Town Marie

By 1866 we read that a Mr Davis was leasing the meatworks at Town Marie for the purpose of curing meat by a new method.

“The Queensland Times of 8 September 1866 carried the news that Town Marie was to be sold at public auction by the mortgagee, at the City Auction Mart in Brisbane, on Monday 17 September. The advert stated that:

“The valuable property, known as Town Marie Queensland, consisting of freehold estate of 83 acres of land, with frontage to the Bremer River, and also the main road from the Junction to Ipswich, which is distant about 5 miles. On this property are erected and in full working order, a large and complete steaming and boiling establishment, for working closed digesters or open pans, capable of disposing of 100 head of cattle or 2000 sheep per day, either by boiling or steaming, with tallow sheds, hide houses, rendering room, cooperage, stock and drafting yards, slaughtering houses etc etc. A portion of the boiling establishment is now let at a rental of 200 pounds per annum for the purpose of curing meat on Dr Morgan’s principle. The sawmills are in good and substantial working order, all the machinery etc being first class and as good as new. There is a self-acting rack bench, iron top, capable of taking a log 6 feet in diameter and a small bench for small timber. These are driven by a horizontal engine of 16 horsepower, all the machinery leaving been set by first class workmen i.e. solid masonry and substantial and heavy hardwood timber. There is also a vertical saw frame, set on a new and improved principle, for breaking down heavy timber or sawing broad planking, driven by a 16 horse power engine in thorough working order and also a steam winch for drawing the timber from the river to the mill. The timber arrives at the establishment by the river and there are railways laid down to convey it to and from the mill. There is an extra pulley in the main shafting which works a bone mill attached to the establishment.