Dunk Island Beach, c.1950s, ITM435811 Have you ever dreamed of leaving it all behind and living on the beach? What would it take for you to make the change? For Edmund Banfield, after suffering a nervous collapse at 46, he decided to find somewhere quiet for his health. In 1897, he and his wife Bertha […]
Before spreadsheets, databases and drop-down menus, Queensland was run on paper. Big books. Heavy books. Beautiful, ingenious and sometimes very strange books. From marbled edges and locking mechanisms to inks that slowly eat through the page, the records books in the Printed & Bound exhibition reveal the hidden craft and quiet labour behind everyday government. […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
As you start to read more handwritten documents, you’ll become more familiar with common phrases, and how they were abbreviated
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 […]
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. […]
*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 […]
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 […]
