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Irish in Queensland: their cultural legacy - Talk @ SLQ

Free lunchtime talk on the history of Irish people in Queensland - 14 March

Many Queenslanders can trace their ancestry back to Ireland due to the vigorous programs of migration in the 19th century that enticed working class Irish men and women to our shores. What was life like for these early settlers? Why did they come here? What is their enduring legacy in Queensland’s society and culture? Historian Dr Jennifer Harrison and Director of Mercy Heritage Centre Peter Connell will discuss how the Irish have left their mark on the Queensland consciousness.

This is an Out of the Port free lunchtime talk, presented by State Library’s John Oxley Library and the Department of Environmental and Resource Management.

When: Wed 14 Mar 2012, 12:30 pm -

Venue:State Library of Queensland, slq Auditorium 1, level 2

Cost: Free

Bookings: Free, no bookings required

More information:

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/calevents/general/talks/deepen/irish

Irish military archives to release records online

Ireland's Military Archives are currently digitising a number of key collections which should delight both genealogists and historians alike. These records will be available to search online through their website - http://militaryarchives.ie/ 

The Military Archives has already digitised hundreds of military maps, plans and drawings and in the next few months will launch the "Bureau of Military History witness statements (1913-1921)".

The Military Archives does not hold Irish service records for those who served in the two World Wars. These records are held with The National Archives in London.

For further information on this exciting project read the following Irish Times article -  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0103/1224309736108.html

New digitised newspapers on Trove

The National Library of Australia has announced that the following titles are now available to search on Trove -http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

 Queensland

• Worker (Brisbane, Qld. : 1890 - 1955)
• The  Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1930 - 1939)
• The  Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld : 1875 - 1929

New South Wales

• The  Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate (NSW : 1892 - 1901)

Victoria

• Kyabram Union (Vic. : 1886 - 1894)
• Sunbury News (Vic. : 1892)
• Traralgon Record (Traralgon, Vic. : 1886 - 1932)

Western Australia

• Geraldton Guardian (WA : 1906 - 1928)
• Geraldton Guardian (WA : 1948 - 1950)
• Geraldton Guardian and Express (WA : 1929 - 1947)
• The  Inquirer & Commercial News (Perth, WA : 1855 - 1901)
• Inquirer (Perth, WA : 1840 - 1855)

New digital collections added to Connected Histories (UK)

Connected Histories has recently added four new digital resources to its collection of historical British records.

• Convict Transportation Registers (originally compiled by the State Library of Queensland - contains details of over 123,000 convicts transported to Australia) 
• John Foxe's The Acts and Monuments Online (martyrology and ecclesiastical histories published between 1563 and 1583) 
• Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets (the most significant British pamphlets from the 19th century held in UK research libraries) 
• Cause Papers in the Diocesan Courts of the Archbishopric of York, 1300-1858 (relates to disputes over matrimony, defamation, tithes, probate, breach of faith by the clergy, and church rights)

http://www.connectedhistories.org/

Beneath the veneer: furnishing Queensland interiors- podcast

Colonial Australians were generally known for their staunch loyalty to British goods and fashions for the furnishing of their home interiors. As the Australian colonies approached Federation, growing local manufacturers, including furnishings businesses, argued that a new nationalist loyalty should drive consumers to "buy local".

In this podcast Tracey Avery focusses on the complex issues of politics, climate, labour and economics that impacted on the furnishing choices of Queenslanders.

Tracey is Director, Strategy and Policy at Heritage Victoria, a Victorian State Government agency within the Department of Planning and Community Development. She was a Co-Project and Curatorial Manager, James Cook Museum, Cooktown for the National Trust of Queensland and was Cultural Heritage Manager at the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Listen now at http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Text Queensland : a treasure trove of historical resources

Text Queensland is a unique and dynamic collection of full-text, searchable, digitised sources on Queensland's colonial and state history.

Collections include:

• Books
• Journals
• Theses
• Pugh's Almanac
• Government Gazette
• Hansard

http://www.textqueensland.com.au/

Collinson Index - John Oxley Library

Read about a unique index to all things Queensland (particularly North Queensland), held in the John Oxley Library, and the man behind it -  James W. Collinson.

JOL blog post Friday, September 2, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3s3wr4z

St Helena Island, Moreton Bay 'An historical account' - Book

Posted on behalf of the President of the Queensland Prison & Penal Historical Association.

St Helena Island, Moreton Bay 'An historical account' which is available at State Library bookshop took out the prestigous gold heritage award for a volunteer project at the National Trust Heritage Awards at Old Government House on the 25th August, 2011.
 
The book is also available through the website www.sthelenaisland.net.  Sales from this publication help fund preservation work at St Helena Island.
 
National Trust wrote:  "For a well researched and cohesive publication which balances reproduced images, plans, correspondence and file reports of this colonial-era island prison with its historical narrative.  The product of many hours of volunteer labour, this project makes a key contribution to public knowledge of the St Helena penal settlement, its remaining structures and the lives led by its inmates and their prison custodians."

Image: Interior of the St Helena Prison on the island in Moreton Bay, Queensland, 1914 (source: Picture Queensland)

Discover Queensland history with the John Oxley Library Blog

Discover more about Queensland's vibrant and colourful history with the John Oxley Library blog.

Recent articles:

• Ekka 2011
• Flood Mitigation in Queensland
• Toowong Cemetery marks 140 years
• The Hempress of the Barcoo – What an Englishwoman saw in Qld in 1892
• Rock around the Block…who was Rock “N” Roll George
• Corner store photographs

While you’re there, feel free to leave a comment on your favourite notice.

http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/

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Image: Milling crowds at the Brisbane Exhibition, August 1935 (Source: Picture Queensland)

NEW: Brisbane City Council Heritage Database

The Brisbane City Council Heritage Database allows you to search for places, heritage buildings and places of significance. You can find physical details, historical information, builder, architectural period and style plus photographs.

The advanced search page can be used to combine search elements and refine or limit a heritage search.

http://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage_register/termsAccept.do

Convict secrets of The Rocks : ABC audio file

Listen to Associate Professor Grace Karskens from the University of New South Wales as she discusses the convict secrets of The Rocks precinct in Sydney.

Afterwards you can test your knowledge by taking the fun quiz.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/08/10/3290390.htm

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For the latest news and events in family history check out the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub website -http://www.slq.nnub.net

National Archives of Fiji - digitization of photographs and film footage

The National Archives of Fiji are currently digitizing thousands of photographs and old film footage which will be made available to the public.  The digitization process will be completed sometime next year.

Read the Fiji Times Online article for more information: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=176887

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Australian Census 9 August 2011 - John Oxley Library Blog

Read the latest article on the John Oxley Library Blog about the importance of answering "YES" to Question 60 on census night and build a profile of yourself for your descendants.

http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2011/08/02/the-australian-census-9-august-2011/

ABC podcast: Genealogy and the Census

Listen to Tony Delroy from ABC Radio's Nightlife program discussing why you should say "YES" to Question 60 on your census form and the importance of these records to family historians. 

http://www.abc.net.au/nightlife/stories/3284889.htm

His guests are

• Brad Argent from Ancestry.com.au
• Christine Yeats from State Records New South Wales

ABC podcast: Who Counts? A history of the census

ABC Radio's Rear Vision program examines the history of the census in Australia, Great Britain and the United States of America.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/rearvision/stories/2011/3279033.htm

Guests include:

• Beth Wright - Historian of the Australian Census. Worked for the Australian Bureau of Statistics for many years
• Edward Higgs - Historian of the British Census. Professor of History, University of Essex
• Margo Anderson - Historian of the US Census. Prof of History and Urban Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

List of Australian genealogy and general history blogs

Unlock The Past has compiled a list of Australian genealogy and local history blogs.  

Take a look - http://www.unlockthepast.com.au/australian-genealogy-history-blogs

The British Royals: a Queensland story

Queensland State Archives has launched a new foyer and online exhibition on the British Royals in early June 2011.

Since 1868, there have been around 39 royal visits to Queensland by the British royal family, with HM Queen Elizabeth II the only reigning monarch to have come to Queensland. Her first official trip to Australia took place over 55 years ago, in 1954, the year following her 1953 coronation.In March 2011 HRH Prince William visited Queensland to tour places damaged by floods and Cyclone Yasi.

Queensland State Archives engaged an historian to explore its collection and write an historical essay on the royal visits to Queensland. Read more about the history and see photos of the royals -

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/royal/default.asp

My address is: 435 Compton Road Runcorn QLD 4113 info@archives.qld.gov.au

My website is: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au

Audio file: Queensland Maritime Museum (4BC Radio interview)

Listen to Ian Jempson, CEO of the Queensland Maritime Museum talking to 4BC's Afternoon program about the collections of the museum. 

http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/4bc-blog/maritime-museum/20110624-1gix5.html

Image: Forceful (ship) (Source: Picture Queensland)

New: RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre

Listen to RAAF Squardron Leader Dennis Deering talking to ABC Radio's Spencer Howson about the opening an Aviation Heritage Centre at Amberley.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/06/new-raaf-museum-opens-on-sunday.html?site=brisbane&program=612_breakfast 

"Currently up to eight aircraft, including a WWII Boston, the Vietnam-era Caribou, Canberra and Iroquois, Mirage and Sabre fighters, a Kiowa helicopter and an iconic F-111C may be seen on display in two hangars and complemented by smaller artefacts in display cases."

You can find more information on the Heritage Centre at

http://www.airforce.gov.au/Heritage/

Image: Avro biplane RAAF trainer (Source: Picture Queensland)

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For the latest news and events in family history check at the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub at http://slq.nnub.net

Researching the history of your house

Do you know the history of your house? The Brisbane City Council research guide, "Your house has a history: keys to unlocking its past" will provide you with tips on how to get started.

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/planning-building/tools-forms/city-plan-2000/heritage/research-the-history-of-your-house/index.htm

Image: Wilson residence at Mitchelton, Brisbane, ca.1923

What is Picture Queensland?

"Picture Queensland" includes images digitised from the photographic collections of the State Library of Queensland's John Oxley Library and Queensland cultural institutions. "Picture Queensland" was launched initially in 2003 and continues to grow as digitised images are added to the collection.

http://pictureqld.slq.qld.gov.au/

The photographs in "Picture Queensland" depict various aspects of Queensland life including the settlement of early pioneers, the prominent people who have shaped our history, the built environment and the fashions we have worn through the years.

The collection benefits Queensland students, researchers and lifelong learners, publishers and authors, genealogists and enthusiasts of all ages who have an interest in, or need to research, any aspect of Queensland's history or development. A collection, previously restricted to 'walk in' clients, is now available to anyone who can access the Internet.

Image: View of the Bellevue Hotel, Brisbane, ca.1900 (Source: Picture Queensland)

Auckland Star newspaper now on Papers Past

Editions of the "Auckland Star" newspaper (1870 -1903) have been digitised and can be viewed online through Papers Past - http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

"The Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette" (1901-1945) is also another recent addition to the site.

ABC podcast: Australian colonial history

Listen to historian and author Kirsten McKenzie as she discusses early Australian colonial history.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/05/26/3227738.htm?site=conversations 

Kirsten's most recent book is "A Swindler's Progress: Nobles and Convicts in the Age of Liberty" (2009)

First broadcast on 26 May 2011 - ABC Radio Conversations

Duration: 52 minutes.

ABC video: 20th century child migrants

ABC's 7:30 program looks at the terrible lives of child migrants coming to Australia in the early 20th century. 

You can watch this segment online at 

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3224781.htm

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For the latest family history news and events check out the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub - http://slq.nnub.net 

ABC podcast: Australia's convict women

Approximately 25,000 women were transported to Australia as convicts.

Listen to ABC Radio's Richard Aedy as he interviews Deborah Swiss, author of the new book "The Tin Ticket".  Deborah discusses the plight of female convicts.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2011/3213892.htm

Was your ancestor an inventor? - new database

Did you know you can search over 100 years of Australian patent applications online?

The AusPat database now contains over 1.6 million patent applications starting from 1904 to current day.

For more information read Anna Salleh's article

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/05/23/3224384.htm

or visit the AusPat database -

http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/auspat/index.htm

SLQ podcast: Death at the Beach

Listen to Dr Jonathan Richards as he delves into the darker side of our coastline, discussing fatalities on Queensland beaches and coastal waterways as recorded by coronial inquests held between 1890 and 1960.

From the common drowning and shark attacks, to crocodile and stinger attacks, learn about the murky underbelly of our much loved beach.

Dr Richards, a lecturer in Australian history at the School of Humanities, Griffith University, specialises in archival research into violence and death in Queensland. He is the author of The Secret War: A True History of Queensland's Native Police, short-listed twice for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.

Duration: 60 mins

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Image: Bathers on the beach at Burleigh, Queensland, 1938 (Source: Picture Queensland)

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For the latest family history news follow the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub on twitter at http://twitter.com/nnub_slq or at our website http://slq.nnub.net

ABC video: Culture Matters

ABC's 7:30 (ACT edition) examines the social values of Australia's cultural institutions in Canberra including the National Library and the National Archives.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/05/13/3216750.htm

Shipboard diaries and family history

Shipboard diaries can be a fantastic resource for family historians as they provide a fascinating insight into life and conditions on board migrant vessels.

The State Library of Queensland's John Oxley Library collection contains many shipboard diaries. A sample of six shipboard diaries have been digitised and can be viewed online.

These include:

• Diary of Maria Steley, aged 14, written on board the ship “Ariadne” and at the North Stradbroke Island quarantine camp between 6 October 1863 and 23 February 1864. In this diary, Maria records daily activities on board ship, as well as ‘useful hints’ addressed to a friend about what to bring when migrating to Australia.
• Diary of William A Smith written on board the ship “Young Australia” between 9 May and 13 August 1864. Smith describes the activities that passengers were engaged in during the voyage, such as reading, gambling, cards, drafts and chess.

 http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/coll/qhist/more/shipdiaries

You can find other shipboard diaries by searching "Manuscripts Queensland"  - http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/coll/qhist/manq

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For more family history news and events check out the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub - http://slq.nnub.net or follow us on Twitter -  http://twitter.com/#!/nnub_slq 

ABC podcast: German internees in Australia - WWI

Listen to Phillip Adams' radio interview with Dr Gerard Fisher and Nadine Helmi, authors of the new book "The Enemy at Home: German internees in World War I Australia".

During World War I nearly 7000 so-called ‘enemy aliens’ with German and Austrian heritage were interned in camps in New South Wales. Among the internees was Paul Dubotzki who documented his time in the camp by taking photographs between 1915 to 1919.

ABC podcast: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2011/3194446.htm

An exhibition of these photographs will be held at the Museum of Sydney from 7 May to 11 September. - http://www.hht.net.au/whats_on/exhibitions/exhibitions/the_enemy_at_home

Dictionary of Sydney project and database

"The Dictionary of Sydney is a groundbreaking project to produce a new kind of history of Sydney: online, growing and changing, covering every aspect of human life.

The Dictionary contains new historical writing enriched with other resources – images, maps, sound, music, oral history, film, documents and pointers to important objects in Sydney collections.

Contributors include academics, professional historians, heritage specialists, local studies experts, genealogists, enthusiasts, volunteers and readers."

View the dictionary/database online - http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/about.html

[text taken from Dictionary of Sydney website]

Photo: S.S. Ormiston sailing under Sydney Harbour bridge. The bridge is still under construction. Sydney city skyline and Circular Quay are in the background. (Source: Picture Queensland)

SLQ podcast: shipwreck sites on the Queensland coast

Wrecked! A survey of shipwreck sites on the Queensland coast, with Paddy Waterson

Throughout history, Queensland’s treacherous coastline has claimed nearly 1,400 vessels. The maritime industry is at the heart of Queensland’s and Australia’s historic development and shipping was the principal mode of transport for goods and people until well into the 20th Century.

Listen to Paddy Waterson, Queensland’s appointed historical shipwreck practitioner, as he brings some of these stories to the surface. Paddy is a Principal Heritage Officer with the Heritage Branch, DERM, and has worked throughout Queensland, especially in the Far North, Wide Bay/Burnett and South-Eastern Districts.

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Picture: Drawing of the SS Quetta in the Torres Strait at 9.15 and 9.18 pm on February 28th 1890. The first drawing shows the Quetta before foundering and the second shows the shipwreck. (Source: Picture Queensland)

Launch of Queensland WWII Historic Places website

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Queensland WWII Historic Places website launched

A website which will map more than 1000 Queensland sites of significance from World War II has been launched in Brisbane today ahead of annual Anzac Day celebrations. 

Queensland WWII Historic Places website contains over 500 citations on defined places and will document the location of up to 1000 additional sites of significance within the state. 

http://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au

Photo: Anzac Memorial, Brisbane, ca. 1939 (Source: Picture Queensland)

Launch of Connected Histories database - UK

"Connected Histories provides an integrated search facility for interrogating 11 major electronic resources in early modern and 19th-century British history."

Electronic resources include:

• British History Online
• Clergy of the Church of England Database 1540 - 1835
• London Lives 1690 - 1900
• John Strype's Survey of London Online
• The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Online, 1674-1913
• Origins.net
• House of Commons Parliamentary Papers

In September 2011 several additional resources will be added.

Some resources searched by the database are fee-based.

http://www.connectedhistories.org/

Queensland history - John Oxley Library Blog

The John Oxley Library Blog has been developed by the State Library of Queensland as an online community discussion forum. It is dedicated to the discussion of aspects of Queensland history as well as providing information about the range of activities being undertaken within the John Oxley Library.

Recent articles:

• Salvation Army's People's Palace in Brisbane
• Great Queensland Earthquake of 1918
• Mount Mulligan Mine Disaster
• Shorncliffe Pier Transformed for British Commercial
• Queensland 100 Years Ago - The Sinking of the S. S. Yongala

http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/

British History Online - digital library

"British History Online" is a digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles.

Among their collections is a number of resources useful for family historians including:

•  Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714 - which lists all known members of Oxford University.
• Victoria County Histories - local histories of English counties
• Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1857- biographical details of bishops and the senior clergy

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/

Podcast: Brisbane floods with Helen Gregory

Join Queensland historian Helen Gregory for an intriguing conversation about floods in Brisbane and learn more about why history matters.  Hear about the frequency of floods, the warnings, heroes, scandals, generosity, despair, hope and renewal.  How have the significant floods of 1893 and 1974 been remembered and what has been forgotten? What legacy will 2011 leave?

You can find the audio file to this talk at:

 http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Podcast: Missing! German heritage of Queensland

You can now listen to a recording of Anna Haebich and Mark Schuster's excellent presentation in which they discuss the reasons for the absence of German heritage documentation in Queensland.

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Duration: 1 hour

Recorded at the State Library of Queensland on 20 October 2010.

Historical Brisbane newspapers at SLQ

Historical Brisbane newpapers at the State Library of Queensland

Many researchers forget that historically Brisbane had many newspapers aside from the longstanding Courier Mail.

It is worth examining these rival newspapers as they can contain stories or notices not published in the Courier.

One example is The Truth which regularly published local scandals such as divorce, bigamy, adultery and murder.

Some examples of Brisbane newspapers:

• The Telegraph - 1872 to 1988
• Daily Mail - 1903 to 1933
• The Truth (later titled Sunday Sun) - 1900 to 1992
• The Week - 1876 to 1934
• Moreton Bay Free Press - 1852 to 1859 (imperfect run)
• Queensland Guardian - 1860 to 1868
• The Queenslander - 1866 to 1939
• Evening Observer - 1887 to 1926 (imperfect run)

These titles and more are available on microfilm at the State Library of Queensland. For further information phone us on (07) 3840 7810 or visit our website at http://www.slq.qld.gov.au