QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Russ Hinze Queensland’s “Colossus of Roads”

Always newsworthy, Russell James Hinze mla was a prominent and colourful member of the Queensland parliament for 22 years from 1966 until his resignation in February 1988, having served with distinction in local government for 15 years. He was the grandson of Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Hinze and his wife Johanna. Born and married in Eichstädt in Brandenburg, they emigrated to Queensland, arriving on the Canarde with their son August in 1881. Seven more children were born into the family: four sons and three daughters. At Gilston near Nerang in the hinterland of the modern Gold Coast was a small community of German settlers. Carl Hinze acquired land there and for four years engaged in farming and dairying. He then bought a farm a short distance away at Advancetown, where members of his family remained for 90 years. The construction of the fast-growing Gold Coast’s own water reservoir – Hinze Dam, first stage completed in 1976 – required the resumption of most Advancetown properties, including those of the Hinze family, and the naming of the dam honoured the family’s pioneering contribution to the region. Carl and Johanna’s oldest son August purchased a farm at Oxenford, where he established a large dairy, often described as a model operation. As he became more prosperous he also acquired the Oxenford Hotel. He and his wife Georgina had three children, of whom Russell was the youngest. Born at Oxenford on 19 June 1919, Russell left school at the age of 12 to help his father on the farm, but his lack of formal education did not prevent him from making productive use of his natural talents. He further developed the dairy farm, was active in the South Coast Co-operative Dairy Association, and became its Chairman in 1950 at the age of only 31.

Up at the Archer River Roadhouse on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, the throne-size wooden chair is the stuff of legend. Built double-wide for big Russ during a visit while he reigned as minister for just about everything in the Bjelke-Petersen government, the seat now supports weary travellers tucking into hot chips and cold drinks at the roadhouse. “No need to take turns,” claim the operators, “there’s plenty of room for two.” The roadhouse is around 630km (a good 12 hours by rugged roads) north of Cairns.

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