Eighty years ago the world was very different place though some things never change.
For instance there was a war on, and in early 1942 the threat of Japanese invasion was very real, after the bombing of Darwin on February 19.
The so-called Brisbane line may have been just talk but there was genuine concern in the North of Australia in towns like Cloncurry and Mount Isa (then both under Cloncurry Shire Council).
There were "wild rumours on war matters" in both towns, understandable after Katherine was also bombed in March.
So when the Cloncurry Shire Council met in March that year, preparing for the war was a big topic on the agenda - and who would pay for the preparation.
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The council had paid for spotters on a tower above the Post Office Hotel in Cloncurry but that had been discontinued.
The Cloncurry Advocate of March 20, 1942 reported that it was the responsibility of the Fire Brigade Board to employ fire watchers and the Board and Council went fifty-fifty on paying their expenses.
However there was no authority or instruction from the Minister for Civil Defence to employ overnight fire watchers in Cloncurry and Cr AJ Smith thought "someone had acted a little prematurely".
"We should settle down and do our best to win the war", Cr Smith told the meeting.
"If an air raid had happened while the watchers were employed, we would have said they were necessary.
"The council can be forced to provide air raid shelters."
Talk continued on who would pay for the shelters before Cr JT Boyd noted "all this talk will not prevent air raids".
Cr CR Katter proposed the spotters be a charge against the whole shire but withdrew the motion.
Cr Boyd replied he was creating a precedent.
"If Mount Isa goes in for something like this, it is to be a charge for the entire shire," he said.
Cr RA Clarke wanted to know who would pay for the blast-proof walls around the power houses.
"I thought this would be a charge for the water authorities," Cr Clarke said.
The council clerk told the meeting the Northern Military Command had written demanding the "Council revolver be handed over" and this had been done.
The clerk said regarding war damage insurance, "no information had yet been received, though a lot of inquiries (sic) had been made at the council office."
The meeting also heard that the Incapacitated Soldiers Association had advised Council it had purchased a wreath for the upcoming Anzac Day.
In non-war discussion, there was proof that little has changed in 80 years as the meeting noted "support and interest" for the Bradfield Scheme while the water situation at Dajarra was described as "serious".
Tension between Cloncurry and Mount Isa elements of council also came out when it was decided the clerk would hear summonses on Mount Isa rate disputes in Cloncurry.
Cr Clarke wanted the cases heard in Mount Isa but the clerk replied he didn't have the time to go to Mount Isa,
Cr Clarke raised a motion to hear the cases in the Isa, but had no seconders and the motion floundered.
Mount Isa would eventually form its own council in 1963.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
