Monthly Archives: June 2011 Back

Indigenous languages live!

Posted on 30 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

As a Brisbane based Indigenous Resource Officer I’m constantly asked, “can you speak the language?” To which my reply is “Yes, of course… Wooloowin, Nundah, Yeronga, Enogerra…”

Each one of these suburbs have Aboriginal names. Wooloowin meaning Species of Pigeon, Nundah meaning water-holes or lagoons, Yeronga meaning gravelly place and Enoggera place of sticky soil. Most of these place names are mentioned in Watson, F.J. (1946) Vocabularies of four representative tribes of South Eastern Queensland.

To mark the recent John Oxley Library Open Day celebration I created a map providing translations for locations from Watson’s book. Not all the names are mentioned on this map and most have only a quick summary of the meanings but from it we can see that Aboriginal language lives and spoken by a lot of people…including those who just don’t know it.

For thousands of years our Australian landscape was covered with networks of Indigenous placenames that described and evoked features of the environment. European colonisers often superimposed their own names, usually derived from northern hemisphere locations, but many aboriginal placenames still remain and are very familiar to us.

Tania Schafer – John Oxley Library

Angelo Comino Retires

Posted on 27 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

Our dear friend and colleague Angelo Comino worked at the State Library of Queensland for 30 years from the 25th March 1981. Angelo was the Oxley’s Image Orders Assistant responsible for taking care of client photographic orders and payments. Over the decades researchers and membes of the public got to know Angelo very well. His easy going manner and way with people meant that clients would ask for him personally and the service they received was second to none.

Angelo takes with him a fantastic knowledge of the images held in the John Oxley Library. We already miss him very much and wish him all the best for his retirement.

Angelo Comino goodbye slide

Business Leaders Hall of Fame

Posted on 27 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

One of the more exciting events to take place in June was the launch of the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame located in the John Oxley Library Reading Room.

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame recognises the contribution business leaders and leading businesses have made to the economic development of Queensland. It connects the researcher to stories about Queensland’s development – its economy, industries, services, businesses and organisations over the last 150 years up to the present day.

A joint initiative of the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Library Foundation and Queensland University of Technology Business School, the Hall of Fame has inducted several business leaders and businesses since its launch in 2009.

21 Hall of Fame inductees are honoured in the space, including Golden Circle Limited, Bundaberg Distilling Company, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Castlemaine Perkins, Steve Irwin and the late Clem Jones AO.

The State Librarian Lea Giles-Peters said the Hall of Fame helped the State Library to acquire more business records which are of vital importance to researchers of Queensland’s history.

“These people have made a significant contribution to Queensland’s development and economy, in a wide range of business pursuits,” Ms Giles-Peters said.

“The unveiling of this space is an acknowledgement of the value of business to Queensland’s communities.”

Visitors to the Hall of Fame can view digital stories about inductees in a newly designed story booth and discover related collection material held in the John Oxley Library.

Visit http://leaders.slq.qld.gov.au to find out more.

Digital story booth

lampshades featuring images of Hall of Fame inductees

Hall of fame display case

Governor of Queensland, Ms Penelope Wensley AO addresses guests

Guests at the launch of the Busness Leaders Hall of Fame

Viewing stories via Ipad in the digital story booth

The selection of Hall of Fame nominees is based on the following criteria: leadership which has sustained or significantly enhanced the Queensland economy; major financial contributions to the Queensland economy; pioneering the establishment of our modern economy or of an industry; outstanding contribution to the reputation of the Queensland economy; achievement of iconic status as a leader, a business, a product or brand.

Simon Farley – John Oxley Library

Anniversary of Normanton to Croydon rail line

Posted on 24 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

Celebrations are being planned to mark the 120th anniversary of the Normanton to Croydon rail line on 20 July 2011. The line was originally built to provide transportation between gold-rich Croydon and Normanton.

These days the Gulflander (with a 102 horsepower diesel engine motor built at Ipswich Railway Workshops in 1950) runs between Normanton and Croydon. The line has never been connected to the Queensland Rail Network and has been dubbed by some as the journey from “nowhere to nowhere.”

You can find out more about the celebrations through the Croydon Shire Council and The Gulflander site.

Brisbane Hunt Club

Posted on 17 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

Looking at the book Moreton – Bay Sesqui – Centenary 1824 – 1974, I was amazed by an article on the history of the Brisbane Hunt Club. The first club began in April 1867 and was started by Captain Creagh of the 50th Brisbane Foot Regiment stationed in Brisbane. He and his friends procured some hounds and periodically indulged in dingo and kangaroo hunts. The initial club, known as the South Brisbane Hunt Club, started with 30 members.

Judge Pring, D. T. Seymour and Captain Creagh were its leading supporters with many good meets held at Rocklea, Cooper’s Plains and Eagle Farm. The club ran for a short period and was disbanded in the 1870s. (Queenslander, July 16 1931 p 15.) In 1888 Adolph Feez, a keen judge and breeder of horses, was founder and Master of the Brisbane Hunt Club. (ADB online Adolph Frederick Milford Feez). This club had a large following with a “Master”, a “Whip”, a pack of English foxhounds, pink-coated huntsmen and all the assorted paraphernalia! In the early years the riders hunted dingoes and kangaroo but eventually the hounds followed an aniseed drag.

One Saturday in September 1889 the club set off for a meeting in Ipswich and a special train carried all the riders and their horses from Roma Street Railway Station. Spectators crowded the Ipswich station to see the riders in their red coats and the pack of hounds. The 250 horsemen were followed by 1000 spectators including over 300 on horseback riding in carriages, buggies and carts. The huntsmen were warmly cheered and described as “one of the greatest and best looking calvalcades ever seen in the city of Ipswich”. The throw off took place just near the cemetary, across a number of paddocks including O’Keefe’s and McGill’s across Foote’s to finish at the drag between Limestone and Booval Stations. The run lasted for eight miles over 24 fences with various spills but no damage to horse or rider, with the riders enjoyed tea back at the Hotel Royal before returning home on the special with some capital songs and recitations keeping the crowd entertained. (Brisbane Courier 9 September 1889 p 6.)

The Hunt Club was popular, often drawing large crowds and with prize money of 300 ‘sovs’ up for grabs. The club continued for about ten years until it ceased in 1897 when falling numbers saw it close.

Karen Hind – John Oxley Library

Out of the Closet and Into the Museum – Out of the Port lecture

Posted on 16 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

This month’s Out of the Port lunchtime lecture Out of the Closet and Into the Museum was about the Museum of Brisbane’s first ever lesbian, gay. bisexual and transgender history exhibition Prejudice and Pride which was presented in partnership with State Library of Queensland, Queensland Association for Healthy Communities, and the Museum of Brisbane.

The exhibition was developed to coincide with the 20 year anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Queensland and explored the lives of LGBT people in Brisbane over the last 150 years. The exhibition curator and today’s presenter Carol Johnman Low, discussed Brisbane’s history making exhibition and reflected on its success with some of the people from the community.

Prejudice and Pride ran for 5 months in 2010, although it was several years in the making and relied on generous contributions of memorabilia, stories and photographs from the community. By the time the exhibition was ready, Museum of Brisbane was overwhelmed with donations of material relating to gay lesbian and transgender life in Brisbane. The exhibition candidly captured a history of personal and political oppression and homophobia, a time of epic struggle for acceptance and equality for Brisbane’s community members.

Organisers were pleased with the solid base of archival material generated for the exhibition and in the research phase which has been deposited with the State Library of Queensland to be made available for future critical study and research. Members of the audience shared their experiences and reflections on the exhibition.

State Library’s John Oxley Library and the Department of Environmental Resources Management partner to present the monthly Out of the Port series of talks promoting new research on Queensland. Sessions are recorded and made available through the State Library’s website.

Join us on 20 July for the next Out of the Port lecture presented by 2010 John Oxley Library Fellow Dr Jeff Rickertt for his talk Ernie Lane: the making of a Queensland Rebel, about one of the firebrands of the early Queensland Labour movement. The talks are held every third Wednesday of the month in slq Auditorium 2. No bookings required.

Karen Hind – John Oxley Library

State Library of Queensland Awards 2011

Posted on 09 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

On Queensland Day, 6 June 2011, the State Library of Queensland hosted its annual awards ceremony in Auditorium 2 followed by a beautiful afternoon tea on the Queensland Terrace.

Minister for Finance and the Arts, Hon. Rachel Nolan MP awarded this year’s John Oxley Library Fellowship to journalist and writer Heidi Gibson from Mossman. Ms Gibson’s project will explore whether there have been changes in the perception and roles of PNG nationals within the Saibai and Boigu Island communities of the Torres Strait since independence; and how any such changes may have had an impact upon relationships within families and other social networks that span the border divide.

Endorsing the benefits of the John Oxley Library Fellowship, 2010 Fellow Jeff Rickertt spoke of the research he was able to undertake on Ernie Lane using publications and manuscripts held in the John Oxley Library.

The 2011 John Oxley Library Award went to Dr Ross W. Johnston. Ross has had a long and distinguished involvement in studies and publication in the field of Queensland history and development. During a long career as a Senior Lecturer and Professor of History at the University of Queensland, he was the author of many publications, among them ground-breaking works which pioneered local and regional studies which inspired a generation of researchers. He also was at the forefront of the study and teaching of Queensland history in its own right and remains heavily involved in the Queensland and Australian historical field.

Ross has always been a strong supporter of the John Oxley Library and has donated material to its collections directly over the years as well as encouraging others to do so. He also served with distinction for many years as a member of the John Oxley Library Advisory Board. He has been a key member of the Queensland Consultative Committee for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and contributed a number of entries to this key biographical resource.

The John Oxley Library Community History Award for 2011 was presented to Berenice Wright OAM who has played a key role in the research and promotion of the history of Mackay and region, as well as being involved in a wide range of community work over an extended period, especially presenting the area’s history to students of schools and colleges in the area.

Berenice worked closely with both the John Oxley Library and the Mackay City Library in the development of collections that reflect the history and development of the Mackey region. She has researched and published in the area and been an invaluable source of advice for Oxley Photograph Librarians in the identification and description of pictorial material relating to Mackay.

Later in the evening Berenice accompanied the Oxley’s Brian Randall and Simon Farley to the Royal Historical Society of Queensland‘s Annual Queensland Day Dinner at the Queensland Club concluding a wonderful day celebrating those who have played an important role in recording, writing, and preserving Queensland history.

Congratulations to this year’s worthy winners. Thanks also to our terrific host Jenny Woodward who reflected on her experience of the 2010-11 Queensland floods and the role of the library in recording these events for future generations.

Simon Farley – John Oxley Library

John Oxley Library Open Day 2011

Posted on 09 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

On Saturday 4^th June, The State Library of Queensland held an Open Day in the John Oxley Library Reading Room. This is our second Open Day following a similar event held in 2009 to mark the John Oxley 75th celebrations. Open Days showcase some of the many treasures usually housed in behind the scenes repositories.

There were ten tables of amazing objects and items on display included original artworks; ephemera including original WWII petrol ration coupons; rare books and photograph albums; estate maps and original tourist posters; newspaper cuttings books; original items such as gold railway passes; Aboriginal related collections and artifacts; glass plate negatives and lanterns; rare sheet music and digital stories just to name a few! Some of my favourite objects from the day included Queen Victoria’s stockings; Crimestoppers cards of wanted Queensland criminals; the diary of William A. Smith kept during his 1864 voyage to Australia on the clipper “Young Australia”; the first map of Australia and the Trackson Family photograph albums with photos of Queensland’s first car!

A series of well received talks was held in the John Oxley Library Reading Room’s Mittelheuser Lounge. The talks were presented by library staff and guest speakers Dr Kate Evans, Robert Riddel and Nancy Underhill. Topics included the Literature Map of Queensland and Music Map Launch, Art in Architecture curator’s talk by Robert Riddel, Stripping and dripping jam – Stirring up JOL by Dr Kate Evans; Songs in our Heart curator’s talk by Nancy Underhill and Laurell Garlick as well as talks on Business Leaders Hall of Fame and business records, War stories from the collection, Indigenous Languages and First Contact.

A lively and light hearted debate on “Is Queensland different“ with Matt Condon, author and journalist, Professor Raymond Evans, Queensland Historian and Author and Dr Kate Evans, ABC Radio journalist also drew visitors to auditorium 2. There were also behind the scenes tours.

The Open Day was an invigorating and exciting occasion with hundreds of visitors making the most of this once a year opportunity to browse a large range of our unique and precious collections.

Karen Hind – John Oxley Library

Literature Map of Queensland – launched during John Oxley Library Open Day 2011

Posted on 09 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

The John Oxley Library Open Day gave us the opportunity to showcase some of the Library’s most rare, beautiful and topical items. It also provided an official and very timely stage to launch State Library’s exciting new Literature Map of Queensland website.

The Literature Map of Queensland provides an online gateway into the John Oxley Library’s rich collection of imaginative writing (i.e. writing either set in Queensland or about Queensland icons). To find out what stories, poems, plays or songs have a connection with any place of interest in Queensland, simply rest your cursor on the appropriate marker located on the digital map of Queensland. An information bubble pops up providing titles as well as interesting snippets of information about those works. Entries for novels, short stories and plays also contain plot summaries, while poems and songs contain a stanza or chorus.

All titles are linked to State Library’s catalogue making it possible to place a request for any item you would like to view during your next visit to the John Oxley Library Reading Room.

This project is in its infancy and will always be a work-in-progress because of the abundance of material that is already available, as well as that yet to be written and published. We invite you to email us at heritage@slq.qld.gov.au to notify of relevant titles that aren’t already captured on this site. (N.B. this site does not capture scholarly research about Queensland places. Its scope is purely imaginative literature.)

During the launch two Queensland authors, who feature on the Literature Map of Queensland, entertained visitors in the John Oxley Library Reading Room. Bush poet, Rhana Maxwell, read her poem, ‘The Pub at Hannah Creek’ and singer/songwriter, Ken McDonald, sang two of his songs, ‘All the Way to Mapoon’ and, ‘Hervey Bay’. (Members of the audience were called on to provide percussion accompaniment!)

Bush poet, Rhana Maxwell, recites one of her poems, ‘The Pub at Hannah Creek’ from her anthology, Random Rhymes : poems from the bush and everyday life. (Photo by Geoff Wharton.)

Singer/songwriter, Ken McDonald, sings ‘All the Way to Mapoon’ from his album, Pigdogs, Orchids and Paraburdoo. (Photo by Geoff Wharton.)

Afterwards, members of the audience invite Rhana to do an encore reading. (Photo by Geoff Wharton.)

Ken McDonald (second from right) chats with library patrons and presents Queensland Authors Librarian, Leanne Day (centre – with eyes closed!) with his latest CD, The Blue Waves: Curious Dilemmas. This CD will also be housed in the John Oxley Library’s collection. (Photo by Geoff Wharton.)

Please visit the Literature Map of Queensland and let us know what you think!

Dr Leanne DayQueensland Authors Librarian

John Oxley Library Open Day 2011

Posted on 03 Jun 2011| by JOL Admin |

The collections of the John Oxley Library include photographs, ephemera, letters, diaries, maps, newspapers, music, digital stories and a host of other formats. Join us today in the John Oxley Library Reading Room on level four for our 2011 John Oxley Library Open Day.

Collections selected on the following themes will be available to see…royal visits, design and architecture, Gold Coast, Floods and disasters, tea and me, crime, corruption, criminals, war stories, Indigenous collections, Queensland authors, business records, glass plate negatives and lantern slides, and transport.

The day will also include behind the scenes tours, panel discussions, and stories from the collections.

What a great way to celebrate the start of Queensland Week!

Simon Farley – John Oxley Library