Page 14 - C.A.L.L. #40 - Winter 2015
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Chinchilla’s Communal Settlers
Queensland has a rich, complex and, farm. Veronica grew up surrounded
in many ways, quirky history. One of by tales from her grandparents and
those particularly quirky and little- other elderly people who had been
known aspects of our history is that children on this would-be utopian
during the 1890s Queensland had commune.
well over 2000 people living in
government-sponsored communes! Chinchilla’s Communal Settlers
Three of these communes were near results from Veronica’s many years
Gayndah, three near Roma, two near of painstaking research not only into
Gympie, one near Springsure, the land-use, newspaper reports and
another near Barcaldine – and three government archival history of
near Chinchilla. Mizpah, Monmouth and
Industrial, but also into
Veronica Dawson has members’ family and
spent years oral histories. She has
researching those tracked down detailed
three near Chinchilla: information about
Mizpah, Industrial and almost all the
Monmouth. They were communards, and has
very different: Most located many
Mizpah members were descendants and their
Salvation Army photographic records.
members from These human stories
Brisbane; many add colour and
Monmouth members emotional depth to her
were Roman Catholics excellent narrative.
from Ipswich; while Industrial
commune started off as a Union- Chinchilla’s Communal Settlers is
sponsored project. But all members well-written, carefully indexed, well-
were the same in aspiring to live illustrated with photos, sketches and
together in communal harmony, maps, and is a very accessible and
avoiding capitalist problems such as readable account of one of the
poverty and unemployment. strangest episodes in Queensland
history. This book can be read as a
Veronica’s family were founding scholarly text, as local and/or family
communards at Mizpah in 1893, and history – or just for the enjoyment
after the commune collapsed her of her excellent writing.
family remained on the land,
retaining the name Mizpah for their Dr Bill Metcalf
Copies of this book may be obtained from the author at: veronica.dawson@bigpond.com
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