Portrait of Mr William Bretherton Parkinson, Ipswich, n.d. (Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich)

Born in England in 1886, Mr William Bretherton Parkinson came to Australia when he was 19 years of age. He worked for some time at the Ipswich Gas Company and Cribb and Foote’s. In 1919 he established himself as a Real Estate Agent and became very successful, partnering up with Mr Vic Noble in 1948. Messrs Parkinson and Noble were situated in Brisbane Street. He married Eileen Massey Robinson in 1915 and had two daughters. In 1942 his eldest daughter, Mavis Parkinson a missionary was killed during the invasion of New Guinea. Mr W B Parkinson passed away at the age of 65 years in 1951. (Information taken from The Queensland Times 17 May, 1951)

Portrait of the Hon. Jos. Francis, Ipswich, n.d. (Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich)

 

Sir Josiah Francis was born in Ipswich in 1890 and completed his schooling at St Edmunds College, Ipswich. In 1908 he began working as a clerk in the Queensland Department of Justice. He served as second lieutenant with the 15th Battalion in WWI and was wounded in 1918. Returning to Ipswich after the War, Francis involved himself in the Ipswich sub-branch and the Moreton district of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 1922 as a Nationalist candidate for Moreton and continued his political career concerning himself in matters relating to ex-servicemen. In 1927 he married Edna Clarke-Cribb. He became minister for the army from 1949 to 1955 and the navy from 1949-51 and 1954-55. In 1956 Francis was appointed Australian consul-general in New York and was knighted in 1957, retiring to Brisbane in 1961. He passed away in 1964 at Toowong. (Information taken from Australian Dictionary of Biography website 07.02.2017)

Portrait of Frederick James Meacham, Ipswich, n.d. (Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich)

 

Born in England in 1892, Frederick James Meacham attended King Edward VI Grammar School. He and his family came to Australia in 1913 on the ship Omrah and settled in Maryborough. In 1916, aged 23 years, Frederick enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. Returning from War Frederick moved to Auchenflower where he married Phoebe (Jean) Ada Elizabeth Cowton in April, 1921. They had two sons and two daughters. The family moved to Ipswich where Frederick was employed with The Queensland Times for over 20 years as a journalist, becoming Editor in 1923 and Manager for 13 years. Meacham was Director of the Queensland Country Press Pty Ltd, President of the Queensland Country Press Association, Chairman of Directors of the Ipswich Broadcasting Co. Pty Ltd, President of the Press Institute and Chairman of Directors of The Queensland Times. F J Meacham was also President of the Ipswich Rotary Club. He left The Queensland Times in 1941 to take up the position of Secretary of the Australian Provincial Daily Press Ltd in Victoria and by 1942 added Director to his role. In 1955 he was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire – Civil Division). Mr Meacham passed away in 1968 aged 77. The ‘F J Meacham Award’ “is presented annually to the regional daily newspaper judged to have attained the highest technical and editorial standard and having best served its community.”(Information taken from Ancestry Library Edition; Ancestry – Who’s Who in Australian 1921 -1950; The Queensland Times 4 May 1921; The Queensland Times, 13 Dec, 1941 ‘Mr F J Meacham Honoured’; The Argus 1 Jan 1955; The Canberra Times 15 Oct 1968; The Canberra Times 17 May 1985)