Unveiling Queensland’s past
For over 120 years, State Library has actively preserved and shared our state’s heritage and culture. Our collections, treasured for their rarity and cultural value, include some of the finest records of Queensland.
Among these treasures are microfilm copies of original letters from the State Records Authority NSW, specifically the ‘Letters received relating to Moreton Bay and Queensland, 1822-1860’, also known as the Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence. This collection stands as one of the most significant accounts of Queensland’s colonial history, revealing invaluable insights through over 16,000 letters.
These letters, written by notable figures like Commandants Miller, Logan, and others to Governors Brisbane, Darling, and Bourke, alongside reports from Surveyor Generals Oxley and Mitchell, and other prominent pioneers, shed light on the colony's past.
Making these letters accessible online will enable deeper research, inspire creative endeavours and provide supporting material for the important process of truth-telling.
What untold stories will be revealed from this important collection?
We aim to raise $100,000 to develop an innovative website for 21st-century access to this collection. Your support will enable researchers, historians, and students to discover and contextualise this rich historical resource online.
Join us in preserving and sharing the past for future generations. Dr. Terry White AO and Ken MacDonald AM have generously led with their gifts through the Queensland Library Foundation to support this project.
If you’re interested in volunteering to help transcribe the collection, learn more here: Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence Collection.