SCANLAN, Richard Alfred “Dick”. O.A.M. Late of Karinya, Laidley and formerly of Mount Berryman, slipped peacefully into the presence of the Lord on the 16th May, 2010, aged 86 years.
Richard had a long association with the Heinrich family and as a local historian, had prepared a history of John Heinrich and the family. He was a guest at family reunions including the centenary of the arrival of the Heinrich family to the district in 2008.
From the Queensland Baptist: Richard A (Dick) Scanlan, AOM (1924-2010)
Baptist Heritage Queensland has lost one its most devoted and supportive members with the death of Richard A Scanlan (always known as “Dick”), on 16 May, 2010. The very large crowd which attended his funeral service at Laidley Baptist Church was an eloquent tribute by his church and community to a man who was not only a devoted family man and hardworking dairy farmer and cattle producer, but one who found plenty of time to contribute to the welfare of the district.
One of ten children brought up at the foot of the Toowoomba range, he moved to Mount Berryman near Laidley after his marriage to Doris Berlin in 1945, where they raised their four children (Ken, Jeff, Jill, Kathy) and involved themselves in local activities. He was a prominent member of the Laidley Baptist church, serving as Sunday School teacher and deacon for about fifty years. He was particularly devoted to the Sunday School at Berryman, which he led for many years. He was also involved in Boys’ Brigade. He (along with the late Rev Doug Dunlop), was a driving force behind the establishment of Karinya Home at Laidley where he spent his last years after the loss of his wife. He was secretary of the Karinya Board for nearly 30 years, and only recently completed a history of the home. He also supported numerous other charities, and showed a great concern for social justice and fairness in all his relationships.
Dick’s interests were wide – he was an enthusiastic supporter of many local causes and spent 18 years on the Laidley Shire Council, with a special focus on promoting tourism in the area. In later life he became interested in conservation and began planting trees again after earlier having earlier cleared many from his land. He proudly devoted a large section of his property which was still virgin scrub to remain that way for perpetuity, being the first to do so under a state government scheme. He was officially recognised for this work, and in addition was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1992 for “service to the community.”
He was also well known for his passion for singing and was a member of various choirs and singing groups in the district. Although circumstances did not allow him to go on to high school, he was a poet, and encouraged his family go on to higher education.
He also became deeply involved in family, local and church history, especially the German Baptists. He wrote two books for BHQ—on Marburg and Tarampa churches which were the result of much hard work following up leads with many different people and tracking down documents. As part of this project he investigated the location of the original church in the Vernor area, and also helped maintain its cemetery. As a part of this effort, he helped erect a plaque marking the site. He wrote books about his own church, and its pastor, Rev D Dunlop, his Irish family, Karinya Home, and the Mt Berryman Sunday School. Other writings included his own memoirs and other family histories. He and his wife Doris who predeceased him, were devoted members of the Baptist Historical Society of Queensland from its earliest days.