At the turn of the twentieth century, Caboolture was a small but industrious settlement built around timber, farming and trade. Among its early residents was Mrs Catherine Mewett, a midwife and businesswoman who operated a boarding house at 8 King Street. Known locally as “Old Mrs Mewett,” she provided care, accommodation and conversation to the workers and families who passed through the district.
Boarding houses were a vital part of early Queensland communities, providing affordable rooms for railway workers, timber cutters and travelling salesmen. Many were managed by women who transformed domestic work into a source of income.
Mrs Mewett’s establishment served as both home and business, a timber building with a broad verandah where boarders gathered to share meals and stories. It offered comfort and connection in an era before modern hotels and hospitals reshaped regional life.
Midwifery, Enterprise and a Lasting Legacy
Beyond running the boarding house, Catherine worked as a midwife, travelling between Buderim and Caboolture to assist local mothers long before formal health services were available. Records suggest she was one of only a few women offering such care across the district, often attending births in remote farmhouses and rural cottages. Her work reflected the dual roles many women held, caring for families while sustaining the local economy.
Her husband, William Mewett, was employed in the timber industry, one of the main drivers of Caboolture’s early growth. The couple raised a family while maintaining the business, contributing to a township that was still defining its identity.
Catherine’s maiden family, the Grants, also had ties to local enterprises. They operated a hotel on what is now Morayfield Road, linking the Mewetts to a wider network of hospitality and small businesses that helped shape early Caboolture’s social life.
Although the original King Street house no longer stands, its story serves as a reminder of the women who balanced home, work and community in Queensland’s formative years. Their quiet determination shaped the early character of Caboolture, leaving a legacy that can still be traced through the families, businesses and streets that grew from their efforts.
Featured image: Mewett’s Boarding House, ca. pre 1920 | Image courtesy of City of Moreton Bay, Reference Number CLPC-P1104
Read more stories from The Caboolture Guide print magazine here:
- Caboolture Connect: Updates from the Community
- What’s Hot Around Town
- Podcast Review: Wanging On Pocast
- Professional Surfing Returns for Biggest Gold Coast Open Yet
- Organic Gardening in February
- Tilapia in South East Queensland – A Great Target for Kids
- Unearthed Secrets
- Moreton Bay Expo Returns
- Grants to Help Moreton Bay Communities Thrive
- Caboolture Community Choir Calls for New Director
- Get In Line: Boostcootin’ Bash Is Back
- Warplane Museum Closes but its Legacy Still Flies High
- Blockbuster Fun Builds At Drive-In Movie Night
- Mexican Wedding Cakes
- Reliving the Stories of Beachmere
- Caboolture Fires Up for Lunar New Year
- Coming to Grips with Valentine’s Day
