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HERITAGE NOOSA
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Marie Harper Oral History
DETAILS
Alternative NameMarie McKenna (maiden name)
Overview
Marie Harper, born in 1936 in Pomona and raised in Tewantin, offers a detailed and affectionate portrait of life along the Noosa River from the 1930s onwards. Growing up on Hilton Terrace with direct river access, she recalls an idyllic childhood of swimming, boating, sandcastle building and exploring a sparsely populated riverside community. Her father, Jim McKenna, was a highly skilled self taught engineer and boat builder whose contributions to local industry were significant. He repaired machinery for the sawmill and iceworks, built numerous boats—including the Miss Tewantin II—and even constructed buses and a hearse, becoming widely known for resourcefulness and community service. McKenna Crescent in Noosaville is named in his honour.
Harper provides a rich account of early Tewantin: a handful of shops, a picture theatre, skating rink, tennis courts, jetties, and busy seasonal tourism centred on Parkyn’s Boats and the river. She and her siblings attended Tewantin State School before boarding in Gympie for high school. After marrying Alf Harper in 1956, she raised ten children while the couple operated a major local bait packing business, later sold to Sea Queen Marine Products. Her narrative captures the evolution of Noosa from small riverside settlement to busy tourism centre, highlighting vanished landmarks, community traditions, and the close knit social fabric of mid 20th century Tewantin.
Overview Marie Harper, born in 1936 in Pomona and raised in Tewantin, offers a detailed and affectionate portrait of life along the Noosa River from the 1930s onwards. Growing up on Hilton Terrace with direct river access, she recalls an idyllic childhood of swimming, boating, sandcastle building and exploring a sparsely populated riverside community. Her father, Jim McKenna, was a highly skilled self taught engineer and boat builder whose contributions to local industry were significant. He repaired machinery for the sawmill and iceworks, built numerous boats—including the Miss Tewantin II—and even constructed buses and a hearse, becoming widely known for resourcefulness and community service. McKenna Crescent in Noosaville is named in his honour.
Harper provides a rich account of early Tewantin: a handful of shops, a picture theatre, skating rink, tennis courts, jetties, and busy seasonal tourism centred on Parkyn’s Boats and the river. She and her siblings attended Tewantin State School before boarding in Gympie for high school. After marrying Alf Harper in 1956, she raised ten children while the couple operated a major local bait packing business, later sold to Sea Queen Marine Products. Her narrative captures the evolution of Noosa from small riverside settlement to busy tourism centre, highlighting vanished landmarks, community traditions, and the close knit social fabric of mid 20th century Tewantin.
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Oral History Transcript
IDENTIFIERS
CONNECTIONS
Marie Harper Oral History. Heritage Noosa, accessed 10/02/2026, https://heritage.noosa.qld.gov.au/nodes/view/4508
