19/10/2026
Harry Smith Outback Story by Donna Klease
Henry (Harry) Smith was born in Mapleton QLD on the 2nd July, 1899. His father Thomas Smith was the first settler of Mapleton in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with his brother William in 1889. The boys had travelled from their Redland Bay home in search of fertile land to farm. Thomas married Frances Marley and they had six children, Robert was stillborn, Victor, Essie, Harry, Frances and Cecil. Once the children were a little older they all helped out on the 160 acre property. With 1,000 orange trees to pruned, weeded and sprayed it was an extremely busy life on the farm. It was noted in the 1903 Queensland Agricultural Journal, that in the opinion of Southern orchardists who had visited the Range, that it was one of the finest orchards in Australia.
As well as an impressive property, his father was very inventive and patented many inventions. He invented a tree sprayer in 1903 which he used on his property, a boarding clamp in 1908, harrow in 1909, S.O.S Buoy in 1911 and a single wire electric fence in 1939. The S.O.S. Buoy was his biggest investment. The Australia Navy were very interested in the invention and asked for a trail to be conducted in Port Phillip Bay which proved it to be satisfactory, but settlement was not negotiated at that stage. With the onset of World War 1, it was observed that the Germans, when sinking a ship, would turn around and sink the boats of the survivors. In the face of this, the Navy backed away from the invention. This invention cost over 3,ooo pounds to produce plus 700 pounds for patent fees, which was big money in those days, not to say anything of the time spent in making it. Harry’s brother Victor also had an inventive mind and after shifting to America, where he felt he could make more progress with his inventions. He successfully patented in the USA a vaccum cleaner nozzle in 1930, a new style of a washing machine and a diamond tipped gramophone needle in 1935 along with numerous other inventions.
Harry left the families property and joined the Brisbane Branch of the Queensland Police Force in early 1918, his service number being 2322. With WW1 on, he left the police force to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force on the 1st October 1918, service number Q24532 and was released on the 31st December 1918 due to the war ending. He worked in the Brisbane area for a few years as a fencer. Wanting to do more with his life, Harry had been told by a friend in the police force of work needed in Central West Queensland. In 1923 Harry made his way to the west and secured a job at Maneroo Station 73klms from Longreach Queensland as a windmill expert and mechanic where he worked till 1929. Harry also had an inventive mind and when he was asked to move and install a suction gas engine from Cramsie to the Ilfracombe Wool Scour, he didn’t hesitate. After three months he successfully reassembled all the component parts back together and got it running to the delight of Edkins Marsh & Co., owners of the Wool Scour. Harry was offered full time employment by the thankful manager and started his role as a junior and after three years he was made an engineer after obtaining further Engineering Certificates.
He married Edith Quinn from Maneroo Station in 1930 where the family lived while her father worked as a labourer. As a married couple they shifted into their house on the corner of Wellshot and Mitchell Streets in Ilfracombe, where they raised and schooled their three children, Colin, Betty and Pauline. With the onset of WW11 Harry offered his services again as a part time soldier to the Australian Army and became a Sergeant Q214547 for the training of the 14th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (Q’ld) from 10th May 1942 to 21st October 1945. His primary responsibilities included training for full-scale local guerrilla warfare, gathering local geographic intelligence, and setting up static defences against a potential Japanese invasion. He also was awarded a citation by the Commonwealth of Australia for special services rendered in connection with the Third Victory Loan Campaign.
After the war he was elected to the Ilfracombe Shire as a Councillor from 1946 to 1956 and again from 1960 to 1963, helping to implement many much needed essential services to upgrade the town. His versatile commonsense approach and understanding of how to achieve Council’s objectives earned him the praise by Council and the community. I’m sure that he also inherited from his father the inventiveness that saw he succeed so well in life. One improvement was when electricity was turned on from the Wool Scour which housed the lighting plant, to the town by his son Colin. Everyone come out into the main street (which was the only strip of bitumen in town) to celebrate and see this important event when the sun went down. The residents were quick to utilize this marvel, but if too many residents that had all their appliances on at once it would cause a blackout. The residents soon realised how many appliances could be used. Entertainment was crucial to the community with tennis courts, rugby league football, cricket, r***e club, swimming, horse racing events and golf to name a few.
By 1948 Harry was offered the managers job by the directors of the Ilfracombe Wool Scour which he accepted and the family moved into the house onsite at the Wool Scour. The Wool Scour was the town’s biggest employer with wonderful opportunities for the local men to stay in the district and bring up their families. Edith (Edie) Harry’s wife hosted many social events at the Wool Scour, volunteered at the Country Womens Association, arranged balls at the Wellshot Hall, tennis parties, crafts and knitting mornings and school events while supporting her husband.
It was noted that the Ilfracombe scour topped both the Sydney and Melbourne sales as well as impressively topping world markets. With the gradual decline of markets and the desire for Harry to retire as well as aging machinery, the Ilfracombe Wool Scour closed in 1966. Harry had an outstanding 37 years at the Wool Scour. The Council held a private dinner with a beautiful engraved stainless steel as thanks. A week later the local community held a farewell dinner at the Ilfracombe Hall to thank them for all their contributions and to wish them well. It was one of the biggest gatherings the hall had seen. Edith and Harry retired to the relaxed seaside town of Brighton on the shores of Moreton Bay, with Harry passing away on the 10th November 1986 and his wife on the 14th April 1997. Harry and his family as did many others before and after him played their part in shaping Ilfracombe’s history.
