Boland, Edmund

Edmund Boland was a successful butcher in Toowoomba when elected Mayor in 1889.

Born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1840, he was educated at Kilrush School. He came to Queensland with his family in 1854and for nine years worked as an overseer for James Taylor.

His father, John E Boland was for many years one of the most respected citizens in Drayton, and when that town was a municipality, was its Mayor twice.

After his job as overseer, Edmund Boland visited Stanthorpe and started a butchery there. He moved to Toowoomba in 1875 and established a butchery on the western side of Ruthven Street with Mr John McHugh.

Toowoomba historian Mr Ron Douglas believes the butchery was located near the present-day premises of Crazy Clarks.

Boland entered the Toowoomba Municipal Council as an alderman in 1886. He was unanimously elected Mayor in 1889 and that year was also made a chief magistrate.

He retired from public life but re-entered in 1889 and was elected Mayor for a second term in 1897. A branch of his butchery was opened in Brisbane and managed by two of his sons, James and Francis.

Edmund Boland died after a long illness on October 7, 1906.