Item is held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
Bloomfield River Mission House 1886 Image Number 103575

Blacks Mission House (Description supplied with photograph) The Aboriginal Mission Station, Bloomfield River, was founded by the sons of Frederick Bauer (of Vilele Plantation). Louis G. Bauer became the first Superintendent, erected his own quarters and laid foundations to what he anticipated would become a prosperous experimental farm, with tea, coffee and tropical fruits being grown in commercial quantities. After one year, in 1887, the Mission was transferred by the Government to the Lutheran Church of South Australia. (see also: "Brisbane Courier", 4/11/1886; "Marie Yamba" by K.E. Evans) (Description supplied with photograph)

People swimming in Bloomfield River, 1880-1886
N.Q. natives - Bloomfield Riv. (Description supplied with photograph)


Tin miners' camp in the Bloomfield River district, ca. 1884
Tin miners' camp. Over the range from Bloomfield River. [Description supplied with photograph] The image shows three miners eating a meal outside their tent. Dense bush appears in the background. A shelter made from vegetation appears to the right of the photograph. See also Neg. No. 103564 for another photograph of the camp.
 

Bloomfield River Far North Queensland

Visit Port Douglas Court House Museum.  Wharf Street, Port Douglas.  Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 1pm.  Admission by gold coin donation.  This museum is staffed by volunteer attendants.

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Bloomfield River Sugar Company Wharf, ca. 1884
The wharf was erected on the north side of the Bloomfield River, at its mouth. [Description supplied with photograph] The image shows a large sailing ship moored at the wharf.
John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland


Game of tennis in progress at the Vilele Sugar Plantation in the Bloomfield River district, ca. 1884
'Bambielbi - Headquarters - Bloomfield River, 1884.' The Bauer Family. The bearded gentleman in the tropical helmet in the left corner is Frederick Bauer, with his wife. [Description supplied with photograph] A house with wide verandahs overlooks the grass tennis court.


View of the Bloomfield River Sugar Company Mill, ca. 1887
Image shows the mill buildings framed between two tall trees. A dog sits in the foreground.


Roaring Meg Falls on Roaring Meg Creek, Bloomfield River District, ca. 1884


Tin mining in the Bloomfield River district, ca. 1884
Tin mining over divide of Bloomfield Valley, 1884. [Description supplied with photograph] "The tin mines are situated on the south side of the river, east of Peter Botte Mountain, towards the Daintree watershed. Upwards of 100 men are at work getting alluvial tin, which is packed from seven to fourteen miles to the river, where it is shipped in small boats to Cooktown." [Source of description: The Queenslander, 27 February 1886, p.349] The image shows two men searching for tin in the river.

Aborigines from the Bloomfield River, Queensland Jan 13th 1886 John Oxley library mp00975
 

Bloomfield History

Bloomfield is on the northern border of the Douglas and Cook Shires.  There is no township of Bloomfield, but there is a Bloomfield School.  The Bloomfield River Mission has been renamed Wujal Wujal.  Degarra settlement on the south side of the Bloomfield River is on the floodplains and has never been settled although plans were drawn up for the township.  For more information on Bloomfield, contact the Cooktown Historical Society

1872

       Returning from the Palmer, William Hann made the steep descent to the coast near the Bloomfield River.  He climbed a hill and could see Cape Tribulation but could see no way of crossing the coastal range, so he turned inland.

       7^th June.  Frederick, Louis George and Anniechen Pearson Bauer and George Hislop selected Portions 191, 192, 194 and 195 near Weary Bay (named by Capt Cook) on the northern side of the Bloomfield River.  The cedar getters including Dan Hart had been there before.

1873

       George Elphinstone Dalrymple named the low jungle range the Heights of Victory, the Heights of Dagmar and the Heights of Alexandra.  Bloomfield was named for a pastoralist in Miriamvale.

1879

       Capt Asmundsen, a Dane, was the first settler.  He grew and manufactured coffee, cotton and tobacco.

1882

       Frederick Bauer and two sons began the Bloomfield River Sugar Company.  The plantation was named Vilele

1885

       The first full scale crushing at the mill.

1886

       There was a steam sawmill and ten miles of tramway including portable track. This was the first railway in the Shire.  Ayton had a hotel store and police station.

1887

       Louis George Bauer had formed an Aboriginal mission (in 1885) that was transferred to the Lutheran Church
The mission was abandoned in 1902

1888

       The crush of 314 acres was only a quarter of the mill’s capacity.  30 Europeans, 110 Chinese and 132 Malays and Javanese were employed

1890

       The sugar enterprise closed for economic reasons. 

       Mr Olufsen acquired land and grew fruit, tobacco, rice, coffee, citrus, potatoes, maize and honey.  He also ran cattle and had a slaughtering licence.

WWII

       There was a settlement here and radio link to Cairns

1950s

       His sons Herbie and Oscar Olufsen stayed in the area and Herbie rowed out from the mouth of the Bloomfield to the Merinda as it passed on its weekly run Cairns to Cooktown to collect mail, freight and passengers

1968/69

       Geoff Martin started Bloomfield Lodge

1980  

       The Aboriginal Council came into being with the region regaining its traditional name Wujal Wujal, meaning Many Falls in the local language.

1990

       Mike Gooley of Trailfinders bought the Lodge.  He still owns it in 2006.

2003

       Peppers became part of the brand name of Bloomfield Lodge

 
Bloomfield River Mission Station, Queensland, 1880-1886
Black's Mission - Headquarters (Description supplied with photograph)

Compiled by Pam Willis Burden   March 2006

A more detailed time line history has been published as a Bulletin and is available for $2 plus postage from the Douglas Shire Historical Society.  Email

Tin miners' camp in the Bloomfield River district, ca. 1884
The image shows a miner outside his tent. Clothing hangs over a railing. The miner appears to be placing what may be tin into canvas bags? See also Neg. No. 103563 for another photograph of the camp.
Each bag weighed 1 cwt!( that's about 50kg in new money)