On Sunday 6 March the John Oxley Library was happy to host our friends and colleagues from the Royal Historical Society of Queensland when they held their RHSQ Not@Home day of talks in Auditorium 2 at the State Library.
The RHSQ normally hold their At Home days at the Commissariate Store but due to damage sustained on 13 January from the partial collapse of the William Street frontage during the recent floods their home is temporarily closed for repair.
The focus of the day was "Gympie Gold" and the convict artist Joseph Backler.
President Carolyn Nolan introduced a terrific line-up of speakers including RHSQ Council member Marilyn England who spoke about tracing the provenance of two 1870 oil paintings donated to the Society in 1969, Timothy Roberts, independent researcher in Australian colonial heritage and decorative arts, on convict artist Joseph Backler, and RHSQ exhibitions curator Jan Hess on 'Gympie Gold featuring the Pollock and Backler Exhibition'.
After lunch Jean Stewart OAM, Fellow of the Society and former President, provided insights into the Perseverance Nugget and Nugent Wade Brown whilst Dr Ruth Kerr, Secretary of the Society, investigated the central topic of 'The Discovery of Gympie Gold and How it Saved Queensland'. Dr Kerr has had a long interest in mining in Queensland. Her book John Moffat of Irvinebank includes a history of base metal mining in North Queensland and on the Granite Belt.
Images from the John Oxley Library relating to Gympie and Gold were shown before questions and discussion in the afternoon.
Thanks to all of the members and friends of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland who attended on the day and to all of the speakers for their illuminating presentations.
Simon Farley
Client Services - John Oxley Library
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