Annual Sunday School Picnics

The first Sunday School picnic in Townsville was held in 1878, and was organised by Esther Camp, who, along with her husband George Camp, was a tireless worker for the early Methodist Church in Townsville.

Methodist Sunday School Picnic, Townsville, c.1910.
Photo:  CityLibraries Townsville Local History Collection.

By the early 1900s, the annual outing had become so popular, that hundreds of children from Sunday Schools throughout Townsville looked forward to their picnic with great excitement.

In May 1912, the Townsville Daily Bulletin reported on the success of the annual picnic, which had come to be held in conjunction with Empire Day, which was celebrated each year on 24 May.

“The children attending the various Methodist Sunday Schools throughout Townsville celebrated their annual outing on Empire Day by uniting in a combined picnic at the Botanical Gardens.”

After assembling at their various schools, the children were escorted to the gardens by their teachers in buses and trucks, and once there, “set about the task of enjoying themselves”. 

“Soon swings were to be seen going in all directions, cricket, football and rounders engaging the attention of others, whilst many more found enjoyment in ring games etc.”

The winners of the sporting competitions received prizes, and toys were handed out to the smaller children.  Before the evening meal, each of the schools joined together to give a hearty rendition of the National Anthem, which, according to the Bulletin, culminated in “cheers for His Majesty King George V”.

At the end of a long day, the children made their way home, “tired and yet happy with the remembrance of an exceedingly enjoyable day”.

Empire Day had begun in Australia in 1905, to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday – May 24 – even though the monarch had died four years previous.  It was also known throughout Australia as Cracker Night or Bonfire Night, and in later years, the original significance of the day was virtually lost.

But in Queensland in the early days of the holiday, the desire to see Empire Day retained as a day of celebration was impressed upon the Home Secretary, the Hon. J.G. Appel, in Brisbane in December 1910, by an influential deputation organised by the Queensland Sunday School Union.

Present at this meeting were a number of Churchmen in authority in Queensland at the time, including representatives from the Congregational Union, the Presbyterian Sunday School Union, the Baptist Sunday School Committee, and the Methodist Sunday School Committee.  

The delegation emphasised the popularity of Empire Day as a holiday, particularly because of the tradition of Sunday School picnics on that anniversary.

Mr Appel, for his part, said that he personally favoured the retention of Empire Day because of its long association with the Sunday School holiday, and because of its important association with the late Queen Victoria.  He was inclined to favour celebrating the King’s birthday on May 24 but wasn’t keen to make a decision on his own.

Methodist Sunday School Picnic, Townsville, c. 1930.
Photo:  CityLibraries Townsville Local History Collection.

Although Empire Day gradually faded away, the popularity of the Sunday School picnics remained, and by the 1940s, Townsville’s annual Sunday School picnics had moved to the King’s Birthday holiday in June.  In 1947 approximately 2,500 children were transported out of Townsville by rail in a single day, to attend their annual Sunday School picnic at various locations such as Kulburn (Black River), Bluewater and Nome.

Early Aviator Thrilled Townsville Crowds

In 1913, a 23 year-old English-born aviator, Arthur W. Jones, brought his imported Caudron bi-plane to Townsville for two exhibition flights that thrilled Townsville crowds. The display was one of the many activities organised for the city’s 50^th birthday Jubilee celebrations.  

Arthur W. Jones and his Caudron bi-plane at Cluden, August 1913.
Photo:  CityLibraries Townsville Local History Collection.

The single-engine, French designed aircraft had been shipped to Townsville aboard the SS. Kyarra, and in the lead up to the flights, was on display at the old wool stores in Flinders Street, for a fee of 1 shilling.

Special trains were laid on to transport curious onlookers to Cluden racecourse, where the exhibition took place.  The return fare, including entrance to the racecourse, was 3 shillings, or, if you had your own transport, the entry fee was reduced to 2 shillings.

Mr Jones had already made 150 successful flights in his Caudron, exhibiting at shows all around Australia.

The Townsville Daily Bulletin reported on “a most successful aviation display”, noting that more than 1500 people had travelled by the special excursion trains, and that the road to Cluden, “presented an endless trail of motor cars, vehicles and bicycles.”

“At six minutes past four the propeller was started, and after backfiring twice, the young aeronaut gave the signal to let go.”

“The machine glided forward about 20 yards, and amidst an outburst of cheering rose gracefully on her course towards the south-east at a gentle slope, going behind the grandstand and turning towards the north when past it.”

After only 3 and half minutes of flight, Mr Jones passed over the grandstand to the cheers of thousands of onlookers, where it became apparent that he was having difficulty with the wind.

According to the Bulletin, “The skill of the airman and the response of his machine was displayed in this work which was performed with the gracefulness of a bird.”

After a few more minutes, Jones had landed his plane, to the delight of the crowd.

“When a few feet off the ground Mr Jones glided his plane along and stopped immediately in front of the stand with remarkable ease.”

Piloting the aircraft was certainly not for the faint-hearted, as it had no throttle.  The engine was either on or it was off, and the only way to land the plane was to switch off the engine.

The Bulletin waxed lyrical, noting “It was a splendid afternoon’s entertainment and added still another historical event in the life of Townsville, in that the first successful aeroplane flight of North Queensland had eventuated in that city on its 50^th birthday.”

In January 1914, Jones had a lucky escape during an exhibition in Adelaide, South Australia, when both he and his aircraft fell from the sky. 

According to the local press, Jones had been flying for about 16 minutes, when the engine seemed to stop suddenly, and plummet to earth.  Then a gust of wind struck the plane when it was about 70 feet in the air, causing it to nosedive into the ground, and flip over on impact.

Remarkably, Mr Jones received only minor cuts and bruising and muscle strains in the crash, and when asked what had happened, reportedly said that he had lost his way and run out of petrol.

“She simply dived to the ground,” Mr Jones remarked.

“A cup of petrol would have saved it all.”

Jones repaired his aircraft and was back on the circuit later that year, exhibiting in Cairns in July 1914.

Arthur W. Jones and his Caudron, at Cairns, 1914.
Photo:  State Library of Queensland.