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John Oxley Library

29440, John Henry Paul Berthon (1865-1952) Photograph Albums and Sketchbook.

By Tania Schafer | 10 September 2026

In April 2014, the John Oxley Library was fortunate to receive a remarkable donation from Judy Perry of England. The collection comprised two photograph albums and a sketchbook compiled by her grandfather, John Henry Paul Berthon, a young Welsh engineer who arrived in Australia in the mid-1880s to work on railway construction projects in the Rockhampton district before helping to survey and plan the route of the Cairns to Kuranda railway.

John was a man of many talents – an engineer, photographer, sportsman, artist, and amateur musician who enjoyed playing the banjo and singing with local musical societies. Universally known as "Jack", he carefully annotated his photograph albums and sketchbook, providing a fascinating insight into the local environment, Aboriginal peoples, and colonial life through his own witty and humorous observations.

The albums are a treasure trove of remarkable images, offering an intimate portrait of Berthon's personal life and engineering work throughout the Cairns region and North Queensland during the late 19th century.

Photographic album 29440/1

Survey staff and horses breaking camp at Mossman River in 1887

Survey staff and horses breaking camp at Mossman River in 1887. 29440 Photograph John Henry Paul Berthon Album and Sketchbook collection, Image Number 29440-0001-0008, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

29440-0001-0050 Cleared land and construction of the Cairns railway in 1888

Cleared land and construction of the Cairns railway in 1888. 29440 Photograph John Henry Paul Berthon Album and Sketchbook collection, Image Number 29440-0001-0050, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

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Bullocks drawing timber for the Cairns railway bridges in 1888

Bullocks drawing timber for the Cairns railway bridges in 1888. 29440 Photograph John Henry Paul Berthon Album and Sketchbook collection, Image Number 29440-0001-0048, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Photographic album 29440/2

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Shields Street in Cairns, Queensland, around 1890, featuring early colonial timber buildings and storefronts, on a dirt road.

View of Cairns from the top of Hides Hotel in 1891. 29440, John Henry Paul Berthon (1865-1952) Photograph Album, Image number:29440-0002-0124, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Artwork 29440/3

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29440/3 John Henry Paul Berthon (1885) Sketch Album, Front cover of the Australian Sketches album by J.H.P. Berthon 1885

29440/3 John Henry Paul Berthon (1885) Sketch Album, Image number 29440-3-0002, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Liedertafel program 29440/4

Liedertafel program booklet. Liedertafel is German for "song table" which refers to a voluntary club of men who meet on set nights to practice four-part vocal harmony, traditionally combining the social enjoyment of food and drink with choral singing.

Cairns Liedertafel Programme (7 October 1891).  29440 Photograph John Henry Paul Berthon Album and Sketchbook collection, Image Number: 29440-4-0001 , John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Photograph of amateur actor Mr J.H.P. Berthon dressed in a female 1880's dress, to play the part of Dinah.  "Villikins and his Dinah,"

Page from photographic album of John Henry Paul Berthon dressed as Dinah for a performance of 'Villikins and his Dinah' in Cairns in March 1893 and a copy of his newspaper review. 29440 Photograph John Henry Paul Berthon Album and Sketchbook collection, Image Number: 29440-2-0065 , John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

20 men from the Cairns Liedertafel group of performer's from 1891.

The Cairns Liedertafel 1891. 29440 Photograph John Henry Paul Berthon Album and Sketchbook collection, Image Number: 29440-0002-0092 , John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

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