Blumberg Brothers Store, 1882, Dugandan, Boonah QLD. Lithograph c1910.

$220.00

Wonderful, rare, historic Boonah record. Early Australian architecture antique print. Dugandan General Stores estab. 1882 BLUMBERG BROS.

Original hand-coloured photo-lithograph for Jubilee History of Queensland: a record of political, industrial and social development from the landing of the first explorers to the close of 1909 edited by Edmund John T. Barton. Published in Brisbane circa 1910 by Muir & Morcom.

The three Blumberg brothers, Levi, Adolph and Max, came from London on Gauntlet (also available), and arrived in Queensland at the end of October 1882. The Blumbergs travelled around the Fassifern District, selling their goods to the early settlers. In the ‘Dugandan Scrub’ region a few of the 40 or 50 families sold goods from rough farm shops, but the Blumberg’s wider range of more interesting wares brought great excitement. Dugandan was named after the 1844 Dugandan pastoral station which stretches north-east from Boonah to Mt Joyce. A number of buildings had been built on Dugandan Flat to the south, but the Blumberg’s 4-room cottage and store opened at the end of 1882 on higher ground (which survived the flood of 1887). The railway was built in 1887 and locals chose the new name of Boonah, and the region became known as ‘Boonah and Dugandan’.

Mail was directed to “Blumberg’s via Ipswich” until 1884 when a post receiving-office opened at Blumberg’s store (in the care of Mr Levi Blumberg, a Justice of the Peace who was important in the Boonah Police Court). The store became so well known that the surrounding area soon became known as Blumbergville. With the establishment of the post receiving office, Blumberg’s business grew enormously. The grander illustrated building was built next to the original Blumberg Bros. Store, and the original cottage remained as their residence. Max was a shoe and boot merchant at their store, and the Blumbergs Brothers also built the Australian Hotel in 1888. In 1890 Adolph Blumberg replaced the manager they had employed, and Levi’s widow, Elizabeth Blumberg took over management after Adolph.

Full page antique print, approximately 19 cm x 24 cm.