CARNIVAL CROWD AT BILOELA FOR LIGHTS-ON CEREMONY
(From Our Special Representative)
BILOELA, December 19. This thriving township was aglow with lights tonight
and approximately 4000 people were in carnival mood to celebrate the
switching on of the electric light.
The official ceremony was performed in Callide Street by the Minister for
Mines (Mr Riordan).
Two hundred and fifty coloured lights in the town’s major thoroughfares Callide and Kariboe Street - and standard electric lights created scene of
gaiety.
The formal ceremony over the crowd devoted themselves to a round of
celebrations, patronising stalls, which were many and varied. They danced in
the streets and later in the night adjourned to a hall where they went on
dancing.
A function was also held at the Biloela Golf Club’s pavilion, to which the
official party and friends were invited.
During the day there was a steady stream of cars from outlying districts,
entering the town. This traffic continued at nightfall, when roads leading to the
township were also illuminated by car headlights.
This influx more than doubled the resident population. The crowd was
considerably greater than that which attended the opening of the power
station at Rockhampton.
For the past fortnight, especially the last 48 hours, the distribution section of
the Capricornia Regional Electricity Board has been working long hours to
enable the lights to be turned on at the scheduled time. For their work they
were deservingly complimented by the speakers.
Included in the official party at the ceremony, in addition to the Minister, were
Messrs G. H. Pearce, MP, V. Jones, J. Dufficy and J. Burrowes, MLAs,
members of the Capricornia Regional Electricity Board, the State Electricity
Commissioner (Mr H. Neil Smith) and Mr G. R. Hamilton, chairman of the
Banana Shire Council, whose shire offices are at Biloela.
Mr J. O'Malley, chairman of the Capricornia Regional Electricity Board,
introduced the Minister. Mr O'Malley summarised the board's operations and
also thanked landholders for their cooperation during the construction of the
line.
INCENTIVE TO GROWTH
Mr Riordan said that, with the advent of electricity, Biloela and district would
rapidly expand in size and importance. Callide, with its enormous coal
deposits, was the key centre in this part of the region and the future
programme provided for early extension of an 11,000 volt line to that area
from Biloela. An 11,00 volt line to Thangool was almost completed.
Giving particulars of the magnitude of the 97-mile Rockhampton-Biloela
connexion, Mr Riordan said there were 300 miles of heavy copper cable, 1000
heavy poles and more than 10,000 high tension insulators.
A special feature of the line was the incorporation of an overhead earth wire
over its entire length, for protection against the effects of severe lightning on
high-voltage transmission lines.
Mr Riordan said that in the last 13 years, due to the Government's
electrification policy, there had been undertaken in Queensland more
individual electrical development projects than in many more populous areas
in Australia. Consumers had grown from 15,000 to almost 260,00.
After his speech the Minister pulled a switch and the lights came on, to the
accompaniment of loud applause.
A vote of thanks to the Minister, moved by Mr H. Park, a member of the
Regional Board, was carried with acclamation.
Mr O'Malley presented the Minister with a fountain pen and pencil as a
memento of the occasion.
Set up in Callide Street, the sex appeal machine, which was a feature of the
Press, radio and movie ball in Rockhampton in October, proved a moneyspinner for the Biloela Ex-servicemen's League, which organised the carnival.
A beauty contest, for which 20 were entered, was to be judged in the hall at
midnight.
“Morning Bulletin” 20 December 1952 p1