The lonely grave of Captain William Rowlands

Captain William Rowlands from Sydney was an experienced captain, who at the age of 34 had extensive knowledge of the shipping route between Tweed Heads and Sydney. The captain’s extensive knowledge did not stop him from losing another ship ‘Uncle Tom’ on Christmas day of 1870 near the Richmond River. His ship the schooner ‘Setters Friend’ had arrived in the Tweed River on the 29^th December 1871. The schooner had made several trading trips between Tweed and Sydney in the past. Captain Rowlands had become ill, when the cargo of maize had been loaded and the delivery destination would have been down the coast with the possible stop being Sydney. During this time conditions had changed at the river entrance and the ships became bar bound. The conditions of the bar had become too dangerous to cross and the captain had to be carried off the ship. The captain was taken William McGregor’s residence known as ‘the white house’. William McGregor was a former captain and the local pilot, who had been appointed to the area in 1870. While the pilot’s wife Eliza Jane looked after William, a doctor who had been sent for arrived at the house. The name of the Doctor was Daniel George Rowlands, who was of no relation to the ill captain. The doctor was the first doctor appointed for the area of Tweed Heads.

Captain William Rowlands died on the 22^nd of February 1872 from inflammation of the lungs with duration of the illness of around four weeks.  The captain was still in the same residence where he had first been bought when he had first become ill. William Rowlands burial took place the next day on the 23^rd of February where his final wish was carried out. William requested to be buried ‘where the waves of the pacific will roll at his feet’ There was no minister attending to the burial, but the funeral was attended by captain and crew of six vessels. On the first of January 1872, William had written his last will and testament while he was ill. He gave his wife, Ellen Jane all his estate and had appointed William Short of Sydney as his executor to the will. The probate states the current residence for his wife was in Surry Hills near Sydney. The will of William Rowlands was signed and witnessed by William McGregor and Alfred Grey. Alfred Grey was one of four boatmen employed by William McGregor, who had also served on the ‘Panic of 66’. The date of the death was February 1872, but the probate was not granted until the second of May in 1872.

William McGregor was also in attendance with his boatmen. Captain William Rowlands’ last wishes were to be buried on the Danger Bay beach with his feet towards the sea. This beach would later become known as Greenmount. The ‘Settlers Friend’ crossed the Tweed bar on February 16^th 1872 by the first mate. Later the headstone for William Rowlands grave was sent from Sydney by the late captain’s wife Ellen Jane. The existing headstone would have been made of the most common material used, which was sandstone especially since the stone came from Sydney. The headstone would have likely been transported to the Tweed River by schooner. The headstone was erected by William McGregor and his boatmen at the grave location, where it would stand for many years. The grave location during the 1870s was covered with thick undergrowth. Through the passage of time the headstone had been knocked over on several occasions either by natural forces or human intervention and had been replaced at the grave location. Locals understand the headstone was replaced at the original location. Communications to the outside world were usually sent by the occasional schooners or by hiring a local who would deliver the letter on foot.

A surf club in Coolangatta was first formed in 1911, which became known as the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf life saving club. The surf club took advantage of the tourism coming from Brisbane to spend time on the beaches.  The idea for the surf club came when visitors from Bondi during 1909, bought with them some equipment, which could be used for rescuing people from the water. The surfing movement had appeared around the same time on the coast. Several buildings had occupied the Greenmount area, which included bathing sheds for the members of the surf club. The various buildings were not immune to the forces of nature as several cyclones had damaged the buildings and had to be rebuilt. The surf club was the location of the first surf lifesaving completion in Queensland during the summer season of 1911 / 1912.

During 1952, the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Club wanted to expand. They looked at alternative venues for a new club house, including one area of beach front. The club ended with the choice of expanding the current venue at Greenmount, although there were restrictions and recommendations placed with expanding the building. One of the recommendations from the Coolangatta council was for the headstone of Captain William Rowlands to be incorporated within the western wall of the club house. The proposed expansion would include both the club house and the car park both of which would go over Captain Rowlands grave site. The new building was completed around the start of 1956 / 1957 summer season. The building at the time was considered to be the best and most modern of surf clubs in Australia. The headstone was part of negotiations with not just with the council, but between the state government as well. From big cities to small country towns, developments have always encroached on any land including cemeteries and monuments. Both are usually moved to a safer location, although their meaning would be lost especially when they are unique to that specific location. The burial location and the headstone of William Rowlands have several unique properties as the man had lived and died in two different states. Had both been removed to another location like one of the local cemeteries the meaning would have been lost like many graves which were relocated when urbanisation converged onto the land.

During the 1920s the Coolangatta council was pushing to have the grave and headstone of William Rowlands removed from the current location on Greenmount beach and moved to the cemetery in Tweed Heads, where the captain would then be on consecrated ground. The proposal did not go through as no living relatives could be found. A cemetery in the town of Coolangatta was proposed, although the costs involved were looked at during the time and it was pointed out the labour work in Tweed Heads was voluntary and was cheaper to purchase grave sites in Tweed Heads than Coolangatta. The Coolangatta council looked at a cemetery, but had to build one further away as one area was swampy and unsuitable.  Something that has made the grave of William Rowlands very unique to a town the size of Coolangatta is the town has no cemetery. There was only one grave in the locality of Coolangatta and that belonged to William Rowlands. The grave had at one time been covered by sand from the dunes before the land reclaim had commenced in Coolangatta. The increase in tourism would have meant people would have tramped over the grave site with the headstone half covered in sand as witnessed by one reporter who had visited the towns. After the controversy with the council’s attempt to exhume the grave, the media attention had directed tourist attention onto the man who was buried at that location.

The headstone of William Rowlands offers no explanation nearby to why it was located on the side of the surf club on Greenmount beach. People who view this memorial stone would not understand the significance to the history of the local area as there is no plaque explaining the significance. The Tweed Heads and Coolangatta surf life saving club is located on the corner of Hill Street and Marine parade. The state border, which runs through both the towns of tweed Heads and Coolangatta is around two hundred metres away.  In the past the street called boundary street, where the border runs through was actually a no man’s land dividing the two towns. During the early 1900s there was a border fence constructed which served several purposes. During the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919 people’s movements were restricted and enforced by the law. The cemetery across the border restricted the dead from Queensland being moved for burial in the cemeteries of Tweed Heads. The border between the two towns did end up for a time being cut off by a fence with a small area between the two as a no man’s land as either state did not know who owned it.

The burial of William Rowlands during 1872 took place before the development and society’s movement which would populate the area. . The border towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads have changed dramatically from the beginnings of European settlement. When explorers and traders appeared, the region was the most isolated that any person could get from the major settlements of Sydney or even Brisbane. During the early years before major roads we now take for granted, travel was by either ship or walking along the beaches. The grave of William Rowlands had become threatened not just by the encroachment of the urban environment, but by tourism along the local beaches. The headstone became attached to the western wall of the surf club on Greenmount Beach after the club and existing car park expanded out over the grave, the headstone became known as a memorial stone soon after it had been placed on the side of the building. An ornamental fence had been placed around the grave when the local council had been reclaiming and beautifying Greenmount beach. The meaning of the headstone and grave would have vanished if not for a savvy council including the stone to be placed as part of the building. The same council in the past had looked to move the grave to one of the local cemeteries. Both Tweed Heads and Coolangatta are unique from the rest of Australia as they are border towns which have grown to be what they are today. 

                                             Sources used

Death certificate of William Rowlands, died 22 February 1872, Registrar of Birth, Deaths and Marriages NSW, 1872/ 006919.

Lionel Gilbert, A Grave Look at History

Robert Longhurst,  From Tallebudgera to the Tweed: An early history of the southern

Gold Coast, Gold Coast City council

 Brian Styman 100 years of saving lives Tweed Heads and Coolangatta surf life saving club  

Various newspaper articles on William Rowlands headstone available through Trove.