Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence project

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, we’ve raised more than $109,000 to help preserve, digitise and share one of Queensland's most significant historical collections.  

 The Colonial Secretary's Correspondence comprises more than 16,000 documents dating from 1822 to 1860, providing a remarkable record of Queensland's earliest colonial years. The collection includes letters, reports and records exchanged between government officials, surveyors, settlers and community members, offering invaluable insights into the people, places and events that shaped the development of Queensland. 

For more than 20 years, State Library staff and volunteers have worked to preserve, digitise, and transcribe this nationally significant collection, transforming fragile microfilm records into a rich and accessible historical resource.  

Thanks to donor support, a new interactive website will launch shortly, providing unprecedented access to the collection. Users will be able to search and browse thousands of historical records, discover connections between people, places and events, and interact with visualisations that reveal patterns and insights from across the collection. 

The website will open new opportunities for researchers, students, historians and the wider community to explore Queensland's past, while supporting deeper understanding of early colonial society and interactions with First Nations peoples.