Parliamentary Papers for Historians: Facts, Figures and a Treasury of Information

By Christina Ealing-Godbold, Research Librarian, Library and Client Services | 2 March 2023

Black and white photo of Queensland Parliament House

Parliament House in Brisbane, Queensland. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland (Image number: 6523-0001-0033)

How much was a carpenter paid in Queensland in 1915? How many cases of dengue fever broke out in Queensland schools in 1902? What was the weight of a B12 locomotive engine, used extensively on Queensland railways? What evils occurred at Neighbours Boot Factory in Fortitude Valley in 1891? Discover the answers to these questions and much more in the Queensland Parliamentary Papers.

Filled with social reports of the day, investigations into wrongdoing, family history stories and the debates on the location of railway lines, all of this and more can be found in the parliamentary papers – a contemporaneous account of Queensland society tabled in the Parliament from 1860 to the present day. Considered to be vital information for the citizens of the day, the parliamentary papers are a cornerstone of our democracy, following the Westminster System of tabled papers beginning in Britain in 1714. Each Australian state, as well as the Federal Government of Australia, has tabled parliamentary papers available on their website. Tabled papers relevant to the Northern Districts of New South Wales (now Queensland) prior to 1860 are available on the website of the Parliament of New South Wales.

Parliaments generate a range of publications including Debates (Hansard), Votes and Proceedings, Questions without Notice, Research Publications and Tabled Papers (Parliamentary Papers). Queensland Parliamentary Papers include annual reports of government departments, reports of royal commissions and select committees, papers associated with investigations into public servants and government departments as well as petitions to the government, asking for anything from a railway line to a provisional school and often accompanied by thousands of signatures.

Photograph of the inside of the Parliamentary Library, Queensland, 1949.

Inside the Parliamentary Library, Queensland, 1949. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland (Negative number: 41023)

The Queensland Parliamentary Papers are divided into three series:

1860 –1901. Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and Journals of the Legislative Council (with papers). Both are available on microfilm and in hard copy at State Library.
1902-1996. Queensland Parliamentary Papers (both houses) assembled by year and available in microfilm.
Online Tabled Papers – Papers from 1990 to the present available online at the website of the Queensland Parliament.

Locating parliamentary papers at State Library of Queensland

To find a parliamentary paper, it is first essential to find out if that paper or report was tabled in parliament and ordered to be printed. Not all papers discussed in parliament will be tabled.

At State Library of Queensland, the parliamentary papers are available on microfilm on level 3. The papers of each parliament, from the first in 1860 to 2000, are searchable, with a contents page to the volumes of that parliament at the beginning of each volume.

The most often requested parliamentary papers are those of the larger government departments, such as the Departments of Education, Railways, and Labour and Industry. To the historian, the annual reports provide the opportunity to compare and contrast quantifiable measurements of society over a period of time. The parliamentary papers also include tables, photographs and maps.

Select committee and royal commission reports

The reports of select committees and royal commissions are also included in parliamentary papers. A select committee report into the immigration scheme of Dr John Dunmore Lang was evaluated in September 1860, as one of the first parliamentary papers of Queensland. The Lang immigrants arrived in 1849 and were not welcomed by the colonial government of the day. The immigrants were forced to set up temporary camp in Fortitude Valley (named after one of the three ships that arrived as part of this scheme). Some years later, compensation was requested and denied by the 1860 report.

Photo of the cover of Dr Lang's Petition: Final Report from the Select Committee on Dr Lang's Petition

Final Report of the Select Committee of the Legislative Assembly to assess Dr Lang’s Petition. 1860. Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, First Parliament, page 989.

Drawing of the ship 'Fortitude', which sailed from Gravesend, England and arrived in Moreton Bay on 20 January 1849. Many of the 256 immigrants on board settled on the present site of Fortitude Valley, which was named in honour of the ship. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland (Negative number: 75997)

However, royal commissions into problems that arise in a particular era have equally valuable information. One excellent example is the Royal Commission into Factories and Shops, undertaken at a time when Brisbane was transitioning into an industrial economy in the 1890s. The reports of the Inspectors of Factories and Shops from 1897 then provide annual summaries of the working conditions in such establishments in Brisbane. The Labour and Industry reports provide information on the occupational categories of labour in Brisbane and also wages and awards.

The Report of the Commissioner for Railways was always filled with exhaustive information on branch railway lines, expenditure per line, stations and gate crossings and railway rolling stock.

Photo of the cover of the Report of the Commissioner for Railways, 1913

Report of the Commissioner for Railways, 1913. Queensland Parliamentary Papers.

Photograph of a passenger locomotive 1874 - Class "B 12"

Types of locomotives – 1874 and 1913. Report of the Commissioner for Railways, 1913. Queensland Parliamentary Papers.

Annual reports were also available for government programs such as the Workers Dwelling Board, a funding opportunity for workers to obtain a loan for the cost of building a house. Many homes were built throughout Queensland in the period from 1910 to 1930 under this scheme. These reports provided answers to questions, including; What kind of houses were constructed by the Workers Dwelling Board during the second decade of the 20th century? Who could apply? How much money did they need to contribute to the building project? Was land ownership a prerequisite prior to application?

Black and white photo of a Queensland house from the Workers Dwelling Board Report 1912.

Workers Dwelling Board Report 1912. Queensland Parliamentary Papers, 1913.

Contemporary parliamentary papers

Contemporary parliamentary papers are filled with information relevant to current problems and provide an excellent opportunity for fact checking. For example, if you wanted to know how many people visited Queensland stadiums during the COVID-19 period, the annual report of Stadiums Queensland provides the following interesting summary.

Stadium Queensland Annual Report 2021 showing SQ venue highlights

Stadiums Queensland Annual Report 2021. Parliamentary Papers of the Legislative Assembly, Queensland 2022.

The Queensland Parliament provides excellent online resources to search for documents of the Parliament, including tabled papers. The Tabled Papers Search allows for various ways of searching for a parliament, a session or a year and it is even possible to search for the minister or member of parliament who introduced the paper or report to the chamber.

State Library of Queensland also has several indexes and lists in our printed collections that can assist with the identification of parliamentary papers. They are located in our print collections, and some are listed in the selected resources below.

Newspapers also listed the parliamentary papers tabled in a given sitting. In the Brisbane Courier, available on Trove, a search for “Parliamentary Papers” will reveal a regular column with that heading. An example from 1902 is given below. In earlier newspapers from the 1860s, the entire tabled paper was sometimes printed.

The Brisbane Courier, 1 October 1902, p 5.

When delving into the history of Queensland society, nothing provides more in-depth information than the Queensland Parliamentary Papers. The papers provide an insight into all aspects of the development of Queensland, from 1860 until the present day.

Resources

Series 1: 1860-1901

Votes and proceedings of the Legislative Assembly … with the various documents connected therewith. – Microfilm level 3 Open Access, MFL 328.943
Journals of the Legislative Council – Microfilm level 3, Open Access, MFL 328.943

Series 2: 1902-2000

Parliamentary papers (Queensland. Parliament) – Microfilm level 3, Open Access, MFL 328.9431

Series 3: 1990-Current Parliament

Online via Tabled Papers on the Queensland Parliament website.

Note: Prior to 1990, the online Tabled Papers searchable database provides an index to the papers. However, the papers for earlier years of the Queensland Parliament will need to be obtained, in most cases by either using the microfilm format or requesting the printed copy from Repository at the State Library of Queensland.