Born in England in 1869, Thomas James Rothwell was destined to become an architect like his father, but his career took a different path when he made Australia home.
He passed away in 1928, but his strong sense of civic responsibility has left an indelible legacy in Moreton Bay, both as the instigator of Anzac Avenue and in the suburb that now bears his name.
Rothwell immigrated to New South Wales in 1883, enjoying commercial success as a journalist and accountant. Returning to England in 1896, he intended to settle there permanently but found the English climate unsuitable. The following year, he made Queensland his home and opened Rothwells (Mens) Outfitters Store in Brisbane.
Civic Contributions and Lasting Impact
Awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1920 for community work, he organised seaside picnics for sick and orphaned children, founded the Transport Corps (which conveyed wounded soldiers on their return home from war), and facilitated war loans as Secretary of the Patriotic Fund.
However, it was while President of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) that Rothwell made a lasting impact. At a time when the car was gaining popularity, Rothwell campaigned for the construction of an Anzac Memorial Avenue lined with trees, along what was then called the Redcliffe Road. In addition to aesthetics, his proposal honoured the sacrifice of the fallen soldiers and provided work for unemployed Anzacs.
As Chairman of the Anzac Memorial Committee, Rothwell demonstrated resourcefulness, raising 24,000 pounds through public donations, fundraising concerts and levying RACQ members. The heritage-listed avenue, extending from Petrie to Redcliffe, officially opened in 1925 and remains Queensland’s longest World War I memorial avenue.
When Rothwell passed away, newspapers reported the state had lost a successful businessman and a respected and public-spirited citizen. The Royal Queensland Yacht Club erected an obelisk in tribute at the junction of Anzac Avenue and Deception Bay Road. Unveiled by Governor Wilson on 9 April 1933, the inscription reads: ‘To Commemorate T.J. Rothwell O.B.E. Originator of Anzac Memorial Avenue’.
Rothwell was approved as an official suburb name in 1971. The Redcliffe Herald stated: “In choosing Rothwell as the name of one of Redcliffe’s newest suburbs, the council was influenced by the fact that the late Mr Rothwell was among that small group of men responsible in 1921 for the construction of the first highway from Petrie to the Peninsula.”
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Photo courtesy of Marnie Birch/Strathpine Library Local History Collection
