Though isolated and few, the
Herbert River Valley residents have never escaped being touched by major
conflicts, being called upon often to play their part. The Valley provided
volunteers, conscripts, machinery and horses for those conflicts. The Mafeking
Tree, casting its shade where Lannercost Street divides to become Palm Terrace
and Herbert Street, stands as a living reminder of not only a single conflict,
but a local family and its contribution and sacrifice.
Stephen Simpson, a former Major
in the British Army, arrived in Australia with his family in 1878. In 1882 he took
the position of Post and Telegraph Master in Ingham. On his arrival in Australia in 1878
his son John (Jack) was only a baby. As Jack grew up he developed horse riding and
bush skills that would stand him in good stead when in 1899 Britain found
itself at war and it put out the call for Australian volunteers.
This war was the Boer War. What
is now South Africa was formerly made up of the British held territory called Cape
Colony and the Boer held Transvaal and Orange Free State. The Boers or Afrikaners
were descendants of Dutch settlers. On 11 October, 1899 the Boers declared war
on Britain after Britain raided the Boer’s territory in 1896 in order to obtain
control of gold mines there.
Horses from the colonial
Australia were in demand by the British military. Captain A. Henry, an entrepreneurial
Valley resident, bred horses for use by the British Army. With the declaration
of war both horses and men were called upon by Britain for the war effort. 16
000 Australians volunteered with 606 casualties in what was described as a “bloody
guerrilla war.”
In the Boer War most Australians
fought in the mounted units and they were held in great esteem by the British
for their riding and shooting skills. Jack served in the Queensland Mounted Infantry
and was reputed to be a fine horseman and a tough bushman. He was among those troops
besieged in the Town of Mafeking for seven months from October 1899 to May 1900
and was wounded during the relief operations. The British emerged victorious and
peace was declared on 31 May 1902. Thereafter the Boer held territory became
British territory.
Jack’s father planted the
Mafeking Tree, a blackbean tree, on Palm Terrace to commemorate the military
relief of Mafeking. Celebrations of a similar sort were held right across
Australia simultaneously. Jack returned to Ingham after the Boer War. He died
in 1939. Compounding the family’s grief soon after his death his son John James
Simpson was a casualty of WW 2.
Jim Simpson, brother of Jack was
responsible for the installation of a plaque in 1972 detailing history and
significance of the Mafeking Tree. A further installation was erected at the Mafeking
Tree in 2000 as part of the Ingham Heritage Trail, on the 100 year anniversary of the planting. The Council has since
removed all those signs and the Trail no longer exists. The tree is the only known Mafeking Tree (Boer War ) Memorial in Queensland.
Jack was buried with military
honours in an unmarked grave. In 2003 his unmarked grave was finally given a
headstone. This only resulted after RSL president Lloyd Greentree located the
grave and initiated the construction of the headstone. He endeavoured to ensure
that the story of Jack Simpson lives on. However, sadly, an interpretative
signage installed over Jack’s grave is now (in 2019) unreadable.
When next you pass the Mafeking
tree spare a thought for Stephen, first Telegraph Master, Jack, survivor of “bloody
guerrilla war” and John James, a life cut short in the WW 2. While manufactured
dedications to these men deteriorate the tree stands as a living reminder of not
only past world conflicts, but a local family and its contribution and
sacrifice.
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| Stephen Simpson's grave, Old Ingham Cemetery. Source: Iconicingham |
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| John (Jack) Simpson's grave, Old Ingham Cemetery. (Source: Iconicingham) |
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| Mafeking Tree with both memorial plaques in situe. Source: Monument Australia,http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/boer/display/91639-mafeking-tree |
Source: Vidonja Balanzategui, Bianka. The Herbert River Story. Ingham: Hinchinbrook Shire Council, 2011.
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