Cocky Jerry Jah/Jar (Ti)

At the turn of the 20th century, a hermit Chinaman named Cocky Jerry Jah lived in a cave on Denmark Hill. His Chinese name was Ti.

An article by Red Bum titled The Early Days published in the Queensland Times on 14 March 1924 reported that:

Cocky Jerry Jar, or Ti, was a member of an early batch of Chinese who had been induced to emigrate to Moreton Bay, principally as shepherds and labourers for the squatters on the Darling Downs. Jerry-Jar had been engaged on a station over the Range, and saved money to the amount of 200 pounds. Then came an alleged love-story. A good-looking young man, dressed up to represent a woman, after a period of courting, induced Jerry-Jar to part with is hard earnings. That was the last he, at any rate, saw of the 200 pounds. Jerry-Jar, finding out how he had been duped, went almost mad, and, coming to Ipswich — where there were, in those days, quite a number of Chinese residents — he took up his abode in the cave named after him. He made a living by cutting small bundles of wood and selling them to the residents. He did other odd jobs, which enabled him to eke out an existence. He was a straight-haired individual, without a pig-tail, and he would get quite annoyed if he were asked "You like em piggie, Cocky-Jerry-Jar?" Then there would be a running match between the interrogator and the Chow. I fancy he was removed to Woogaroo in the end.

This cave would now be situated at the edge of the creek near the Quarry Street car park. The cave was about four metres in depth with a sudden three metre drop from the entrance to the gully below. The cave has since been filled in but a rock outcrop on the banks of the creek indicates where Cocky Jerry Jah once lived.

The Queensland Times reported on 14 July 1945: "Cocky Jerry Jah" Lived Here!

The bushes, gullies, quarries, and caves at the back of Denmark Hill always have exercised a strange fascination for the imaginative juvenile population in this vicinity, and the above picture shows one of the most popular rendezvous-"Cocky Jerry Jah's cave." Over half a century ago the cave was inhabited by an eccentric but colourful old China-man called "Cocky Jerry Jah," whom the young fry of the day delighted in teasing. "Cocky" invariably showed his resentment by either chasing the lads or throwing stones at them. Actually, however, he was a harmless old chap. The cave is about 10ft. wide and 5ft. high at the front. It recedes into the side of the hill for several feet, but rapidly loses height. Over the last half-century Scouts, Cubs, and children have lit scores of fires either in-side the cave or in the mouth, and at present it is rather black and dirty.