A Sweet Story

My post today came about because we were talking about different ways we use to use in order to travel to school. Following our discussion (in which no one had to walk 20 miles barefoot in the snow) I came across this image of kids riding home after school at Mount Tyson, and so I thought I’d see what information I could find about the area.

Just like the old lady who swallowed a fly, Mount Tyson township was named after the railway station, the Railway was named after the local mountain and the mountain was named after James Tyson a local pastoralist who held sugar growing interests in the area and was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council (I don’t know why he swallowed…… kidding). When the Mount Russell Estate, originally owned by James Tyson, was to be repurchased for subdivision the Land Commissioner recommended the land be sold for £4 8s per acre (approx. $10 an acre).

The first meeting to discuss the need for a local school was held in March 1903, and the Mount Tyson State School opened on 18 April 1904 (Easter) with 35 pupils; Minnie (McIntyre) Fletcher was the first teacher. But what else was there for the kids to do? Well the Mount Tyson Young Peoples Society was formed in April 1909 and held their first social in July. There was singing, speeches, bible readings and games, after which there was “tea and other good things” by which I assume they meant confectionaries.

Dairying and cheese production became the prevalent industry in the district, with a cheese factory in the village and three others within 10 km at various times. The Mount Tyson Farmers Co-operative Dairy Company Limited was registered in 1912 and the Mount Tyson Farmers Co-operative Dairy Factory began around 1915. The factory continued until finally closing in 1980, and was later converted to a nougat and confectionery factory.

And on that sweet note I think I’ll leave you until next time (We’re all off for a drive to check out the confectiona…. Err… I mean “Scenery” at Mount Tyson)