Colourful Queensland timber legend Chris Hall passed away in Toowoomba last week, aged 83, after settling permanently in the Darling Downs Garden City 18 years ago.
Many of his successful endeavours have included, in his early years, working as a jackaroo in western Queensland before moving into the timber business in a big way as a wholesale merchant and importer and running a wood stripping and drying facility for top-end clients, this while keeping an eye on a herd of Murray Grey cattle growing fat on improved pastures at the family’s 120-hectare Boonah property in the Fassifern Valley.
In 1968, he joined Brett’s in the Brisbane company’s timber importing division, working under the expert tutelage of Bertie George.
A close friend, Bill Philip, recalls: “The boom in the industry turned to bust by mid-1974 with floods, politics and crumbling credit providers forcing many building developers to the wall.”
“Only top traders like Chris Hall survived in these difficult times. Chris never took his eye off the ball and made many friends … and Christopher Lindsay Hall never lost a friend. The family always remained intact and flourished.”
“Chris liked to describe himself as a ‘simple country boy’ but he was much, much more than this. He was a good man always around for the fun, the hard times and the great times.”
“Forest Products Marketing then ‘dominated’ the world of wood in Queensland but not Chris who left FPM after a comparatively short time to take up a sizeable selection at Millbong-Munbilla Road at Roadvale in the Fassifern Valley.”
The hilltop elevated site had a constant breeze, and Chris proudly proclaimed he could strip and air-dry one-inch hoop pine on his elevated property faster than anybody else.
Christopher Hall is survived by his wife Colleen, four daughters Sarah, Vanessa, Lucie and Georgina, their husbands and eight grandchildren.
A private family service for Chris Hall was held in Toowoomba.
