Research Reveals 2024

Research Reveals is an annual event at State Library, showcasing the outcomes of the previous year's Queensland Memory Awards fellows. These fellows spend a year exploring State Library's collections, unearthing new historical insights about the people, places, and events that have shaped our State.

On Saturday 10 February 2024, Jenny Woodward OAM from ABC Brisbane and Queensland hosted Research Reveals 2024, a one-day history symposium here at State Library, giving the 2022 Queensland Memory Fellows an opportunity to present the findings from their research projects.

Morning Session

Greer Townsend (talk starts 23:46 in video below)

The first speaker was Greer Townsend, 2022 Mittelheuser Scholar-in-Residence. This fellowship was generously supported by Dr Cathryn Mittelheuser AM and designed to attract leading thinkers who develop new ideas, tools and strategies that benefit the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums sector.   

Greer's project, I Feel You: Discovering Collections through Emotion delved into emotional resonance found in archival materials, aiming to uncover the profound and personal connections people might establish with the State Library’s diverse collections.

Learn more about this project by reading Greer's blogs.

Professor Anna Johnston (talk starts 47:06 in video below)

The second speaker was Professor Anna Johnston, 2022 John Oxley Library Honorary Fellow. The fellowship supports researchers to uncover Queensland's rich and diverse history using the collections of the John Oxley Library. 

Anna’s project, History and Fiction: Mapping Frontier Violence in Colonial Queensland Writing explored stories of frontier violence in colonial Queensland.  By blending history and fiction, Anna’s project uncovered untold tales from Queensland's past, giving us a deeper understanding of a crucial part of our history. Anna's project takes you on a journey that combines facts and storytelling, shining a light on the lesser-known aspects of Queensland’s colonial past.

Learn more about this project by reading Anna's blogs.

Mary Howells (talk starts 01:41:40 in video below)

The third speaker was Mary Howells, 2022 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Fellow. This fellowship was supported by QUT and the Queensland Library Foundation, and now is enabled through the generous support of the John Allpass Charitable Foundation and documents Queensland’s business and economic history.  

If you've been a longtime resident of Brisbane, Trittons Furniture will likely hold nostalgic memories, with its flagship store on George Street near Adelaide Street. Mary's year-long research delved into the fascinating story of this successful Queensland furniture business, founded by the multifaceted Fred Tritton in 1886. 

Learn more about this project by reading Mary's blogs.

During the lunch break, Research Reveals attendees got the chance to don white gloves and experience first-hand collections and treasures from the John Oxley Library that were significant to the researchers during their fellowships. State Library was very privileged to have Fred Tritton's grandson Ken Tritton and his family as attendees, adding a special emotional resonance to the event.

Afternoon Session

Dr Mimi Tsai (talk starts 23:46 in video below)

The fourth speaker was Dr Mimi Tsai, 2022 John Oxley Library Fellow. The fellowship supports researchers to uncover Queensland's rich and diverse history using the collections of the John Oxley Library. 

Mimi’s project, Vernacular Landscapes and Queensland Memories: Exploring Queensland’s resilience through narratives of therapeutic environments explored the role of people-place relationships in Queensland history by examining three diverse cases that share healing stories - prison farming in the penal establishment of St. Helena Island, Queensland war gardens and Chinese market gardening. Learning new perspectives from these histories, Mimi investigated Queenslanders’ use of gardens and gardening for their therapeutic value during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

You can watch the digital stories produced by Mimi on her YouTube channel - Garden stories in a time of pandemic.  These stories will be added to State Library's collection.

Learn more about this project by reading Mimi's blogs.

Juanita Simmonds (talk starts 30:21 in video below)

The fifth speaker was Juanita Simmonds, 2022 Christina Boughen OAM Fellow. The fellowships, supported by the Boughen family, delves into the life and legacy of influential Queensland musician Christine Boughen OAM, utilising the Christina Boughen OAM and Robert Boughen OBE papers held by State Library.

Juanita was the inaugural Christina Boughen OAM Fellow and has spent the year researching Christina’s musicianship and artistry, as both a concert curator and working pianist.

Learn more about this project by reading Juanita's blogs.

Bianca Martin (talk starts 55:21 in video below)

The sixth speaker was Bianca Martin, 2022 Rainbow Research Fellow. This aim of this fellowship is to document Queensland’s Queer history, supported by the Queensland Library Foundation and now enabled through the generous support of the Norman H Johns Trust. 

Bianca was the inaugural Rainbow Research fellow and her project, LGBTQIA+ Zines in Contemporary Queensland takes a closer look at how these ephemeral items have been important in documenting queer history and stories. 

Learn more about this project by reading Bianca's blogs.

The last presentation of the day was Dr Leah Cotterell’s project, Sunday Nights at the Primitif. Narrated through her original jazz compositions, Dr Cotterell explored how a 1950s, bohemian, Brisbane coffee lounge, The Primitif Cafe, became a hub for Brisbane’s jazz community.

The Prim was established by iconic Brisbane businesswoman, Peter Hackworth who was in attendance. Peter created a bohemian haven that fostered artistic expression and intellectual discourse. Peter's establishment quickly became a cornerstone of Brisbane's burgeoning jazz scene, attracting musicians, artists, and thinkers alike. With its relaxed atmosphere and avant-garde ambience, The Primitif Cafe embodied the spirit of creativity and rebellion that characterised the era. In that time, Peter contributed to Brisbane’s music scene employing hundreds of musicians over the years, including 2022 Letty Katts Fellow, Dr Leah Cotterell.

A special moment not to be missed (26:28) was when the original drummer from The Primitif's first house band graced the stage. Buzz Ennis, now 88, demonstrated his enduring talent to our Research Reveals audience, captivating them as he returned to the bongos alongside Leah's band.

Learn more about this project by reading Leah's blogs.

See State Library's website for more information on the Queensland Memory Awards. 

Explore additional Research Reveals presentations by past fellows of the State Library on Vimeo.

Discover Queensland's rich history and delve deeper into the research projects of our fellows on the John Oxley Library blog.