Remembering Digby Frank Denham

Recently we were delighted to have the opportunity to make an unexpected connection with Queensland’s political past in the person of Ken Steacy. Ken, a Canadian, is the great-grandson of Queensland’s 18th Premier, Digby Frank Denham who served as the state’s leader between 1911 and 1915.

Ken is an award-winning visual storyteller who has worked over the past 50 years as a graphic artist (in 2009 he was inducted into the Joe Schuster Canadian Comic Book Hall of Fame), writer, official war artist, art director, editor and publisher. He was in Brisbane as a guest of honour at the Supanova Comic Con.

In advance of his visit to Australia, Ken contacted State Library with the generous offer of an original material collection reflecting Digby Frank Denham’s life as Premier and highly successful mercantile businessman (he was one of two brothers who established the Denham Bros. of Rockhampton). The collection includes the original, beautifully preserved 1881 diary recording Digby Denham’s voyage to Australia, a substantial collection of letters and papers relating to the operation of the Denham Bros. business.

The particular value of this collection is that Digby Denham’s time in office, in the long sweep of Queensland’s very singular political history, is highly significant, marking as it does, a turning point in the state’s political history. He was the last conservative (or non-Labor) premier in a long, almost unbroken line since Sir Robert Herbert was sworn in as Queensland’s first premier in 1859. (That 56-year record was briefly intercepted by Labor’s Anderson Dawson who was Premier for a 7-day period in 1899.) Denham’s term, in the interesting pattern which characterised Queensland politics, was followed by that of the reformist premier T.J. Ryan and almost 40 consecutive years of a majority Labor government, the exception being Liberal Arthur Moore’s term between 1929 and 1932.

It was during Denham’s time in office that World War I broke out (he is credited with the introduction of legislation dealing with primary produce companies who sought to exploit wartime confusion in the markets). He also presided over the Tramways and Brisbane General Strike which lasted 5 weeks and involved 43 unions, large scale rallies and violence on the part of police who sought to break up demonstrations.

Historians acknowledge Digby Denham’s legacy in a number of areas, among them his outstanding efficiency and skill as an administrator, the passage of the of the 1910 Land Act which consolidated 50 years worth of acts and amendments, his support for the establishment of the University of Queensland and its Women’s College and his advocacy for the Queensland Ambulance Service. His contemporary, respected Queensland political chronicler Charles Arrowsmith Bernays, describes him as “among the best of our public men”.

Further reading from State Library of Queensland's collections

• OM79-24, Digby Frank Denham Papers

  The collection includes the following items: book of Telegrams and Letters, mainly congratulating Denham on his handling of the 1912 strike; letters patent appointing Denham as a member of the Executive Council, 1908; to position of Secretary for Public Lands, 1908 and Chief Secretary, 1911; Miscellaneous material - some 1912 strike documents; Notice to dissolve Parliament, 1912; Article to Denham Bros, 1926; Newspaper article on Harold Knight Denham becoming the Queensland Rhodes Scholar, 1911; University of Queensland Inaugural celebrations programme, 1911; and press clippings.

• M 1656, Digby Frank Denham Papers

  Illuminated address to The Honourable D.F. Denham, with best Xmas and New Year Wishes from the Prime Minister of Australia. Includes photograph of His Excellency the Governor of Queensland (Lord Chelmsford) and His Ministers of State.

• OM92-64, Digby Frank Denham Clippings

  In 1914, Denham journeyed to London to promote Queensland's interests by gaining further loans for railway construction and to secure the conversion of maturing loans. He travelled extensively through the United Kingdom on his trip. This collection consists of clippings taken from a wide range of British newspapers covering Denham's journey. Several newspaper photographs are included in the collection which is chronologically arranged in two volumes. Volume 1 (OM92-64/1) covers 29 Jan 1914 to 21 Mar 1914. Volume 2 (OM92-64/2) covers 3 Apr 1914 to 8 May 1914.