The doctrine of terra nullius – ‘land belonging to no-one’ – was challenged and overturned in the High Court of Australia on 3 June 1992, largely due to the dedication of one man: Eddie Koiki Mabo. Eddie Mabo was born among the Meriam people on Mer in the Murray Group of islands of Torres Strait […]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples charged into the 1970s with political vigour. Land rights, equality and self-determination were set firmly in their sights. In 1976, it was announced that Brisbane would host the 1982 Commonwealth Games, publicised as ‘The Friendly Games’. Indigenous rights groups saw this as an opportunity to use the international media […]
James Alpin McPherson, otherwise known as ‘The Wild Scotchman’, was one of Queensland’s most infamous bushrangers. Born in Inverness-shire, Scotland, in 1842, McPherson came to Australia aboard the William Miles, arriving in January 1855 with his family. As a boy, he was a diligent student, learning French and German, and was an engaging public speaker. […]
Thomas Elliott was a man of many interests. A local engineer and licensed HAM radio operator, in 1934 Elliott and a group of amateur radio operators conducted a series of experimental television transmissions. The group performed demonstrations for politicians and journalists and successfully aired Queensland’s first broadcast, 25 years before television sets were available for […]
The Story Bridge – built as part of the State Government’s response to the Great Depression – remains one of Queensland’s most iconic landmarks. Ground was broken for the project in 1935, and the cantilever bridge was officially opened on 6 July 1940 by Governor Sir Leslie Orme Wilson. Public meetings calling for a bridge […]
Three people drown. A mother slits her own throat. A woman is abducted. A young boy is shot. What do these tragedies have in common? The Bustard Head lighthouse. It all started on 5 May 1887. Kate Gibson, wife of Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Nils Gibson, went missing from Bustard Head. After a two-day search, Kate’s […]
Twenty-four high school students from Thursday Island set a world record on Saturday 6 May 1972 for the longest non-stop game of basketball played on an outdoor court. This herculean effort of 110 hours and five minutes broke the previous record by three hours, five minutes. Played at the Wongai Courts, the marathon, as it […]
Brisbane City Architect Frank Gibson Costello designed the City Council’s air-raid shelters to provide a post-war utility as well as short-term safety. After the bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 and the presence of Japanese submarines off the Queensland coast, Brisbane prepared for the possibility of attack, building more than 200 air-raid shelters throughout […]
Sitting isolated, surrounded by the dangers of Moreton Bay, St Helena Island Penal Establishment was a fortified prison. Despite this, numerous prisoners still attempted to escape. One of the greatest escape attempts lasted 11 days and was carried out by two prisoners: Henry Craig and David McIntyre. The response to their escape was unprecedented, […]
The tragic murder of siblings Michael, Norah and Ellen Murphy near Gatton on Boxing Day 1898 sparked intense community speculation. The case remains unsolved to this day.