Archives are more than repositories of history; they are cultural heritage tapestries. For First Nations Peoples, historical records can evoke both pain and empowerment. The records may reflect past injustices, but they also hold the potential to reconnect individuals with their cultural roots and reclaim lost languages. Queensland State Archives (QSA) recognises the need for […]
Stranded on the range: Rescuing the survivors of the 1937 Stinson Plane Crash
Catch the gripping account of the 1937 Stinson Plane Crash, an aviation tragedy that unfolds into a tale of survival, heroism, and the relentless quest for rescue. Explore the harrowing events, the miraculous survival of two passengers, and the daring rescue mission that captivated a nation
No conviction: Frontier violence in the courts of early Queensland
Dr Jonathan Richards, 2024 Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are warned that this blog contains graphic content and may cause distress. It includes descriptions of violence, racist and offensive language, sexual assault and references to people who have died. When researching Queensland frontier violence at Queensland State Archives (QSA), there is documented evidence […]
Lost in translation? Not anymore! Navigating handwritten documents with ease
As you start to read more handwritten documents, you’ll become more familiar with common phrases, and how they were abbreviated
You can’t do this on Sunday!
Sundays held a special significance that went beyond a mere day of rest. The observance of Sunday, often considered a day of religious devotion and family time, was not only a matter of personal faith but a fundamental element of community life. What do hot air balloon shows, ice-cream and shooting a gun have in […]
Utopia in Paraguay
Inflamed by the imprisonments after the 1891 shearers’ strike, William Lane imagined a future where white English-speaking men could live on the land with their wives and children in equality, sobriety and social harmony. The land, however, was not to be in Queensland, or even Australia. It was to be a ‘New Australia’ in Paraguay. […]
The Black Hand Mafia
*Please note: the content of this blog post relates to historic crimes and accounts of violence which some readers may find distressing. The Godfather playing out among the cane fields of tropical North Queensland? Sounds far-fetched. But the unlikely location saw a string of unsolved murders throughout the 1920s and 1930s that baffled police and […]
skeletons – an exhibition by Judy Watson
In 2022, Queensland State Archives (QSA) worked with Waanyi artist Judy Watson and Amanda Hayman (Wakka Wakka/Kalkadoon), curator at Blaklash on the skeletons exhibition. While engaging with this content you will hear or see violent or racist content. Some content contains terms and attitudes reflective of the period in which the event occurred and may […]
Legalising condoms
Condoms became a pressing health issue in the early 1980s with the AIDS epidemic. The first case of HIV-AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) was reported in Australia in 1982. Initially thought of as a disease that only affected gay men, it was soon accepted that HIV-AIDS could affect anyone. Condoms were globally promoted as the best […]
Researching frontier violence in the archives
Dr Jonathan Richards, 2023 Archives and libraries, the places which safely store historical documents and records, are great sources of historical information about people, places and events. Different archives and libraries store different kinds of files and records, and the Queensland State Archives (QSA) at Runcorn, in Brisbane, is the main storage facility for official […]