I GREW UP ON AMELIA STREET, COORPAROO, AN INNER SOUTHERN SUBURB OF BRISBANE. MY BROTHER AND I ENJOYED SATURDAY ‘MATINEE’ MOVIES IN THE ‘50’s AT THE LOCAL THEATRE, THE ROXY, LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF OLD CLEVELAND ROAD AND HARRIES ROAD, COORPAROO. THIS WAS JUST A FIVE MINUTE WALK FROM OUR HOME.
BELOW IS A PHOTO OF THE FACADE OF THE ROXY AS IT WAS IN THOSE DAYS AND AS I REMEMBER IT DURING THE 1950’S.
A CLOSE LOOK ABOVE WILL REVEAL A SMALL SHOP-FRONT WITH DOORWAY AND DISPLAY WINDOW JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE THEATRE'S PORTICO AND MAIN ENTRANCE DOORS. THIS WAS FOR MANY YEARS A SMALL TOY SHOP OPERATED BY AN ELDERLY WOMAN AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS, BEING THE 'WOOD' FAMILY BUSINESS. THE ONE MOST INVOLVED WAS THE DAUGHTER GRACE, AND BECAUSE OF THIS IT WAS ALWAYS REFERRED TO LOCALLY AS 'GRACIE'S SHOP.'
THE PHOTO BELOW FROM ANOTHER SUBURBAN THEATRE OF THE PERIOD SHOWS THE SAME STYLE OF CANVAS SEATS PROVIDED FOR PATRONS AT THE ROXY. THERE WERE ALSO A FEW ROWS OF MORE FORMAL STALLS CHAIRS AT THE BACK, BEING WOODEN FRAMED WITH LEATHER BACK AND SEAT UPHOLSTERY.
BY 1960 THE ROXY THEATRE HAD FALLEN ON HARD TIMES, DUE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF TV IN 1956, AND THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD INTO THE HANDS OF DEVELOPERS. IT WAS SOON DEMOLISHED AND ITS PLACE WAS TAKEN BY A RETAIL PRECINCT KNOWN TODAY AS THE 'COORPAROO MALL.' I HAVE INDICATED BELOW, IN BLACK OUTLINE, APPROXIMATELY WHERE THE ROXY STOOD IN RELATION TO THE BUILDINGS OF TODAY, FIFTY YEARS AFTER ITS DEMOLITION.
OF COURSE WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE WOOD FAMILY LOST THEIR BUSINESS PREMISES. HOWEVER IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THEY RE-EMERGED, FROM MEMORY AROUND 1962, BIGGER AND BRIGHTER THAN EVER IN A NEWLY BUILT AND QUITE SPACIOUS BRICK-FRONT SHOP JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
THIS WAS AT 194 CAVENDISH ROAD COORPAROO. A CURRENT 2011 PHOTO OF THIS LOCATION APPEARS BELOW....
THE NEW 'GRACIE'S SHOP' OCCUPIED THE AREA BEHIND THE FACADE NOW PAINTED IN BLUE AND WHITE BUT WHICH WAS NATURAL BRICK COLOUR BACK THEN. THE PREMISES INCORPORATED AN ATTACHED REAR RESIDENCE WHICH WAS THE FAMILY HOME TO THE THREE VERY QUIET AND WELL RESPECTED WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE WOOD FAMILY.
IN EARLY 1964 I BOUGHT A BRITISH RACING GREEN TRIUMPH TR4 SPORTS CAR WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY MY PRIDE AND JOY. I PREFERRED BEING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THAT CAR THAN DOING ANYTHING ELSE BACK THEN. A PHOTO OF ME IN THE CAR IN 1964 APPEARS BELOW....
I DEVELOPED A HABIT OF TAKING THE LONG WAY AROUND WHEN COMING HOME AT NIGHT (USUALLY LATE) SO I COULD ENJOY THE SOUND OF THE CAR'S EXHAUST NOTE REVERBERATING OFF THE SHOP-FRONTS AS I TURNED INTO AND GUNNED IT UP CAVENDISH ROAD IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION FROM OLD CLEVELAND ROAD. I’D THEN TURN RIGHT INTO NOELA STREET WHICH TOOK ME DOWN TO AMELIA STREET.
I HAD BEEN OUT ON SATURDAY NIGHT 21 MARCH 1964 AND RETURNED HOME FAIRLY LATE AS USUAL SWINGING INTO CAVENDISH ROAD FROM MEMORY AROUND 1.30am. AS I ACCELERATED HARD I WAS QUICKLY NEAR THE FRONT OF GRACIE'S SHOP AND TO MY GREAT SURPRISE I CLEARLY SAW A YOUNG MAN IN A LIGHT COLOURED SUIT LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD TOWARDS OLD CLEVELAND ROAD. HE WAS STANDING QUITE STATIONARY ON THE FOOTPATH VERY CLOSE TO THE POSITION OF THE ANONYMOUS WOMAN PASSER-BY IN THE PHOTO OF THE SHOP ABOVE. AS I WENT BY HE CASUALLY WATCHED ME UNTIL I NO LONGER HAD HIM IN VIEW. THIS OCCURRED IN A DEATHLY QUIET AND DESERTED LITTLE SHOPPING PRECINCT IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT AND I KNEW THAT IT WAS ABNORMAL FOR ANYONE TO BE LOITERING IN THE AREA AT THAT TIME.
I GOT HOME AND THOUGHT LITTLE MORE OF IT AND WENT TO BED. AS SOON AS I AWOKE MY MUM URGENTLY INFORMED ME THAT GRACIE AND HER MUM AND SISTER HAD BEEN MURDERED DURING THE NIGHT. I TOLD HER WHAT I'D SEEN ON MY WAY HOME AND I CALLED THE WOOLLOONGABBA CIB WHO ASKED THAT I GO THERE TO MAKE A STATEMENT. I WISHED I HADN'T BECAUSE I ENDED UP BEING GRILLED THERE FOR AT LEAST THREE HOURS ON THAT SUNDAY. HOWEVER AFTER THEY AT LAST ALLOWED ME TO LEAVE, I WAS TO HEAR NO MORE FROM THE POLICE, AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE WE HEARD THEY HAD APPREHENDED THE CULPRIT.
BELOW IS A COPY OF ONE NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED...
TO THIS DAY I CAN CLEARLY RECALL MY MIND'S EYE IMAGE OF HIM STANDING MOTIONLESS IN FRONT OF THE SHOP, WATCHING ME DRIVE BY. IT SEEMED AS CREEPY THEN AS IT IS IN RECOLLECTION TODAY.
UNFORTUNATELY META WOOD DIED OF HER INJURIES LATER IN HOSPITAL....
OVER THE MANY YEARS SINCE THIS OCCURRED I HAVE GRADUALLY FORMED THE IMPRESSION THAT THESE GENTLE WOMEN AND THEIR MODEST INFLUENCE UPON THIS FORMATIVE PERIOD OF COORPAROO’S HISTORY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. THEIRS TURNED OUT TO BE A TRAGIC STORY BUT BECAUSE I KNEW THEM, AND RESPECTED THEM, ALBEIT AS A YOUNG BOY, I NOW FEEL A COMPELLING NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEIR MODEST PART IN THE HISTORY OF THE AREA IS RECORDED AND WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
I ALSO WISH TO ENSURE THAT THE PERPETRATOR OF THE HEINOUS CRIME AGAINST THEM IS NOT FORGOTTEN EITHER. HE WAS CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO A MINIMUM 20 YEARS JAIL. IN OTHER WORDS HE WAS LIKELY RELEASED BACK INTO SOCIETY IN 1984 AT 38 YEARS OF AGE AND HAS LIKELY ENJOYED THE PAST 27 YEARS AS A FREE MAN. IF STILL ALIVE HE WOULD BE 65 YEARS OF AGE TODAY.
REST IN PEACE ROSE, META AND GRACE.
