The Historical Complex is a hidden gem in Childers, mostly hidden from the main road though the town. There is of course a brown sign for it, one of the smaller varieties and (at the time at least) dwarfed by a larger brown sign for a winery that isn’t operating anymore.
The main entrance is less than 100 metres from the main road where you will discover several buildings, two steam engines, and a few other bits and pieces to check out.
You can have a wander around at any time, the steam trains always a drawcard for children and their minders alike. The complex originally only had Number 6, built by John Fowler Co. in Leeds, England in 1912.
The short bit of railway line was later extended to accommodate Number 4, an earlier model steam engine made at the same place in England in 1896. It is Australia’s oldest tank engine, one of eight 060T locomotives in Australia.
Number 4 is well travelled, coming from England to Queensland to haul cane before heading to a private collector in Western Australia. It nearly went to a museum in Norway but instead found its new home in Childers.
For the best experience it is best to go during the opening hours to enter the complex buildings. The main building is where you will find the helpful volunteers who are happy to take you around and show you parts of the collection.
Isis Central Mill State School
The main building was a school room at the Isis Central Mill State School and brought to the complex in 1988 after it closed the year before. Part of it has been set up with classroom furniture with a chalk blackboard at the front and individual slates for students to use. Our boys sat for class and did their work on their slates.
The rest of the building has collections from around the area, from Aboriginal tools such as stone scrappers and axe heads, photographs of Childers in the early days, letters and telegrams during the world wars.
Underneath is a collection of horse-drawn buggies, a tractor, spinner of honey, and other items. Nearly every museum has a unique item that I discover (or take notice of) for the first time, and it was here that we found two.
Ladybird Electric Mower
The Ladybird is an electric mower which can run on AC or DC power and made from the 1940s until the 1960s. Its name comes from the Ladybird look of the dome containing the electric motor.
The motor powered a rotating blade underneath with adjustable rollers at the front and back to change the height. The Ladybird Electric Lawnmower “The Ladies Mower” features include; cuts any length of grass, motor fully protected by thermal overload cut-out, weighs only 20 lbs.
The ‘Ladybird’ has introduced a new era in lawnmowing. Its extreme lightness and amazingly effortless performance appeal to the lawnmowing public.
The example of the Ladybird looks is well used and the aluminium of the main casting and dome top are tarnished on the top and bottom. There are examples around when you search for them but I have not come across another in person as yet.
The company also made a conversion kit for old cylinder mowers, adding an electric motor to power the manual push mower.
Pluviograph
I didn’t know what a pluviograph was but I was fairly sure I hadn’t come across one before. It is an instrument for measuring the amount of water that has precipitated over a period of time. It is a rain gauge that records.
The pluviograph records the rainfall over a 24 hour period, an instrument used today but a little more compact and probably connected with electronic data instead of a card.
This example has a card in it dated 30/10/2020 with a time of 0900. It was used on a property in South Isis, the owner Dudley Martin was the official rainfall recorder for the Bureau of Meteorology.
Mill Cottage
Mill Cottage has decorated displays of a household cottage in the early 1900s, the first building in the historical complex in 1985. It depicts typical bedrooms, kitchen, and living areas. A singer peddle powered sowing machine, 29-key piano, phonogram, wood stove with a variety of pots and utensils, beds, clock, photos, dresser, and many other items can be found.
Beside Mill Cottage is the general store has containers of produce, scales, and an old cash register. The kids were invited to have a go at the cash register which thrilled them.
Waluma Post Office Slub Hut
A slab hut, once the Waluma Post Office, holds old industry items, from saws, blacksmith equipment, and cobbler tools.
An interesting item inside is an island canoe found on the beach at Woodgate in 1993. The canoe isn’t especially unique but it is a fascinating find that must have been unnoticed for many years.
