Photo: Dai’s grinding wheel.
Occupation: Saddler at Colliery, above ground (1911); Miner; Blacksmith
Birth: 1890 Ferndale, Parish of Rhondda, Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan, Wales
Residence: 1901 – 84 Lake Street, Ferndale, Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan, Wales
Residence: 1911 – Lismore, Coronation Terrace, Drove Road, Weston-S-Mare
Immigration: 23 April, 1915 The steamer Roscommon arrived Brisbane, Queensland. See record.
Death: 29 August, 1972 Queensland
Father: James BERRELL (Harness Maker, Saddler)
Mother: Margaret GIBBON
Spouse: Mary Jane “May” HUGHES
Occupation: Nurse
Birth: 1892 Blaengwynfi, Glamorgan, Wales
Immigration: 23 April, 1915 The steamer Roscommon arrived Brisbane, Queensland
Death: 28 November 1957 Queensland
Residence: 2 April, 1911 – Newcastle Higher and Coity Higher, Glamorgan, Wales
Father: Mark HUGHES
Mother: Miriam FRANCIS
Marriage: 1913 Registered at Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales
Children: Ewart Francis BERRELL (1920-1987) = Ruby Isabel HANDFORD
Information about Dai.
- Dai and May immigrated to Australia during the Great War years.
- Dai’s brother Thomas Mortimer Berrell (Miner at Ipswich) immigrated in 1911.
- Dai and May lived in Oakey, Jondaryan 1921-1925; Acland 1927; Goombungee 1930- 1943.
- During the Depression years Dai worked away from home wherever he could find work.
- He worked at Brisbane Central Wharves in 1935.
- They came to live in Rosewood about 1944 and stayed until 1968.
- Dai showed poultry. He was a steward at a Poultry Show run by the newly formed Rosewood Poultry and Kennel Club in 1945. He entered many shows with his Old English Game e.g. Bantams, Spangle Cockerels and Duck Wing Cocks as well as Australian breeds like Australorps.
- Dai played the mouth organ.
- He bred Scotch Collie dogs (like Lassie).
- He played hockey with the Colts and was in the senior Ipswich Representative side.
- He also played football with the Scouts’ team (4th Ipswich Pack in 1945).
- Dai was on the management committee of the Ipswich Rugby League in 1951.
Researched & compiled by Jane Schy
Memories from the Facebook page.
(In reference to the present day empty block of land on the corner of Railway St and Albert St, Rosewood).
I believe there was a cheese factory there. The blacksmith was also on this block. When my inlaws lived there (back in the late 70s) they had to demolish the building as it was is disrepair. There were remnants of the blacksmith, old sandstone wheel, bellows, and assortment of tools. – Dave Brown
Was his name something like Dye Beryl and he was on the corner opposite Rhuno store? Maybe a blacksmith always referred to him as old before his name. Dad used to talk about him. – Linda Peacock
It was Dye and he lived there with wife, sometimes 2 teenagers. Had his blacksmith shop/shed facing Albert St next to Mr Blakes house who worked at Rhunos in the haberdashery section. – Greg Brown
Still have a crow bar he made for dad. No bend in that one made of good stuff. We used to take our shoes to be repaired to Dye Berrell. He did a bit of leather repairs as well. – Trish & Phil
Yes it was Di Berril (?). He also had another elderly man living there. I have a beautiful plate that they both gave Keith and I for our kitchen tea in 1961. I think there was a house behind them in Railway St lived in by Kevin Ruthenberg at one time – then Teddy Thomas’ shop, a block of land, Doreen and Len Evans, Rackley’s two houses (right opposite goods shed) then Jim Coveney and his mum. My memory does not go any further at the moment. My sister-in-law, as a young girl, always did Mrs. Birrel’s shopping after school. – Margaret Rackley
It was Dye Beryl, an old Welshman who used to breed Scotch Collies. When I was about 10 years old he gave me a pup that we called Skipper. His pedigree name was Welsh Prince and he won heaps of awards in shows all around SE Qld. Dye was a blacksmith and his workshop was behind the corner building towards Albert Street. My father often visited him. – Kerrian Evans
