Information

Gladys Ferguson, of the Ferguson family who lived where the Salisbury State High School was later constructed, between Fairlie Terrace and Frewin Street, Salisbury, in an undated letter to her sister-in-law, Mrs Peggy Ferguson, said about her memories of the local Aborigines: “…Needless to say there were many blacks – there was a camp at the end of Compo Road (now the intersection of Evans and Toohey Roads) where the Salisbury Hotel now stands….Corroborees were held at the gate entrance to the [Bellissima Forest] property across Beaudesert Road. One day the men employed by my grandfather were all working in the garden when grandfather said, “Don’t look up. Get on with your work.” My father looked up and there stood a big buck with a spear ready to throw. Twice grandfather issued the order then they heard a coo-ee from the Compo direction. The buck lowered his spear and loped off. There were sighs of relief all round, I would suppose.”

Citations

N. Tindale, Aboriginal Tribes of Australia, University of California Press, p.59.

Image Citations

Map References

Qimagery. Brisbane 1936. Scale: 1:11,000.