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GOLDEN WEDDING
Mr. & Mrs. George Fraser
Two very old residents of the Gympie goldfields - Mr. & Mrs. Geo. Fraser - celebrated their golden wedding at their residence, Woolooga, on August 10 last. They were married in St. Patrick's Church Gympie on August 10, 1887. Mr. Fraser is now 72 years of age and Mrs. Fraser is 70. Mr. Fraser was born in Ipswich and Mrs. Fraser was born in Toowoomba, her maiden name was being Margaret O'Brien. They both lived at the Two Mile, Gympie, Mr. Fraser having come to Gympie with his father; the late James Fraser, in 1868, who was one of the first carriers to come to the goldfields. Mr. and Mrs. George Fraser had a family of eleven and one child died when very young. Those living are James, George, William, Robert, Donald and Cyril; and four daughters, Mrs. J. F. Sellen, (Woolooga), Mrs. J. E. Sellen (Gympie), Misses Dorothy and Biddy Frasers. There are also 15 grand-children.
Mr. Fraser was greatly interested in mining and timber in the early days, and was employed in No. 4 North Phoenix, Smithfield and Phoenix Golden Pike, Eastern Gympie Scottish mine, and afterwards was manager of the Enterprise for a Scottish Company. It was at the Smithfield and Phoenix Golden Pile that Mr. Fraser, while acting as captain of the mine, was working below with his men during the night, they broke down some stone of a very rich character. The specimens were shown at the London and Paris Exhibitions.
Mr. Fraser, after his mining days, visited North Queensland and later returned to Gympie and was engaged in the timber industry until a few years ago when he met with an accident and retired. (Broken neck)
Mr. William Fraser, Chief Forester at Imbil and Mr. Dan Fraser, at Kilkivan are brothers of Mr. George Fraser and his sisters are Mrs. Fryar (Two Mile) and Mrs. Leslie, Cootharaba Hill, all of whom are very old residents of the goldfield. His father, the late Mr. James Fraser, was a carrier for many years for Ferguson and Co's sawmill, the mill being situated on the site now occupied by several shops in front of the Memorial Park. He was also Chairman of the Glastonbury Divisional Board, now the Widgee Shire and was Chairman of the Widgee Shire on a number of occasions.
Mr. W. O'Brien, Mrs. Fraser's brother was also a member of the Council. Mrs. Fraser's sisters were also old Gympieites; they were Mrs. M. Murphy and Mrs. B. Coman, both still residing in Gympie; Mrs. Hunt and W. O'Brien, a brother, both who now reside in Western Australia, and Mrs. Howden, at Manly, South Coast.
The old couple on their wedding day were surrounded by a number of the family including Mrs. P. O'Donoghue, a cousin, who was a bridesmaid at the wedding 50 years ago. A handsome wedding cake graced the tables around which 47 members of both families were seated whilst the only person outside the family present was another very old Gympieite, and friend of the family for many years - Mr. Joe McDonald. The day was spent in reminiscences of the many rough and pleasant times they had gone through and a most enjoyable day was spent by the old folks, who now look upon new ideas and a new generation solving the problems of making their beloved Queensland easier for the rising generations than was the case for the old folks of years ago.
From The Gympie Times