Pettigrew

USC60_0011
Andrew Petrie's first report of 1842 probably helped to inspire his enterprising son, Tom Petire, 20 years later to accompany Pettigrew to Maryborough (only a few houses then) exploring for timber to Fraser Island, "Tinkun" Bay and Susan River. They saw ample timber and Pettigrew and Sims started sawmilling at Dunathu in 1862.

USC281_0005
In 1862, two years after Fraser Island was declared an aboriginal reserve Tom Petrie, son of Andrew, together with Pettigrew explored Fraser Island. In 1863 the first timber was cut from Fraser Island for milling at the Dundathu Mill, the timber was harvested by a timber getter "Yankee Jack" Piggott, who one year later, met a
violent death at the hands of Fraser Island aboriginals. Yet the timber industry was born.

USC295_0002
Twenty years later in 1862, Andrew's son Tom Petrie a timber pioneer, explored Fraser Island, Tin
Can Bay and The Susan River with Pettigrew, who started a sawmill at Dundathu, and who milled the
first Kauri Pine logs to be brought from Fraser Island in 1863.

USC295_0011
Armitage noted:-

"Mr. William Sim, the local head of Pettigrew and Coy's mills at Dundathu, had already shown that a very cheap line of wooden rails could be usefully employed for the carriage of log-timber in places where team haulage was too costly either by reason of distance or for want of "grass to feed teams."