Queensland Day 160th Anniversary Digital Time Capsule

On 6 June 1859, Queen Victoria signed her approval that the colony of Queensland officially separate from New South Wales. This year, Queensland celebrates its 160th anniversary on Thursday 6 June. At State Library we're creating a digital time capsule of the memorable people, places and events of the state's first 160 years.

And we invite you to help us create it. State Library collections belong to all Queenslanders and we invite you to browse our One Search catalogue and tag the items that you feel best represent the sunshine state with the tag ‘qld160’. Added to each item, this tag will group together the selections to create a digital time capsule.

If you are a member of State Library or have a One Search account, log in to One Search and discover your Queensland treasures. Once you have found something you would like to add, simply scroll to the end of the catalogue record, click ‘Add your own tags’ and type in ‘qld160’ (tags are case sensitive). There is a helpful guide to using One Search on our website that will help you get the best out of your One Search experience.

If you’re not a member, there’s a few easy steps between you and a world of membership benefits. With your free State Library membership, you’ll be able to contribute to the time capsule; and borrowing items, researching Queensland history held in the John Oxley Library heritage collections, booking free meeting spaces, accessing free courses on Lynda.com, booking time to use a 3D printer, laser cutter or CSC Router are among the many possibilities.

Queensland is home to many voices, and we are excited to see the collection items you add to the Library time capsule. Some of the treasures that come to mind are the first QANTAS logbook, detailing the flights of aircraft between 1921 and 1932; the Queensland Labor Party Manifesto, written in 1892 and the 1000 colour editions of The Queenslander (1866-1939), all digitised and available online.

Maybe you would like to tag the Margaret Lawrie Collection, consisting of material collected and recorded during her visits to the Torres Strait Islands from 1964 – 1973. This significant collection was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Australian Register in 2008.

It could be photos of the 1974 floods in South East Queensland that stand out to you as a defining moment in our history; the rare 7” vinyl of (I’m) Stranded by The Saints, recognised as one of the earliest released punk songs, or the cultural influence of Paula Stafford, credited as Australia’s first local designer of the bikini, that cannot be denied.

Photos of the 2009 Laura Dance Festival held in Cape York share Queensland’s premier and longest running celebration of Aboriginal culture; and Richard Frank Tunley’s braille globe made for the School for the Blind in ca. 1950 stands out as a humanitarian achievement.  

This link takes you to the time capsule: https://tinyurl.com/y558ksv8 where you can see and share the collection as it grows. You can also find the time capsule via the Tags button on the One Search homepage and searching qld160. Selected collections from the time capsule will also be showcased on the State Library website.

When it comes to choosing what you’d like to add to this time capsule keep in mind Queensland’s state motto ‘Audax at Fidelis’ – ‘Bold but Faithful’. Happy tagging!

Jacinta Sutton, Engagement Officer, Queensland Memory, State Library of Queensland.