Emma Webb

Mrs Emma Webb was Tom Webb's wife. Her maiden name is unknown. Tom was one of three brothers, builders who later became bakers. Their father Mr T. C. Webb, was a Downs pioneer and builder who built the first Toowoomba jail, in Margaret Street in the 1860's. Another son, Mr H. G. Webb, became Toowoomba's Mayor in 1908 and again in 1915.

When 17 years old, Ald.Webb joined his brother Thomas in a bakery business in Ruthven Street, (Probably the bakery in what is now Piper Street.). Thomas had three children, including Mrs H. V. Braunholz of Toowoomba, Mrs Sidney H. Barton of Bundaberg and Miss Gladys Webb. The joint business was later dissolved and Aid. H. G. Webb started a general store and bakery in another part of Ruthven Street. He later left the store and became involved in stock dealing and grazing until he retired in 1909. He liked the busy life, however, and speculated in land and building, erecting hundreds of cottages in Toowoomba. When he died in October 1936 he was a very large landholder in Toowoomba. In about 1908 he gave the land to the city for the magnificent Webb Park, which is named after him. He was survived by his wife, 2 sons and 1 daughter.

Ald. Webb was a very active Chairman of the Council Works Committee checking on street and footpath construction throughout the city. He watched council expenditure very closely. Aid. Webb loved horses and was a racehorse owner as well as being interested in polo. He was a staunch Methodist, a tee-totaller and a Rechabite.

Amongst those present at his funeral were F. Petersen, A. A. Hall,.J. T. Buchanan (Toowoomba Hospitals Board and Technical College Committee) and Duncan Mclnnes(Toowoomba Hospitals Board) so it would be a reasonable assumption to suggest that Aid. Webb was involved with the Toowoomba Hospital.

One of his sons, Sid S. Webb, was also a councillor, between 1946 and 1949. Like his father, he was a well-known horse owner and breeder. When he died in January1967 he was survived by his wife, son and daughter. His daughter is Mrs Margaret Halford of Mt Tyson and a son, Spencer Webb, lives at Murrumba Downs in Brisbane. Spencer has Parkinsons Disease. The remaining son of T. C. Webb was Jack.

[This article was originally written by John Clements in 2001.]

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 License.