prominent Brisbane manufacturer, actively involved with the National Parks Association and Horticultural Society of Queensland. Elected as an alderman to Brisbane City Council in 1931.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
George Strong
A South African war veteran, George and his wife Mary Ann ran a large farm beside Oxley Creek, Graceville. In 1888, he was elected to the Yeerongpilly Divisional Board (later Yeerongpilly Shire Council).
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
William Kinkead Berry
A member of the pioneering Berry family from Connemara, Ireland. One of the first pupils of the Oxley West State School (now Sherwood) and a member of the first Sherwood Divisional Board in 1891.
Image courtesy of The Oxley – Chelmer History Group Inc.
Robert Lammonby Gordon
A resident of East Brisbane and a well-known furniture maker, established in 1895 at Charlotte Street, Brisbane. President of the Furniture Manufacturers’ Section of the Queensland Chamber of Commerce.
George Ranken
Retired country bank manager and wife Anna – Marie bought part of the Francis estate at Sherwood, around 1911. The large river frontage of their farm, Dunella, became the future site for the Arboretum.
Image courtesy of Roger Hartigan, great grandson of George Ranken.
George Rowland Steer
A Corinda resident, born at Derby, U.K. in 1873. After a career in Queensland Railways, he went on to run one of the city’s key services as Brisbane Tramway Trust General Manager from 1922 to 1939.
Singleton Victor Gardiner
Born in 1896, a resident of Alderley in Brisbane. Served with the Australian Army overseas during World War 1. In 1925, promoted as accountant with the Forestry Board (later Queensland Forestry Service).
Major Manor Charles Trotter
Sherwood resident. Wounded with the Second Light Horse in the Dardanelles and Palestine in World War 1. Well respected as Brisbane City Council Deputy Town Clerk. Died suddenly aged 55 in 1938.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
James Edgar Young
Graceville resident, born in 1872. A noted naturalist, member of Sir Hubert Wilkins expedition to collect native flora and fauna for the British Museum in 1923. Past president Queensland Naturalists’ Club.
Image courtesy of the Oxley – Chelmer History Group Inc.
Wilfred Backhouse Alexander
A Cambridge trained biologist, from Dorset, England, whose 1920s research at a Sherwood laboratory helped control Prickly Pear weed. He had a noted career in ornithology on return to the U.K in 1926.
image courtesy of the National Library of Australia.
Adolphus Arnold Staines
Born in Mackay in 1878. His 50-year Queensland Public Service career included Under Secretary of Mines from 1929 to 1946. In 1924, he helped guide State forestry with the Provisional Forestry Board.
George Herbert Barker
Born in 1880 in Sydney. In 1907, he established Barker’s Book Store in Brisbane. Keenly interested in birds and plants, he worked tirelessly to help preserve and protect Queensland’s natural environment.
Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia.
Francis Octavius Nixon
Sherwood resident, born in 1875. Campaigned vigorously for Sherwood Arboretum’s creation. Secretary of both the Brisbane Timber Merchants’ Association and later the Save-the-Trees Campaign. Died 1955.
Image courtesy of Jill Power, granddaughter of Francis Octavius Nixon.
William Patterson
Descendants from Aberdeen, Scotland. Chairman of directors of a leading Toowong sawmiller. In 1940, chairman of Queensland Timber Board and President of the Brisbane Timber Merchants’ Association.
Charles Raff Paterson
A Queensland forestry engineer and prominent businessman. He undertook a major study of U.S. forestry practices in the 1920s and held senior business positions in forestry from the 1930s onwards.
Kenneth ffoulkes Swanwick
A Norman Park resident, born in 1875. He had a distinguished career as a university lecturer. In 1924, with the Town Planning Association, he strongly advocated for more Brisbane parkland. Died April 1925.
Image courtesy of the Fryer Library, The University of Queensland.
Josias Henry Hancock
Born in 1875 at Ipswich, Queensland. He followed in his Cornish grandfather’s footsteps by becoming a timber miller. Led Hancock & Gore, which had over 2000 employees, at its peak. He died in April 1945.
image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
John Brownlie Henderson
Born 1869 near Glasgow, Scotland. An analytical chemist appointed Brisbane Grammar School science master in 1891 and Government Analyst in 1893. A leading advocate for science, he died in 1950.
Image courtesy of the descendants of the Henderson family.
Morgan Hugh Simon
Born in 1889. Resigned as chief forester of the Queensland Forestry Service in 1923 and went on to establish a major family timber, hardware and freight business in Toowoomba. He died in March 1987.
Andrew Samuel Kennedy
Born in 1857 in Armagh, Ireland. From a humble start as pupil teacher on probation in 1870, he became Acting Under-Secretary of Queensland’s Department of Public Instruction in 1920. He died in 1930.
Image courtesy of Queensland State Archives.
Dr David Gifford Croll (planted by Mrs Marion Winifred Croll)
Born in Glasgow in 1885. A Sherwood doctor, who held senior medical positions with the Australian Army in two world wars. Founder of the British Medical Agency to assist doctors. He died in 1948.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Cyril Tenison White
Born at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane in 1890. The third generation of his family to pursue Botany. His outstanding contribution as Government Botanist from 1917 continued right to his death in 1950.
Image courtesy of Queensland State Archives.
Ernest Walter Bick
Regarded as one of Queensland’s foremost botanical authorities. Born in England in 1870. From 1917 to 1940, he was Brisbane City Council’s first Botanic Gardens Curator. He died while planting trees in 1949.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Romeo Watkins Lahey
From the Lahey sawmilling family. Born in 1887, he had a key role in the creation of Lamington National Park in 1915. A co-founder of Binna Burra Lodge. His conservation work continued to his death in 1968.
Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
Clarence John Melrose Trist
Born in Deniliquin, New South Wales in 1896. As Queensland Forestry Department secretary from 1919 to 1953, he did much to preserve unspoilt areas of our State as national parks. He died in 1954.
Image courtesy of the descendants of the Trist family.
Charles William Holland
Born in London in 1868. In Brisbane, became Under Secretary for Lands in 1924. Travelled widely researching the Prickly Pear menace. A founder of Queensland Naturalists’ Club in 1906. Died in 1952.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Henry Tryon
An outstanding figure in Queensland science. Born in England in 1856. From 1894 to 1925, served as Government Entomologist. His New Guinea expedition acquired 66 new sugar cane varieties. Died 1943.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Frederick William Gadsby Annand
Born in Toowoomba in 1872, his impressive career included army commands in World War 1, banking, mayor of Hamilton Town Council and Greater Brisbane’s first Town Clerk in 1925. He died in 1958.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Evan Francis
A Chelmer resident and uncle of Government Botanist William Douglas Francis (tree 61). Born in Woolongong in 1852, he became a farmer near Gympie after 21 years teaching. Died in 1947 aged 95.
William Corby Woods
A Chelmer resident born in 1895. He joined the Queensland Forestry Association sub-committee in 1924 recommending the Arboretum site. He retired after a long career in forestry mapping and died in 1985.
Alison Eavis Harding Frew
Born in Roma in 1883. Highly regarded for his consulting engineering skills from 1911 to his death in 1952. His design works included Brisbane’s Grey Street Bridge, Redcliffe Jetty and Hornibrook Highway.
Image courtesy of the descendants of the Frew family.
William Douglas Francis
Author of the landmark Australian Rainforest Trees, first published in 1929. Assistant Botanist in 1919 and Government Botanist in 1950 at the Queensland Herbarium. Born in Bega in 1889 and died in 1959.
Image courtesy of Queensland State Archives.
Dr Alfred Jefferis Turner
Born to his missionary parents in Canton, China in 1861 and educated in London. This renowned Brisbane paediatrician was also a skilled amateur entomologist. A Sherwood resident, he died in 1947.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
David Lahey
The enterprising Lahey family from Ireland were energetic pioneers in Queensland’s timber industry. David (1858 – 1942) established the Corinda sawmill in 1910 to provide employment for his seven sons.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Thomas Caldwell Kerr, MP
Sherwood resident, born in 1887. Represented Oxley and later Sherwood in the Queensland Parliament from 1943 to May 1956. Married Lillian Berry from the pioneering Berry family in 1919. Died June 1956.
Islay Percy Colquhon Bennett
Best remembered as the well-respected and last Shire Clerk of Sherwood Shire Council from 1911 to 1925. State secretary of the Municipal Officers’ Association of Australia. Born 1884 and died in 1951.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Albert Hardy Berry
A member of the pioneering Berry family from Connemara, Ireland. As Church Warden, he worked to rebuild St Matthew’s Church, Sherwood after the disastrous 1921 fire. Born in 1888 and died in 1947.
Image courtesy of the Berry family descendants.
Richard Arthur Wearne
A noted leader in vocational education and training. From 1919 to his death in 1932, thousands of students graduated from the Brisbane Central Technical College where he was Principal. A keen golfer.
Edward Harold Fulcher Swain
Director of Forests in 1918 and Provision Forestry Board Chairman in 1924. This larger-than-life visionary helped create a sustainable Queensland timber industry. Born in 1883 and died in 1970.
Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Ald Alexander Archibald Watson
Toowong Shire Council’s last Mayor. In 1925, an alderman and Vice-Mayor of Greater Brisbane City Council from 1926 to 1931. Briefly Lord Mayor in 1931. Born 1874 in Dundee, Scotland. Died in 1941.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Ald William Logan Dart
A former Lockyer Valley farmer with a long career in Local Government, beginning in 1905. A Brisbane City Council alderman 1925 to 1938. Elected to State Parliament 1938 to 1944. Born 1876, died 1969.
Image courtesy of City Archives, Brisbane City Council.
Ald John Tait
An experienced Local Government representative as Mayor on the Ithaca Town Council and later on the Greater Brisbane City Council from 1925 to his death in 1931. Born in Dumfries, Scotland in 1866.
Image courtesy of State Library of Queensland.
Ald William Robert Warmington
Served on the Ithaca Town Council until its amalgamation with Greater Brisbane City Council in 1925. Elected to the new City Council from 1925 to 1937. Born in 1864 and died in 1948.
