Milman

The official opening of the section of the North Coast Railway, from Glenmore Junction R’ton to Jardine, a distance of 21 miles 4 chains was on 28th June 1913. 2000 persons went to Jardine to take part and three special trains had to be run from Rockhampton. The flat on which the station was built was in a very sloppy condition as a result of previous rain and a considerable number did not leave the train. The line was opened beyond Jardine to Yaamba (1.99 miles) on 1 October 1913 after completion of the Alligator Creek Railway Bridge. The opening of the railway station was a major boost for the settlers at Jardine who now could easily get their products to market.The line was opened for public traffic and goods trains from Tuesday, 1st July, and ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays departing 9:50 a.m. from Rockhampton (Archer St) and arriving at Jardine 11:35 a.m.; departing Jardine, 12.35 p.m., arriving in Rockhampton 2.20 p.m. Passenger accommodation was provided on these trains. This scheduled suited the Railway Department but not the residents of Jardine who had to find at least one night’s accommodation in town before returning home the next day. This anomaly was raised as early as Wednesday 23rd July at a Rockhampton Chamber of Commerce meeting . A three day a week service (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday) where the train departed Jardine at 7am and returned 5pm allowed the settlers to conduct business. This also provided a cream pick-up service that suited dairymen (particularly in the summer time).The Jardine Railway Station soon became a post office for the delivery of mail (previously Yaamba) and by 28th February 1916 it became a Receiving Post Office.Approval for renaming of the railway station to Milman was on or before 30 October 1916 because Jardine Valley on the Great Northern Railway existed and this created confusion.The Milman Railway Station was reported to have been completely gutted by fire on the evening of 30 April -1 May 1942 but this was only to one of the three sheds that existed.The initial settlement of Jardine was undertaken commencing January 1910 by German immigrants known as “The Alligator Creek Group”. They initially were in two camps on what is now Portions 52 and 101. They moved on to their properties progressively in the second half of 1910.Initially they lived in huts (bush timbers with hessian walls) or canvas tents. The original settlers who came on the two ships, and were part of “The Alligator Creek (German) Group”, were: Karl Gustaf Shultz, Ernest Raasch, Fredrich Wilhelm Curt Henke, Otto Reinhold Paul Hanschen, Otto Haase, Richard George Robert Lennig, Karl Loose, Heinrich Gottleib Albert Detjen, Max Menzel, Gustav Karl Priebst, Herman August Ebelt, Johann Gardey, Anton Nawrath, Max Scheibe, Friedrich Herrmann Richard Lamain, Friedrich Ernst Lewandowsky jnr, Paul Karl Lewandowsky, Max Kossendey and Willy Bernhard Ernst Kossendey.