A constant stream of tragic deaths flowed, until I found a series of historic firsts for one family that will astound you. I told a version of this story live on Darling Downs radio 4AK.

The Collins family have a history longer than any other on the Darling Downs. There were the many deaths of Mrs. Collins, an attempt to erase one Mrs. Collins from history, horribly violent deaths to others, and another was linked to a shocking indecent exposure. However, there’s another branch of the Collins family that made a more primary mark on history.

In 1840, Canning Downs was the first station taken up and stocked on the Darling Downs. The Canning Downs homestead was built from 1847 to be the first residential establishment built by settlers on the Darling Downs, and remains the oldest homestead in Queensland. It’s just a short drive from Warwick.

On the 22nd of April 1848, a baby by the name of William Collins was quite likely the first child to be born at Canning Downs.

In September 1848, the young William Collins was in the first group of babies baptised in Warwick. That was by the Anglican clergyman Benjamin Glennie when he visited Warwick for the first time. The Reverend Glennie in 1848 presided over the first Church of England service on the Darling Downs. The Glennie School at Toowoomba is named after him.

Those first baptisms only happened in Warwick thanks to William’s father Mr John Collins providing the venue. You see, in 1847, Mr. Collins established the first hotel in the Warwick district. It was the old “Horse and Jockey Inn” on the corner of Palmerin and Victoria streets, it was one of three buildings that first formed the town of Warwick. It was also the venue used by the Anglican Church until a church was built. The Commercial Hotel (pictured top of page) was later constructed on the site, and the modern Horse and Jockey Hotel Motel is there today.

When the baby William Collins grew up, he wasn’t finished with history-making firsts.

When William married Catherine Dippelsman in 1874, his parents-in-law were the first settlers of the Sandy Creek district just outside of Warwick, Catherine was the first European baby born at Sandy Creek, and Catherine’s siblings were the first pupils of the Sandy Creek State School. Over the next nineteen years William and Catherine – the district’s historic first-born couple – produced nine babies, and all up became one of the best-known families in the Warwick district.

In 1877, William ran for council and became the first Australian-born alderman to be elected to the Warwick town council. His election was greeted by the first recorded spontaneous electoral outburst in the town. When the poll was declared his friends were absolutely delighted and cheered wildly, they even hoisted him on their shoulders, carried him to a carriage, and then drove round and around town in celebration, and he eventually became the mayor of Warwick.

Celebrations also surrounded William’s son William Junior who was the best runner across the district. He made a habit of coming first by winning professional handicaps at Warwick, Hendon, Killarney, Inglewood and Toowoomba. And this was back in the day when running was the first and biggest sport around.

Researching different branches of the Collins family has been absolutely fascinating, and especially this one with so many historic firsts in Warwick right across the Darling Downs.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A VERSION OF THIS STORY TOLD ON RADIO 4AK.

Photo credits:
Horse and Jockey Inn c1875 – State Library of Queensland.
Canning Downs station homestead c1859 – State Library of Queensland.
Reverend Benjamin Glennie – State Library of Queensland.
John Collins – Find a Grave added by Jigsaw 2021.
William Collins – Find a Grave added by Jigsaw 2021.