The Temperance Movement in Queensland: 175 years - Resource List

From its modest beginnings in 1849, just seven years into the life of the new colony of Moreton Bay, the temperance movement in Queensland has charted its own distinctive course in history.

The Moreton Bay Courier reports that on the evening of Tuesday May the 8th 1849, a group of advocates met in the court-house on the occasion of the “first ever temperance meeting” in the new colony. Presided over (with some difficulty) by a Mr Smith, recently arrived in Moreton Bay via the Fortitude, the attendance was reported as having been “numerous”. It was further recorded that “all circumstances considered, a becoming attention was paid to the discourse”.

Evolving as the Brisbane Total Abstinence Society in the early 1850s, the society (which, early in its life, had been granted a portion of land by the colonial administration on the corner of Ann and Edward Streets) initially supported other temperance movements. Over the ensuing decades, as it responded to a series of tumultuous historical events affecting and transforming the society it worked to serve, the temperance movement engaged in a number of amalgamations and name changes which reflected prevailing attitudes to alcohol and its availability.

Interestingly, Queensland was the only state not electing to introduce early (6 o’clock) closing of hotels during World War I. A few years later, as dislocated soldiers were arriving back from fighting the Great War and fears for social stability were widespread, the temperance movement became interested in the prohibition movement in the USA . Two state based referendums on the question of prohibition followed: the first in 1920 recording a 45% vote in favour of prohibition, the second a 38% vote, the support for “continuance” being noticeably stronger in country regions.

One landmark achievement in the Queensland movement’s long and eventful history was the establishment of the Canberra Hotel which opened in 1929. Built by the Queensland Prohibition League (soon to be reconstituted as the Queensland Temperance League), the Canberra was widely billed as “Brisbane’s palatial private hotel” and as being by 1935, following its expansion to 10 stories, “larger than any licensed hotel in Australia”.
 
Thanks to a generous donation on the part of the organisation now known as Drug Arm, the history associated with the temperance movement in Queensland is substantially reflected in the John Oxley Library collection. A summary of these resources, subdivided by material type, is provided here.

Related links 

175 Years | DrugARM - Drum Arm 

Sobriety in ruins - Demolition of The Canberra Hotel  - Myles Sinnamon, State Library of Queensland 

What's a "Soft Drink"? Gospel, Temperance, and (Not) Raising a Glass  - Kate Evans, former writer in residence, State Library of Queensland 

“Poor little Queensland”: Resisting Six O’clock Closing in the “Hot-bed of Disloyalty”, 1915-1918 - Mark Hamilton Cryle, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, University of Queensland [UQ thesis]  

Original Materials 

Drug Arm collection (Acc 32629) 

The Drug Arm archive is comprised of manuscripts, photographs, minutes, certificates, scrapbooks, publications, journals, certificates, posters, ephemera, and objects dating back to 1873 when the organisation was known as the Queensland Temperance League. The collection contains material relating to the Canberra Hotel which was a temperance hotel which opened in Brisbane in 1929. The material from the hotel includes photographs, minutes, manager's logbook, travel brochures, tariff sheets, and small objects such as spoons, a milk jug, monogrammed plate, and stationery items. 
 

Queensland Temperance League minute books 1939-1955 (OMCB) 

This collection contains minute books of the State Executive, Board of Management, the Campaign Committee and the Finance and Administrative Committee. Minutes of the State Executive, 28 Mar 1939 - 2 Jul 1946 and 3 Sep 1946 - 6 Dec 1955 (the first page is missing, that is, the August meeting of the Executive): Box 755; minutes of the Board of Management, 17 Nov 1942 - 16 Dec 1948 (Box 755) relate to the management and business of the two hotels run by the League, the Canberra Hotel in Brisbane and the Canberra Hotel in Toowoomba, as well as the St Kilda Laundry and other property owned by the League. Minutes of the Finance and Administration Committee, 3 Feb 1953 - 2 Apr 1968 (Box 755) record meetings dealing with field work for the League, advertisements and posters concerning the League's work, communication with church bodies, matters arising from applications for liquor licenses and the promotion of the ideals of the League. Minutes of the Campaign Committee (1939-1952) record the committee's work in the field on behalf of the League and its ideals. A report of the month's field work is frequently attached to the minutes. There are a few minutes of other committees, for example, the Hostels' Committee, the Canteens Standing Committee, and of the State Executive of the 1 September, 1942 (Box 756). 
 

Independent Order of Rechabites Minute Books 1874-1879; 1923-1998 - David Livingstone Tent, No 5 (Acc. 5711) 

This collection consists of 24 volumes of minute books.  
The Tent was opened on 27 August 1874 in the Good Templars' Hall, South Brisbane. The first Chief Ruler to be elected was James Craig, a South Brisbane tailor. 

Periodicals 

The Alliance news : official organ of the temperance societies of Queensland (RBS 178 001) 
 
The Alliance news' was incorporated with 'Strength of Empire' on Oct. 15, 1918. 'Strength of Empire' was incorporated with 'The Queensland prohibitionist' on Sept. 15, 1921. 'The Queensland prohibitionist' was incorporated with 'The Queensland temperance advocate' on Dec. 2, 1935. 
Holdings: Vol. 15 no. 192 (Aug. 3, 1916)- Vol.19 no. 216 (Sept. 5, 1918) 

Strength of Empire : official organ of the Strength of Empire Movement and the temperance societies of Queensland (RBS 178 001) 
 
Strength of Empire' incorporated 'The Alliance news'. 'Strength of Empire' was incorporated with 'The Queensland prohibitionist' on Sept. 15, 1921. 'The Queensland prohibitionist' was incorporated with 'The Queensland temperance advocate' on Dec. 2, 1935. 
Holdings: Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 15, 1918) - v. 3, no. 9 (Aug. 15, 1921) 
This title has been digitised and can be viewed via One Search 

The Queensland prohibitionist (RBS 178 001) 
 
Official organ of the Queensland Prohibition League. 
'The Queensland prohibitionist' incorporated 'The Strength of Empire' on Sept. 15, 1921. 'Strength of Empire' incorporated 'The Alliance news' on Oct. 15, 1918. 'The Queensland prohibitionist' was incorporated with 'The Queensland temperance advocate' on July 3, 1934. 
Holdings: Vol. 1, no. 1 (Sept. 15, 1921) -v. 14, no. 6 (June 1, 1934) imperfect. 
This title has been digitised and can be viewed via One Search 

The Queensland temperance advocate (RBS 178 001) 
 
'The Queensland temperance advocate' incorporated 'The Queensland prohibitionist' on July 2, 1934. 'The Queensland prohibitionist' incorporated 'Strength of Empire' on Sept. 15, 1921. 'Strength of Empire' incorporated 'The Alliance news' on Oct. 15, 1918. 'The Queensland temperance advocate' was continued by 'Australian temperance advocate'. 
Holdings: Vol. 1, no. 1 (July 2, 1934)-v. 4, no. 3 (Sept. 1, 1937) 
This title has been digitised and can be viewed via One Search 
 

Australian Temperance advocate (RBS 178 001) 
 
Journal of the Australia and South Pacific Temperance Council, the Queensland Temperance League and corresponding temperance bodies in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. 
Holdings: Vol.1, no.1 (Oct. 1937)-v.43, no.1 (Feb. 1978) imperfect 

More resources related to the Queensland Temperance Movement on our One Search catalogue.