(Last updated 8 August 2010)

Where is it?

Radford is a small farming community about 30km south of Ipswich in the fertile Fassifern Valley of South-East Queensland.

If you travel out along the Cunningham Highway past Amberley you will see the sign for Radford Road two minutes past Warrill View on your left.

 History

The land was first taken up in the early 1840’s as part of the massive Rosebrook run. This was renamed Normanby in 1845 and the homestead was built in 1866. The current owners are descendants of the MacArthurs of the merino sheep fame. This run was subdivided in the 1880’s and generally split into 80 acre blocks which were taken up by immigrants from Great Britain and other parts of Europe. Names such as Roderick, Parcell, Hines, Kenny, McInnes, MacFarlane and Harsant have been on their original farms for about 100 years.

Population in the town/area of Radford has fluctuated between 50 and 250 over the years.

A proud locality, they sent their share of young citizens to both world wars and have experienced their share of disasters and setbacks including droughts, floods, fires and diseases (crop, stock and human).

 Amenities

There is no longer a township per se at Radford as time has seen the school and the Boonah railway disappear. Like many other rural localities Radford has seen services disappear but carry on with a sense of pride and help each other if needed.

The Fassifern branch railway line ran from 1882 (to Harrisville), 1887 (to Dugandan) and was closed in 1964. The original Radford Station house is now occupied as a residential dwelling on Radford Road just down the track from the old 22 mile marker from Ipswich. The line ran through the district as follows - Ipswich – (Shillto and Sons Siding) - (Spann's Siding) - Little Ipswich - (Noble vale No 6 Col. Sdg.) - Churchill - Loamside - Hamstead - Purga – Goolman - Hillside - Rockton - Peak Crossing - Flinders - Churchbank - Harrisville – Wilsons Plains - Radford – Munbilla – Anthony – Blantyre – Roadvale – Kulgun – Teviotville – Hoya - Boonah – Dugandan (Mt Edwards line junction at Munbilla – Waraperta – Kalbar – Warumkarie – Fassifern Valley – Morwincha – Aratula – Mt Edwards - opened 1922, closed 1960).   The Mount Edwards line was intended to form part of a via recta (straight route) between Brisbane and Sydney via the break of gauge border town of Wallangarra shaving 95 kilometres off the interstate trip. The via recta was surveyed in 1856 and was never completed.

Opering of the Dugandan Railway 1887

The Radford school was originally located on Radford Road on the McInnes Inverclyde property and operated from 1933 to 1946. Now, the nearest primary school is at Harrisville whilst children travel to either Boonah or Ipswich for secondary education.

The town now forms part of the Scenic Rim Regional Council having formerly been a part of Boonah, Ipswich, Moreton and in earlier times Normanby shire.

The farmers are reliant upon water from the Moogerah dam at Boonah which is connected by a series of diversion channels. At times in recent years, due to nil water allocation, they have had to revert back to  underground water supply in order to survive.

 Farming in the region

Dairy, Beef Cattle, small crops and stock food have been the main agricultural pursuits over the past century – originally these farms were labour intensive with most families having 6-10 children and dairy hands as well. With the advent of electricity and the introduction of tractors and other specialised implements the workforce has gradually decreased and with greater knowledge of genetics and nutrition milk production has greatly improved.

The McInnes family is one of the biggest producers of milk* in Queensland currently with about 500 milkers. Duncan McInnes is a former board member of Dairy Farmers nationally whilst Ross McInnes is a current board member of QDO.

*Note - Queensland Country Life  7 December 2006, pg 4 cited McInnes Brothers as the 7th biggest dairy farm in Queensland at the time producing 3.5 million litres per year.

Sporting Achievements

For such a small community it has had an incredible amount of sporting celebrities.

Gary Parcell (Rugby League)

DOB (withheld), 1933 (Ipswich Brothers [1954-62]), 14 matches, 1954 Q tour to NSW, 1956 NSW (1), NZ (1), 1957 NSW (1), 1958 NSW (1), 1959 NSW (2), 1960 NSW (4), Fr (1), 1961 NSW (1), 1962 NSW (2), 6 Tests, 1959 GB (2), Fr (2), 1960 Fr (1), 1962 GB (1), 1959-60 Kangaroo tour (23 games), 1960 World Cup. Son of Percy*

*Source www.qrl.com.au

Gary Parcell, an active local dairy farmer up until recent years, played in the front row for Ipswich, Queensland and Australia in the golden years of rugby league of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. He was part of the Ipswich trio (Noel Kelly, Dud Beattie, Gary Parcell) who made up a formidable front row for Australia. He was the 356th player to represent the Kangaroos in 1959 and was a member of the first ever touring party to fly to the UK (took 50 hours).  

He also represented Australia at the 1960 World Cup in the UK. In 2008 he was  nominated for the Queensland team of the century.

Percy Parcell (Rugby League)

DOB: 27.10.1900** DIED: 13.08.74**. (Ipswich, Tivoli, Wigan UK, Leeds UK), 10 matches, 1930 NSW (1), NZ (1), 1931 Far NQ (1), NSW (3), 1932 NSW (3), Eng (1), 3 Tests, 1932 GB (3).

*Source www.qrl.com.au

**Requiring confirmation

Gary’s father, Percy Parcell was no slouch on a league field either representing Ipswich, Queensland Country and Queensland in the mid 1920’s. Many still rate him as the best pre war front rower coming from Ipswich which was no mean feat in those days.

Queensland Rugby League Team who played in Sydney in 1925

Back row - T. Gorman, J. Hunt, A. Henderson, W. Spencer, J. McBrien, E. Frauenfelder, W. Paten. Middle row - J. Bennett, H. Steinohrt, N. Potter, H. Liebke, V. Armbruster, D. Dempsey, M. O'Mara, P. Parcell. Front row - J. G. Stephenson (Selector), D. Thompson (Vice-captain), J. Craig (Captain), J. Tennison (Selector & Manager), C. Aynsley, E. S. Brown, C. Noble (Selector & Manager).

Hector (Hec) Gee (Rugby League)

DOB: unknown. DIED: Unknown. (Ipswich, Tivoli, Wigan UK, Leeds UK), 10 matches, 1930 NSW (1), NZ (1), 1931 Far NQ (1), NSW (3), 1932 NSW (3), Eng (1), 3 Tests, 1932 GB (3)*.

*Source www.qrl.com.au

Percy’s older sister, who was born at the family farm at Radford, had a son called Hector (Hec) Gee who debuted as a half back for Australia (player number 167) in the infamous Ashes Rugby League series of 1932. Hec played in the infamous ‘Battle of Brisbane’ clash of 1932 at the Gabba which is still listed as one of the ten greatest games of rugby league ever played and arguably the bloodiest match ever played in Australia. Hec scored two tries in that game with Australia winning 15-6. With 15 minutes to go in that game Hec was carried off on a stretcher only later to be ordered back onto the field with Australia defending their line gallantly with only 10 players left and numerous walking wounded.

Hec’s jersey from the battle of Brisbane clash was recently donated to the Harrisville Museum by Mick Parcell (brother of Gary).

David Roderick (Rugby League)

DOB: unknown (Ipswich West End), 3 matches, 1972 NSW (2), Monaro (1), Q tour to NZ 1972.

*Source www.qrl.com.au

Dave Roderick, a local dairy farmer, represented West End, Ipswich, Queensland Country and Queensland in Rugby League. In 1971 he was selected for Queensland Country for the annual Toyota City versus Country challenge match at Lang Park at the tender age of 20. In 1972 and 1973 he was selected as front rower in the Queensland team. In 1973 he was selected for the Queensland Tour of New Zealand but withdrew from the tour due to family reasons. In 1973 he turned down a lucrative 3 year South Sydney contract ($60,000) whilst the incumbent Queensland front rower and retired from the game to concentrate on his family dairy farming business. David never played rugby league again though rumours abound that he made one cameo many years later for Fassifern in C Grade. In circa 1971 David would drive local lad, Al McInnes to West End training which often finished up at the Commercial Hotel. Clearly something rubbed off (read on). Whilst David is technically a Wilson’s Plains resident (a one wood and fairway wood from Radford Road) we’ll claim him.

Alastair (Al) McInnes (Rugby League)

Al McInnes left the Radford farm in 1972 to pursue an academic and rugby league career in Brisbane. Few would be aware that prior to his departure he excelled in Rugby league and track and field at Ipswich State High (Sportsman of the year 1971) representing Queensland Secondary Schools in discus.

Al played over 200 A grade games for the Fortitude Valley Diehards(‘ Valleys’) in Brisbane appearing in three Brisbane Grand Finals for the royal blue in 1974, 1978 and 1979. He was a key member of the Valleys 1979 side who trounced Mal Meninga's Souths 26-0:

1979 Valleys Grand Final Side: Alan Mills, Peter Falvey, Vic Wieland, Chris Close, Mick Neill, Peter McWhirter, Ross Strudwick (Captain Coach), Wally Lewis, John McLeod, Ian Sommer, Tom Duggan, Paul Richards, Al McInnes. Reserves Used - Marc Svenson

Valleys were one of Brisbane’s original Brisbane Rugby League Clubs and were based at Neumann Oval Albion on the land now occupied by Queensland Cricket (Allan Border Field).

Al also represented combined Brisbane in the now defunct mid week KB/Amco Cups in 1979 and 1980 where Combined Brisbane would play against Sydney clubs.  Despite numerous poaching attempts by Sydney clubs Al couldn’t give up the Queensland lifestyle and finished his career at Cairns Brothers in 1986. He has since run and owned everything from pubs to post offices and general stores in provincial centres and now resides at Panton Hill, Victoria. In 2005, Al and his son Lachlan made the trek to Marchant Park for their first ever Country Cricket Week.

Valleys v Redcliffe at Neumann Oval 1979. Greg Oliphant takes on Valleys prop Al McInnes.

Local Sport / The next generation

Steve Parcell, son of Gary Parcell, played for Fassifern, Ipswich Jets and represented Queensland Residents in the late 1980’s and 1990’s and remains involved with Fassifern being the president of the junior club and coaching director.

Lachlan Hall, a current member of the Country Week side and Wilsons Plains Road resident until recently, was an Ipswich Grammar First XI captain and Queensland Schoolboys Rugby Union representative in 2007. In 2007 he signed with Sydney Roosters and played in the SG Ball Competition in 2008. On returning to Brisbane he played for Souths Logan in the Queensland Cup competition until a medical condition cruelly finished his rugby league career prematurely in 2010.

The local rugby league club is Fassifern who play out Harrisville a few minutes away. Fassifern evolved from Harrisville / Peak Crossing which was established in 1976 after Boonah ceased nominating teams in the Ipswich competition. Ross McInnes (brother of Al) was a member of the original comittee and played for the side in the 1970's and 1980's. As did brother Morris McInnes who played over 200 games for Fassifern / Harrisville/Peak Crossing from the 1977 through to the early 1990's.

Current Radford cricket players Brendan Hines, Thomas McInnes, Jason McInnes and Callum McInnes haved all played for Fassifern in the Ipswich Rugby League Competition between under 18 and A grade.

You would think that you would have to have cauliflower ears to be on the Radford celebrity list and maybe that will remain the case.

The closest cricket centre is Boonah where Fassifern play out of in the Ipswich District Competition at Coronation Park. Brendan Hines and Thomas McInnes continue to play for same whilst Callum McInnes is playing for Valley District Cricket Club (in Brisbane).

McInnes Family

The McInnes family is one of the driving forces behind Radford’s Country Week Cricket.

All remaining McInnes clan members in the immediate Radford area are descendants of Dorothy and Don McInnes. Three families remain in the Radford precinct on Radford Road and Wilson’s Plains Road respectively.

The family on Don McInnes’ side emigrated from Scotland about 100 years ago and settled in the growing West Moreton district with their seven children. Dorothy McInnes’ side of the family was a mix of Scottish, English and a touch of Irish with one line actually getting a free passage (‘seven years holiday’) for “borrowing” a couple of spoons from the local pub in England in  1797.

Don and Dorothy had six children being Glenys (Baldwin), Marjorie (Porter), Duncan, Alastair, Ross and Morris. The families of Duncan, Ross and Morris still reside at Radford whilst Marjorie resides in nearby Harrisville. Dorothy now resides in Boonah whilst Don passed away in 2003.

Through extended family with surnames such as Porter / Hazel, Porter / Jackson and Baldwin the family is well represented at Country Cricket Week. The week is as much about catching up with family and friends as it is about the cricket.

Your comments are welcomed

Every precauction has been taken in collating the Radford history. If you have any comments and/or material to enhance the history project please feel free to forward those details to email address - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , by mail to PO Box 1091, Stafford   Q   4053 or by phone 0438 322 566.