Pyramid Views FEBRUARY 2018

STREETS AHEAD
Buzacott Street
Gillies Highway. It was towed behind a truck
to smooth and level out the road. Pictured
in the photo is Don and his daughter Sharon
Inskip. (nee Leighton)
Named after Jim Buzacott, one of the first
entomologists at the Sugar Experiment
Station at Meringa, just north of Gordonvale.
He joined the Meringa staff in 1927 and set
out in simple form a means of identifying
species of grub that were detrimental to the
sugar cane plant. He worked for the Bureau
for 44 years, and his work culminated in the
use of Gamma Benzene Hexachloride BHC
– Gammexane, the only effective control
measure against the Grey Back grub pest,
which is one of the most damaging insect
pests the Qld cane growers have ever had
to contend with. Pictured are his four
children from left is Jim Buzacott, (Jnr) Chris
Smith, (nee Buzacott) Barb Manassero, (nee
Buzacott) and Marguerite Rodman. (nee
Buzacott)
Leighton Crescent & Park
Don Leighton is who these two land marks
were named after. Don was a director of the
Mulgrave Sugar Mill for 32 years and was
Chairman from 1981 to 2003. Don’s father
Richard bought their Aloomba cane farm in
1921 and Don and his son Jeff continue to
farm there today. Don tells the story that in
his father’s era, most of the time the roads
were impassable between Gordonvale and
Aloomba.
Wienert Close
This close was named after the Wienert
family.
Peter Wienert and his wife Wilhelmina were
born in Holstein, Germany and sailed to
Cooktown on the S.S. “Dorunda”, in 1885.
They moved to a cane farm at Highleigh,
east of Gordonvale in 1906. They then
moved to Fishery Falls in 1911. Heinrich
(Harry) Wienert was one of 16 children born
to Peter and Wilhelmina Wienert. Harry
worked on the farm at Fishery Falls with
his father Peter and his brother Augie. Viv
Wienert (Harry’s son) and his son Graham
and nephew Daniel are still cane farming
there today.
Viv is a very community minded person and
has over the years volunteered his time at the
Gordonvale Swimming Club as President,
Secretary of All Saints Anglican Church at
Gordonvale and has been a member of the
Aloomba Progress Association for over 50
years.
Pictured from left are Graham Wienert, Viv
Wienert, Daniel Wienert and Viv’s cousin Roy
Moss. (Great-grandson of Peter Wienert)
Words and photo by Julie Amadio
Mulgrave Historical Society
Part of the Gordonvale
community since 1923
Welcome, Gary Recklies!
Meet our new principal, Gary Recklies. From
one St Michael’s to another, Gary comes to
us from St Michael’s on Palm Island. During
his eight years there, Gary was instrumental
in the delivery of quality education for
students, professional learning programs for
staff, and engaging the parent body to create
a positive and supportive community,
focused on children.
Gary knows the importance of strengthening
partnerships between school, parish and the
wider community and is keen to embrace his
new responsibilities!
Being very attuned to the characteristics
of our local community, we know his faith
commitment, sensitivity to
the needs of others and
natural leadership style
will be a great asset to
our school community.
A warm welcome to Gary
and all our new and
returning families.
4056 1614
www.stmichael.qld.edu.au
secretary.gordonvale@cns.catholic.edu.au
The only reliable way to get between the two
settlements was to use the cane rail line.
Families would design their own makeshift
railroad handcar and manually push up and
down to go along the track. When they
saw a train coming, they would all jump
off and lift the handcar off the track until it
went past, then put it back on the track and
continue on their way. The old grader that
you see in Norman Park, was bought by Don
at a council auction for 25 pounds and he
donated it back to the town of Gordonvale.
This grader was used to help build the
Page 11 - PYRAMID VIEWS, FEBRUARY 2018 “Celebrating and connecting our community”