General News
19 July, 2026
Shire pioneer honoured
FEW Innisfail pioneers left a footprint as deep as James Thomson Robertson and nine of his direct descendants have returned to town to honour the man whose influence shaped almost every corner of community life.
Led by piper Marc Darveniza, the family marched from his original Rankin Street shop site to the Shire Hall, where speeches and a special morning tea paid tribute to a legacy still woven through the region.
The commemoration followed a February gathering in Brisbane marking what would have been Robertson’s 135th birthday.
At the Innisfail event, Dr Megan Hastie from Melbourne presented a framed photo of Mr Robertson and a replica of his MBE medal to Trish Ernst, president of the Innisfail and District Historical Society, for safekeeping. The original medal remains secured in a sealed vault at the Cassowary Coast Library.
Member for Hill Shane Knuth reflected on Mr Robertson’s extraordinary impact, describing him as “well ahead of his time” with an instinctive understanding of what made the community tick.
His contributions over many years spanned business, transport, trade, education, health, religion and emergency services, many of the same issues that continue to shape the region today.
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