Corscadden Park is named in honour of George Hiram Corscadden, born in 1921. But it could equally commemorate his father and grandfather, both of whom bore that name and were pioneering Redcliffe residents.
The first George Corscadden and his wife, Kate, arrived in Redcliffe in 1884 from Ireland. George first worked at O’Leary’s Redcliffe Hotel and then with the Redcliffe council. Later, he became caretaker of the Redcliffe jetty and, with his horse and cart, delivered luggage and parcels and picked up passengers from the steamers landing at the jetty. He claimed that one of his early jobs was to collect and carry bricks from the site of the original convict settlement – coincidentally not so very far from where Corscadden Park is now. Scorning retirement, he worked into old age, claiming: “It would kill me in a week if I had nothing to do.” He was forced to slow down, though, when, at the age of 77, he suffered multiple injuries when his horse bolted and he was thrown from his cart.
His son, also George Hiram Corscadden, known as Hiram, was born in 1894. He attended Humpybong school, making the daily journey – like many other children – on horseback. He first helped his father deliver firewood, then set up his own fuel and carting business, advertising “Firewood promptly delivered to all parts of the Peninsula, and house stumps, tent poles, etc, supplied”. Both he and his wife, Mary, were active in community activities, Hiram as a stalwart of the Redcliffe show society and Mary, an early member of the CWA.
From Early Settlement to War Service and Community Legacy
Their son, the third George Hiram Corscadden, started at Humpybong school in 1926 and then completed two years at Brisbane State High before leaving to become the Redcliffe Council’s first electrical apprentice. Having completed his apprenticeship and with the Second World War edging closer to home, George, now a qualified electrician, attempted to join the army. Initially rejected on the grounds that he was in a reserved occupation, he was finally accepted for military service at the age of 21 in late 1942. Volunteering for special forces duties, he served in New Guinea and the Pacific. He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Redcliffe to the life of an electrician.
He and his wife, Dorothy, owned a successful electrical contracting business and contributed to Redcliffe life through involvement with various civic and sporting bodies and by providing pro bono electrical services to churches and other charitable bodies.
The Corscadden family’s history is interwoven with the peninsula’s history; through them, we glimpse our past.
Featured image: George Corscadden (in basket), 1938, outside the old electrical substation, Anzac Avenue.
With thanks to City of Moreton Bay. Image courtesy of Moreton Bay Regional Council, reference number RLPC-001\001676.
Read more stories from our Redcliffe Guide print magazine here:
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