It took more than two years for Queensland author and historian, Dr Tony Matthews, to research and write what is certainly Australia’s largest regional history.
‘Heartbreak, Hope and Harmony, a history of Wondai Shire’, was launched at the Wondai Memorial Hall by then Mayor, Councillor David Carter, on 13 March just two days before Council was amalgamated with its neighbouring Shires to become part of the South Burnett Regional Council. The launch was the last official act of Wondai Shire Council. Several hundred people attended, during which, Mayor Carter made his last official address to residents as Wondai Mayor. (Two days after the book launch, David Carter was elected Mayor of the new South Burnett Regional Council.)
“Council identified the need to record the Shire’s history just over two years ago,”
Dr Matthews said. “At that point, I thought I had plenty of time to write the history of Wondai Shire, which was due to celebrate its 100th anniversary in January 2010. However, the Government’s decision to amalgamate councils forced me to propel the project forward by several years. This created significant logistical problems as I attempted to complete and publish the history before the council elections in March when Wondai ceased to exist.”
The history is published in two very large volumes, has approximately 850,000 words and includes around 400 photographs.
In addition to the published books, Dr Matthews also recorded a significant number of oral histories for the project. Information from these histories was included in the two volumes and the resultant 59 CDs, which also form part of the history collection. Copies of the CDs will be placed in the Wondai Heritage Museum and Proston Library.
The books are fully sourced so that future historians and researchers can go back to the original documents from which the information was derived.
Dr Matthews has written many other Shire histories, including those of Dalby, Maryborough, Chinchilla and the entire South Burnett region (six shires).
For further information contact Dr Matthews on (07) 4661 4573.
