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Spring Hill House - Part 2


George married Margaret Clark in 1873 and they subsequently had twelve children, all but one being born at Spring Hill. The present Spring Hill house was built in 1883.


JE Noakes did not live at Spring Hill and pursued other interests. He is recorded as representing Noakes Bros at Distilling Company meetings up to 31st December 1912.


In 1898, Spring Hill was leased to Philip Llewellyn Elliot, son in law of Augustus Purling Barton. Barton was a pioneering landholder, establishing among other large sugar and cattle properties the adjoining Mon Repos plantation and mill, later named Qunaba. Barton had no married sons. AP Barton purchased Spring Hill in 1899, but it was occupied and managed by PL Elliot. Elliot was responsible for expanding the mill and for initiating large scale irrigation used for steam operated pumps and for accessing the underground water basin.  


Bert Hinkler, pioneer aviator, conducted his first glider experiments on the beach behind Mon Repos plantation, still called by that name. Hinkler named his English house ‘Mon Repos’. It has subsequently been relocated to North Bundaberg botanical gardens where it has now become a notable tourist attraction.  


Spring Hill processing mill closed in 1907 and the cane was supplied to the Qunaba Mill from 1908.


In 1913, Spring Hill plantation was sold to Fairymead Sugar Company Limited, just a few months after its incorporation. Since that time Spring Hill house has been occupied almost continuously by plantation managers and overseers with some overlap.


Albert John (Jack) Axam managed and lived at Spring Hill from 1913 to 1926. He married Charlotte (Lottie) Perske there in 1918.


Chris Lerch was overseer from 1920 to 1945 and lived in the house from 1926 to 1929. Charles Hill was manager from 1928 to 1951 and lived in Spring Hill all that time.  


CEC (Chris) Young was manager from 1951 to 1958 and lived in Spring Hill from 1952 to 1960. Ken Kirchner was assistant manager from 1953 to 1958 and manager from 1958 to 1976, living in the house from 1960 to 1976.  


Manager from 1976 to present, CR (Robin) Wood, lived in Spring Hill from 1976 to 1987. From 1987 till its relocation and restoration at the Bundaberg Distillery in 1991, the house was unoccupied.  


Spring Hill owner and managers have been closely involved in local government. George Noakes was an inaugural member of the Woongarra Divisional Board, forerunner of the Shire Council.


PL Elliot and AP Barton were both members and chairmen of Woongarra Shire Council. CE Young was a member of Gooburrum Shire Council.  

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