Monthly Archives: December 2011 Back

Surf Life Saving

Posted on 30 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

The Tweed Heads Surf and Life-Saving club was the first official Life Saving club in Queensland and was formed in 1909 to patrol the Greenmount Beach . It was initiated in 1908 by Sydney dentist Harold Bennett who brought an old line and belt to Tweed Heads from New South Wales for the purpose of forming a life saving club.

The first recorded rescue was on February 21, 1909, when lifesavers used a lifesaving reel off Greenmount Beach to rescue four young women and a young man who had been swept away by a rip. The iconic Aussie image of the Australian lifesaver with the red and gold cap has been as much a part of the Austrian ethos as the digger’s slouch hat. Queensland has 59 surf life saving clubs and in the 2010/2011 period recorded saving 3,610 lives on Queensland beaches.

If you’re spending New Year’s Day at the beach in 2012 have a terrific time…and remember to swim between the flags

Happy New Year from all of us at the John Oxley Library.

Karen Hind, Librarian – State Library of Queensland

Happy Christmas from the John Oxley Library

Posted on 23 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

It was a great pleasure today to read this Thankyou Card left for the librarians of the John Oxley Library from Susan Laverick of Geneva, Switzerland.

Susan had spent many hours with us in the John Oxley Library Reading Room going through our Rosa Caroline Praed Papers which include interesting items including correspondence from nineteenth century figures such as British PM William Gladstone, Oscar Wilde and Charles Parnell and Justin McCarthy, Irish politicians and advocates for Home Rule.

How enriching it is for us to learn so much from the interesting researchers who come to spend time in the John Oxley Library engaging with our collection.

To Susan and to all of the readers and researchers we have met through the year we wish you a safe and Happy Christmas.

Simon Farley – A/Exec Manager – Queensland Memory

State Library of Queensland

F.W.Nissen Pty Ltd Records and Photographs

Posted on 21 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

F.W.Nissen business records, a photograph album of the interior of the family owned firm and catalogues are just part of a recent donation to Queensland Memory.

Frederick William Nissen started as a manufacturing jeweller in 1892 and established a workshop upstairs at 216 Queen St., Brisbane, with a retail outlet downstairs. Some years later, F.W.Nissen moved to 204 Queen Street and stayed there until the early 1920′s, when he purchased the building at 216 Queen Street. The business was then run from this premises by several more family members including L W R Nissen, Colin Nissen, Vida Irene Nissen and Wilhimina Ivy Nissen.

During the period 1910 to 1955, a substantial country business was developed throught extensive agreements with country town general stores and pharmacies. Up to 40,000 catalogues were printed and distributed. We hold a wonderful selection of these colourful catalogues.

The firm ceased trading in 1984.

The collection we hold includes a photograph album with interior views of the retail business, some family photographs, correspondence, business records, colourful catalogues, stock cards, a memorandum of asssociation and gemmology certificates.

This collection may be viewed at the John Oxley Library, Accession No: 28209, Boxes 11048,16394 and 16397 and Boxes 16395 O/S A3; Box 16362 O/S; Box 16396 O/S A3

Patricia Parr, Retrospective Collecting Coordinator – State Library of Queensland

New Acquisition – Allan Arthur Morrison Papers

Posted on 21 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

The John Oxley Library recently acquired the personal papers and photographs of Queensland historian, Allan Arthur Morrison. The collection includes photographs, a bound copy of Morrison’s PHD thesis “Liberalism in Queensland”, drafts of many of his historical articles, and correspondence relating to his involvement with the Australian Dictionary of Biography, the Royal Historical Society of Queensland and the Queensland Place Names Board. The collection also includes a beautiful scrapbook containing certificates and newspaper clippings about his academic career, an extract of his birth certificate, numerous photographs, biographical information, and a photograph of his father, Alexander Morrison, who was a Queensland school teacher.

A.A. Morrison. Neg: 177180

Allan Arthur Morrison was born in 1911 in Mount Morgan and attended Lockyer State High and Ipswich Grammar School. He had an outstanding academic career, winning the Lilley medal in 1925, the T.J. Byrnes medal in 1927 and a scholarship to the University of Queensland where he graduated with first-class honours in history. After teaching at Charleville State School he became a lecturer in history at the University of Queensland. Morrison was also president of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland (1948-53) and was chairman of the Oxley Memorial Library advisory committee (1968-75). In 1957-59 he travelled throughout Queensland identifying government and semi-government records held in regional centres. This work helped in the foundation of the Queensland State Archives. He was also actively involved with the Queensland Place Names Board and chaired the Australian Dictionary of Biography’s Queensland working party, contributing 27 articles. The great disappointment in his academic career was that his Ph.D. thesis “Liberalism in Queensland” did not satisfy the examiners in 1955. Despite this it was considered by a later historian to be ”still the major work on Queensland history in the colonial period”.

The Allan Arthur Morrison collection may be viewed at the John Oxley Library, Accession No: 28173, Box 16371 O/S A3.

Lynn Meyers

Original Materials Librarian

Memories of Christmas Past and Present

Posted on 20 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

Memories of Christmas past and present including some of our traditions. Carols by Candlelight in the parks and gardens of most cities and towns, the mailing of Christmas greeting cards to friends and family near and far, many of whom we have not contacted since the previous Christmas. Our sporting traditions…cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Christmas decorations in the Myer Centre windows in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall telling a story (not always a Christmas story) with animated characters etc. In recent years the family home and garden have been illuminated with fairy lights in the hope of winning a competition for the best Christmas display.

Christmas in Australia falls during the summer holidays which means trips to the coast for the end of year break. It is a time when families can come together to celebrate with a barbecue at the beach or in their back yards.

Above is a selection of images from the John Oxley Library’s pictorial collection which illustrate the celebration of an Australian Christmas, past and present.

From all of us at the State Library of Queensland have a happy and safe Christmas.

Janette Whitehead

Library Technician – Queensland Memory

Graham Webster’s World of Music

Posted on 16 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

State Library holds a significant collection of sound recordings donated by the late Graham Webster AM, a Queensland radio broadcasting professional with over 40 years’ experience in ABC radio and television. A national figure during his career, Graham presented for NHK (the Japanese national broadcaster), and his work in Japan included narration for films, and TV series such as “The Silk Road”, many of which won international awards.

Towards the end of his career, Graham spent eight years as a voluntary presenter for 4MBS Classic FM 103.7 in Brisbane, and during that time researched, wrote, and presented a high-quality program entitled Graham Webster’s World of Music, which aired between 1990 and 2001. To research each program, Graham made particular use of the State Library’s music, heritage and LP collections. Graham Webster’s World of Music comprises 94 hours of taped documentary and sound music programs which cover a range of subjects in the history of music – from the lives of composers, to major historical events illustrated with music, to modern musicals. The programs were transferred from DAT tapes to approximately 95 CDs including cover art and content notes and are a highlight of the State Library’s music collection. The collection was formally presented to the State Library in June 2005.

Although many of the programs cover general topics in Western Art music, some of the topics have a distinct Queensland theme. For instance, The Cremorne remembered looks back at the shows and performers of the Cremorne Theatre on the South Bank in Brisbane, from its opening in 1911 through the World War II years. In Three Overseas Arrangers in the Sunshine State, Graham talks with Ronald Hanmer, Gordon Langford and Tommy Tycho about their lives and work. Brisbane concert goers in the 1860s provides a fascinating insight into the musical pastimes of Queenslanders more than 150 years ago.

Robyn Hamilton

Queensland Music Coordinator – State Library of Queensland

Our conservators at work: restoring the Hall and Dods Collection

Posted on 16 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

Last year the State Library of Queensland acquired 297 architectural drawing as part of Hall and Dods Collection. The architectural drawings are dated from 1898 to 1984. The architectural drawings are a mixture of building projects, competition designs and tenders prepared by the company for commercial buildings, hospitals, public building, churches and private residence.

The drawings are executed on different substrates like paper which range from thick wove to fine tracing papers to heavily starched linen fabric. The media used for the drawing are pencils, iron gall ink, water colours and printing ink.

On arrival at State Library, the collection had to go through quarantine where every item was checked for any mould or pest activity. This is part of the Integrated Pest Management program.

When the collection came to the Conservation lab they were all rolled in tubes either individuals or in batches. Due to previous poor storage conditions, there was heavy dirt and grime present on the works along with major tears. In some works, repairs had been carried out with different types of pressure sensitive tapes. Many of the plans were brittle, discoloured, creased, and stained.

The collection was divided into minor and major treatment categories. Minor treatment required surface cleaning, humidification, flattening and minor repairs where as major treatment involved complex repairs of major tears, infilling of large losses, washing and lining.

After treatment, the objects are digitised by the State Library’s Image Production Unit and the images made available online. After digitisation the objects are encapsulated in polyester sleeves and housed in the climate controlled repository.

Twenty objects were treated, mounted and framed for the exhibition “Art in Architecture” which opened to the public on 15 April 2011 and closed 13 June.

You can have a look at some of these completed works online.

Before conservation treatment After conservation treatment

Lydia Egunnike, Collection Preservation – State Library of Queensland

Remembering the Fantome Island Leprasorium

Posted on 15 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

Sensitivity Message:- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander material may be culturally sensitive for some individuals and communities

The recently released documentary film – Fantome Island – presents accounts of life for Indigenous leper patients on a North Queensland island.

The physical and social isolation of the island influenced daily life in this unique community of patients, medical and nursing staff. This is documented in batch files of correspondence at Queensland State Archives.

The inhabitants of the Fantome Island leprasorium relied on a motor launch to transport essentials such as food and medical supplies from the mainland or Palm Island.

The residents were resourceful at cultivating vegetables, harvesting fruit and felling timber for buildings.

The administrators and nursing staff of the leprasorium worked to make patients comfortable. An Anglican Church was built for their spiritual wellbeing and a 16mm projector was purchased to screen popular movies.

By the late 1950s, leprosy was renamed Hansen’s Disease.

Patients were discharged from the island when cured.

The leprasorium closed in 1974 after operating for 47 years.

Rosemary Mammino, A/Manager Public Access – Queensland State Archives

Remembering the Boats of Moreton Bay

Posted on 13 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

On Wednesday 23rd November a small group of staff from the State Library of Queensland visited Redcliffe Library to attend the book launch of Boats on the Bay by Patricia (Pat) Gee.

Based at Redcliffe, Pat is Local History Librarian for the Moreton Bay Regional Council. Her association with the State Library goes back some years, as far back at least, as the inauguration of the Queensland Local Studies Group in 2000. She is in fact one of only two remaining original members of that group of local studies librarians who continue to meet several times a year to share information on a range of topics relating to local studies services in libraries.

More recently Pat spent a two week period as a researcher in residence with the John Oxley Library. During the two weeks she worked in the State Library in October 2010, her research was focused on Caboolture and its history. Her particular interest was related to her anticipated role in helping to establish the new local history room within the Caboolture Library (situated in the recently opened Caboolture Cultural and Ideas Hub). Pat has expressed her appreciation of the extended, uninterrupted research experience and the opportunity it gave her to immerse herself in her subject.

Pat is the author of several books about Redcliffe’s history in the John Oxley collection, among them The Redcliffe Cemetery, Redcliffe Remembers: the war years 1939-1949, Jetty memories: stories of the Redcliffe Jetty, Woody Point Jetty: memories, Redcliffe: historic houses and Redcliffe: looking at the landscape.

Like some of her other publications, Boats on the Bay is accompanied by a DVD which brings to life a fascinating history with a series of well chosen photographic images, compelling narration by actor William McInnes and some captivating elements of video footage. The launch celebrated the centenary of the arrival of the steam boat Koopa, built in 1911 for the Brisbane Tug and Steamship company. Requisitioned for war service in 1942 and eventually sold to the Moreton Bay Development Company in 1952, the Koopa ferried day trippers travelling from Redcliffe and Bribie Island for over forty years and at one time commanded the larger share of the excursion business in Moreton Bay.

Pat described the origins of Boats on the Bay as a series of talks about the excursion boats which serviced the “Redcliffe Run” between the 1870s and 1953. In the wake of the enthusiastic response to these talks, a DVD was produced and, as the desirability of expanding on what had revealed itself as an absorbing history became apparent, a book took shape. Expanding on the stories of the boats which plied the waters of Moreton Bay, the book’s interest is also in the wider social context which gave rise to a hugely popular excursion business whose heyday predated the car and the television set.

In the course of her presentation, Pat acknowledged the assistance given to her by State Library staff and made particular mention of the critical role of A.G. Davies’ ship register, Arrivals at the Port of Brisbane 1848-1920 in her research at the John Oxley Library. She also thanked the State Library, along with the Queensland Maritime Museum and the National Library for having provided the wonderful photographs which fill the pages of this book and are the essence of its narrative. The launch itself was undertaken by Redcliffe Mayor Allan Sutherland who reminisced about a childhood strongly associated with boats and boating in the Moreton Bay area.

The Mayor’s obvious pleasure in having this rich history captured and preserved for posterity is certainly shared by the State Library. And it goes without saying that we are delighted to be adding a signed copy of Boats on the Bay to the John Oxley Library’s collection.

Libby Fielding, Legal Deposit Coordinator – State Library of Queensland

Edmund James Banfield – 100th anniversary of "My Tropic Isle"

Posted on 08 Dec 2011| by JOL Admin |

In 1908, Edmund James Banfield, once a journalist with the Townsville Daily Bulletin published his famous book Confessions of a Beachcomber about life on the tropical island of Dunk, off the coast of North Queensland. Suffering from mental and physical ill-health, Banfield and his wife escaped there in 1897 to live a simple life and indulge in his cherished pastime of observing the ways of birds, beasts, and fishes. The book became celebrated by romantics the world over as a classic deserted tropical island memoir.

Banfield wrote of the genesis and natural development of Dunk, just 3 miles long and a mile wide, portraying how he and wife learned to live in harmony with their isolated environment, befriending the Aboriginals and growing their own maize, vegetables, coffee and fruit, and keeping farm animals whilst respecting the unique and cherished flora and fauna. The book’s scientific detail of the area’s unique beauty earned it a special place in the hearts of naturalists.

In 1911 the follow up title, My tropic isle was published, although much of the content was previously published in the North Queensland Register under the title “Rural Homolies“. Writing in the introduction, Banfield describes his island life as “beyond the range of ordinary experience, since it is immune from the ferments which seethe and muddle the lives of many. It typifies all that is tranquil, quiet easeful, dreamlike, for it is the island of dreams“. p 17. According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography Banfield was an enthusiastic promoter of Australia and a passionate spokesman for the preservation of North Queensland in its natural state (ABD v. 7, 1979). Banfield and his wife dreamed of turning Dunk Island into a nature reserve. He never left the island, dying at aged 70 before making his dream a reality.

The State Library of Queensland is the custodian of Edmund Banfield’s original handwritten diaries. The diaries span from 1898 to 1923. Banfield composed his final diary entry on 31 May 1923. On 1 June the writing of the diary is taken over by another hand, possibly his wife Bertha, stating that Edmund was “very ill“. On 2 June the writer simply states, “Ted died about 12-45pm today.”

Karen Hind, Librarian with Myles Sinnamon, Project Coordinator – State Library of Queensland