Now vs Then – Learning the Trade

By Judd Vesey

The Gold Coast Historical Museum holds a plethora of different exhibits showcasing our history. I searched the Museum to look for what will be my first blog on one of our exhibits. In the corner of the Elliot Building, I found a book titled “Ward & Lock’s Industrial Self-Instructor.”

It struck my eye as there doesn’t seem to be a date for when this book was written or published. From my research online, the best I could find was circa 1900. The firm was not named “Ward, Lock, and Co.” until 1897, which gives the earliest date of publishing. If anyone has some more knowledge, please comment below!

If you look at the front page, the variety of subjects to learn is quite diverse, and each subject is difficult to approach. It appears this book was created to show the many different trades that were popular in the industrialised world.

A book was worth its weight in gold 100 years ago, but now books are optional. Books take space, cost more money than buying a digital copy on your iPad, and can fall apart over time. In 2025 you can look in a school classroom and struggle to find a book. We now use laptops and portable devices to get every piece of information or knowledge we could need. Online tutorials through videos now make learning any subject a lot easier than it used to be. Whether this makes us smarter as we can learn more, or dumber as we need to think less to learn skills. Hopefully AI does not take away any of our critical thinking as we evolve as a society in the next 50-years.

If you would like to come and see more of what it was like to live and work in the changing world, come visit the Gold Coast Historical Museum! If you have experienced having to learn without the internet then with, comment below.

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From Dairy Farms to Luxury Villas

The Gold Coast History Museum and grounds lie on a 1.7 acre block in Elliott St, Surfers Paradise. For many years after European settlement the entire area was comprised largely of farms, from sugar cane to dairy. The above painting in our collection shows the buildings at the Heissner farm, which was adjacent to what is now the Anglican Church on Salerno St, Isle of Capri.

In 1958, Efim Zola purchased 104 acres of swampy farmland from dairy farmers Heissner and Gooding, with sugar cane now becoming a fading memory. He purchased an additional 173 acres and then two years later sold it to Bruce Small. The move from farmland to home blocks transformed the land on which cattle were run, and which grew produce such as pumpkins and potatoes.

The Heissner cottage, bore no name of its own and was a known landmark for many years for people crossing the Isle of Capri. In June 1979 it was demolished to make way for the “Fig Tree” townhouse development. The complex took its name from the giant fig tree which stood on the northern boundary of the property.

Information on the back of the painting notes, “By an odd twist of fate, as though to signal the end of a bygone era, the fig tree met its fate” – being blown down during a violent windstorm on the day of the official Opening of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, 1982.

From the South Coast Bulletin in 1933 … “A Native Cat.” With a tally of 8 fowls to its credit a native cat was shot by Mr. Bert Gibson on Mr. A (August) Heissner’s dairy farm on Monday morning. The cat measured 3ft from nose to tail tip and its fur was brown in color with white spots. This was the first native cat seen at Benowa.

The Fig Tree complex has since been replaced with Capri Villas, which has almost completed construction. Welcome to a world of unparalleled luxury on the stunning Gold Coast. Nestled in an exclusive enclave, these magnificent luxury villas redefine upscale living with their exquisite design and breathtaking surroundings. Crafted with meticulous attention to details, each villa offers an unrivalled blend of opulence and comfort.

If you are quick and have a deep wallet, you may still be able to snaffle one up!

The to-be completed Capri Villas.

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The GC History Blog

By Judd Vesey – 21/06/2025

G’day Gold Coast! The Gold Coast Historical Museum (that few have heard of) has released a new website and with it, a blog! We would love to share with you our love of the Gold Coast as often as we can, its history, and most importantly, what our museum has to offer.

The topics you can expect to read about are:
* The exhibits we keep on-site at the Museum (come check them out)
* Stories of the Gold Coast’s history and peoples
* Some blogs advertising our upcoming events
* Other topics that sit in the hearts of our volunteers

We hope you love to read and explore our history as much as we do, and that you will come visit us!

You know where to find us!

The museum is located in the heart of the Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise at 8 Elliott St Surfers Paradise. We love all things Gold Coast and hold a plethora of historical artifacts ranging from the Kombumerri’s Peoples to the time of British colonialism and all the way to the modern-day bustling city of the Gold Coast.

The Museum is a small piece of paradise with plenty of space for the family to visit, for a picnic or to meet up with friends for a cuppa. We have indoor exhibits with air conditioning as well for a spot out the heat in the summer. My favourite exhibit at the Gold Coast Historical Museum is Veivers Cottage. It is a replica built for the Museum to display to the public. Come and see what it was like to live out in the bush in the 1860’s!

Replica of Boowagan Cottage which was occupied by the Veivers family in 1860.

There will always be at least two volunteers on-site on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Check out our social medias for when we are closed or for a notification of when our blogs have been released! Comment below if you like the blog. We look forward to seeing you at the Museum.

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