Page 130 - Tropic Magazine Issue 13

TROPIC • REGIONAL HISTORY

Go to blazes

Tropic turns back the clock to
a colourful moment in our
local history.

Words Gavin King
Here at Tropic, we’ve been talking
with local businesses about an
exciting project to market our city for
livability, all with the aim of boosting
our population. The “Brand Cairns”
campaign will sell our strengths to
convince southerners in capital cities to
ditch the rat race and move to paradise.
Turns out that way back in 1947, a
Cooktown farmer by the name of
Ernie Boulton had a similar idea. But Unlikely partnership
while we’ll focus on the positives and
create a compelling suite of marketing In the same year Ernie was busy north has been saved from the
messages, Ernie’s approach was a little spruiking Cairns to bemused folks acute shortage of soaps prevailing
more… rugged. in Sydney, the nation was in the in Southern States through its
According to a report in the local grip of a rather smelly crisis. In ability to produce its own soaps and
newspaper on December 27, Ernie 1947, Australia was experiencing the availability, locally, of tallow
was fed up. Women had “lost the old an “acute soap shortage” due to and other fats.” According to Mr AP
pioneering spirit”, apparently, and a lack of coal, union strikes and a Drew, the sales manager for Samuel
Eddie wanted to shake things up to dearth of caustic soda, a key soap Allen and Sons Ltd, soap supplies
convince more cosmopolitan females to ingredient. Thankfully for locals, in the North were “comparatively
move north. North Queensland largely dodged plentiful” thanks to the presence
Eddie was the proud owner of a the hygienic calamity. Newspaper of a soap factory at Innisfail and
350-acre farm, a six-roomed house, reports at the time stated: “The Townsville. Nose were the days...
and plenty of “wild pig, wallaby
and crocodiles”. But he remained
steadfastly single, despite his best
efforts to shack up with a sheila. In a
unique bid to raise awareness of the
Tropical North, Eddie spent a month in
Sydney and donated a baby crocodile
called Norman to Taronga Park Zoo.
“You can’t get girls to leave the cities
these days,” Ernie said. “There are
excellent opportunities in North
Queensland for young couples willing
to put up with hardships for about two
years. After that they can tell the rest of
the world to go to blazes.”
We couldn’t agree more, Ernie.

130 • Tropic • Issue 14