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August 2025: Samford Show + Family History Month
Samford Show
The Annual Samford Show has come and gone for 2025. Many came on a beautiful, sunny weekend – you wouldn’t have known it was the middle of winter. The origins of Samford Show, with its different name, was built around Agriculture displays and so forth. A very early attempt to have an agricultural show began in 1929. The real beginnings of what we know as the Samford Show started in 1968 run by the P & C Association of the Samford State School. This was a one-day event held at the Farmers’ Hall and on Cash’s paddock which was situated behind the hall.
The Show back then consisted of equestrian activities and showing off the talents of local residents with flower arrangements, cakes, jams and works created by the local children. The Show was named the “Golden Valley Show” which was still under the control of the P & C Association. The Golden Valley Pony Club took over in 1974 and the school went back to having a fete in the school grounds. The new beginning and major changes began in 1977 when the Show was moved to private property on Richard’s Road, Camp Mountain which included a trotting track and was changed also from a one-day event to a two-day event. Everything came back to life when they reintroduced the old favourites of flowers, cooking and children’s displays. In 1977, the Show Society was established with Clem Gillis as its inaugural President.
The Show continued on Seymour’s property until 1986, when it was permanently relocated to the Samford Showgrounds at Highvale. The smiles and tears of childhood years still remain with us all, when we can step back and remember, as a child, the events we participated in, and share this with our children and grandchildren. Mechanical rides have taken over some of the rides of the past and loud screams revert across the showgrounds.
Family History Month
August is Family History Month in Australia and New Zealand. Here at Samford Museum we invite family historians with connections to Samford and surrounding districts to explore our extensive resources. A list of published books and numerous photographs can be found on our website.
Family files, local schools and maps, are some of the materials available for searching, as well as numerous family reminiscences and access to locals who served in WW1 and WW2. Before making a visit (Wednesday or Sunday 10am-4pm) please let us know the family or area of interest, so volunteers can arrange and prepare for your visit. A small admission is charged on entry and a donation is appreciated for information discovered. Pre visit arrangements can also be made via our Facebook page and by phoning 3289 2743.
April 2025: The History of Samford Pineapples
Did you know that there were pineapples grown on the hillsides of Samford and the surrounding areas from the 1920s to the 1950s.
When the Golden Circle Cannery opened in 1947, this brought stability to the pineapple industry in Samford. Do you also know that it takes 18 months to grow a pineapple from its humble planting to being ripe for picking. Picking pineapples in the early days was, you could say, a dangerous occupation as they were planted on steep slopes. They were also planted six feet apart between the double rows in patches of up to ten acres. There are a few varieties of pineapples such as, Smooth, Rough and Ripley Queen. They are graded one to four, with one being the large size to four being the smaller size.
A well-known family of the Samford District is the Domrow Family. They had the contract, during World War II, to supply pineapples to the American Army based in the Strathpine area along with other varieties of fruit and vegetables such as cucumbers, beetroot, turnips and sweet potatoes.
The Domrow family transported their produce, to the Roma Street Markets in their trusty old Chevy truck. One of the last families to grow pineapples in huge quantities were the Wruck Family in the Dayboro area in the 1970s.
Other farmers in the area, included the McDowalls, the Greggs, the Nixon-Smiths and the Lawsons.
Pickers ran with a corn bag over their shoulder to the bottom of the slopey hill and started their picking, sometimes only getting a third of the way, then go back to the horse and slide to the empty bag. It was best to wear long trousers and sleeves whilst picking as the leaves of the pineapples would scratch the hell out of your legs and arms.
McDowalls packed their pineapples in tropical cases (large wooden cases) if they were being sent to the southern markets. For the local markets they were sold loose.
The pineapple is thought to be originally native to Brazil, South America. Pineapples were introduced to Queensland as early as 1838.
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