Godsall, Edwin John

Edwin John Godsall was the second native-born Mayor of Toowoomba and the first whose father had also been Mayor.

Born on September 30, 1871, Edwin Godsall was educated in Toowoomba at the South State School and Toowoomba Grammar School.

After leaving the Grammar School in 1888, he was employed at the Toowoomba branch of the Union Bank.

He left the bank in 1898 and joined the stock, station and commission agency of Gregory and Scholefield following the death of Mr Gregory.

In 1906, Mr R W Weaver joined the firm and it became known as Scholefield, Godsall and Weaver. (Weaver later went to New South Wales where he entered State Parliament.)

Edwin Godsall entered Council in 1904 as a member of the West Ward and was elected Mayor two years later. During his term as Mayor he welcomed Lord Northcote, the first Governor-General of Australia to visit Toowoomba.

At the conclusion of his term as Mayor in 1907, he gave a banquet, which was attended by 350 people including the then Governor of Queensland, Lord Chelmsford.

The invitation for the function was written by Toowoomba poet George Essex Evans. It read:

“E J Godsall all sends you greeting;
to this municipal meeting;
He who to this meeting repairs;
Let him cast away his cares;
Let his face with rapture shine;
O’er his dinner and his wine;
For who drinks goodwill to men;
Makes the better citizen.”

With Dr R B Godsall and Mr A R Godsall, he at one time owned the freehold and business of the Club Hotel, located in Margaret Street and demolished in the late 1950’s. In his younger days Edwin Godsall was a noted singer and actor, comedian and a good polo player.

He died in May 1941.