It is reproduced here with the consent of Mrs Miller.

The Camooweal Race Club held its first meeting, in 1889, with eleven races and £1,200 prize money.

Races were won by A Monkhuse, P Hudlestone, J. Needham, H. Johnson, JH Kennedy and J Robertson.

Horses have been confusing us all going to an coming from the paddock ever since for mostly the meetings have been grassfed races with four weeks in a common grassed paddock and later six days out to liven them up training and feeding.

The Barkly has always boasted fine horseflesh and splendid bloodstock has been introduced to all the properties.

Beaumonts, Anderson, Millers, Clanchys, Finlays, Costellos, Reilly, O’Malley, Broadbridge, McCaws, Lloyd (Lennie),  Joe Neller, Pedwells, Hector McKenzie, George Ellis, Barnes brothers and G B Jago could all be found on race tracks and old Jack Cundy haunted the early morning trials until he as almost 100years old.

The aboriginal jockeys were trained, too, for the best and fairest race was often fought out by these eager riders and sometimes the best horses were kept on ‘ice’ for the blackboys’ race.

In 1898, M F Durack happened to be visiting Camooweal in connection with stock held up at Anthony’s Lagoon, when a race meeting was in progress.

His brother-in-law, one of the Costellos was in the meeting with Lake Nash horses and camped for the evening also was Nat Buchanan.

Visiting your friends especially on Sundays was for some their only outing and a cup of tea with fancy cakes was quite an important social event.

Magic Lantern Shows visited and for other entertainment an occasional concert enlivened the life or games of cribbage, Euchre or 500 which were taken rather seriously.

Surprise parties, community singing, solos and games for something different were organised.

The first gramophone seen in the area was taken out to Camooweal by Mr Bennett, a hawker, who set it up on riverbank and people took blankets to sit and listen.

A similar thing happened when silent movies first arrived.

They all recall the first ‘wireless’ they heard and what a difference it made to their lives.

The Royal Order of Buffaloes was formed on 14 May 1932 with 20 initiates and met regularly in the CWA Hall for many years.

They also held an annual ball which was regarded as one of the social events.

The Georgina Masonic Lodge, Lodge 381, was formed in 1940/41 under the Director of Ceremonies, Brother Woods, Mount Isa.

The Amenities Committee originally Methodist Amenities Committee was formed primarily to provide a picture show for the district.

It has always been a non-profit organisation and has shown films on a regular basis.

The advent of television in 1982 has proved a tough competitor and the picture show finds difficulty in continuing.

School committees have always functioned and sports meetings for children held.

Goat racing was always a feature of these especially when bicycles were beyond the financial reach of most people.

Hospital Committee – the local hospital originally was a cottage hospital and a hospital committee functioned to attend to its upkeep.

Hospital Benefit Race Meetings were held and usually the shire Clerk was also the paid Hospital committee secretary.

The CWA ladies were heavily involved in raising money for the hospital and financed the maternity wing.

A Progress Association was active as early as 1900 with W. Beaumont, Chairman and George Huddy, Secretary.

At this time patron of the Camooweal Jockey Club was GC sim and Vice-Presidents were James C. Hutton, MK Costello and Secretary was James Y. Allison (storekeeper).

In a country where horses play such an important role, it is not surprising that race meetings and gymkhanas are a popular form of recreation.

Much of Camooweal’s social life centred on race meetings together with tennis parties at Avon Downs and Rocklands Station.

These stockmen worked hard and played hard packing twelve month’s entertainment into one glorious week.

Tennis was popular and clubs have come and gone.

The second tennis court was opened in January, 1927 with a party.

Cricket clubs have done likewise.

Picnics were always amusing for a change of scenery but mixed bathing was never encouraged in the early days.

Whatever was held you could rely upon Camooweal’s Poet Laureate, James Broadbridge, to commemorate the occasion.

He wrote this of the Worthy Buffs:

“For close on 20 000 years old Camooweal stood still

She never knew a flutter or any sort of thrill

The he-men of the city spent this day on Pedwell’s front

A-blocking up the doorway till his clients got the hump etc. etc.

The cause of the excitement as everybody knows

Was the forming of the Lodge known as the Royall Buffaloes

So on the 14th day of May the town turned out in swarms

Awaiting from Mount Isa the advent of men with horns.”

Today (late 1980s) Camooweal has its active Race Club, Campdraft and Rodeo Group, Parents and Citizens Association and Amenities Committee.

As well, the Aboriginal members of the population have a Co-operative known as ‘Willilisjudarra Co-operative’ and they still enjoy their fishing and hunting.

Attending the Mount Isa and Cloncurry rodeos has been added to the ‘list of things one can do’ and most station properties have their own light aircraft so a day at Mount Isa’s aces is not impossible.

The modern modes of transport have certainly changed the face of the bush but one gets the impression that the spirit of community cohesion is now sadly missing in this faster, more materialistic society.

By Mrs Ada Miller (nee Freckleton).  

Researched by Kim-Maree Burton  

www.kimmareeburton.com