Unveiling Queensland’s past
For over 120 years, State Library has preserved the heritage and culture of our state and made it available to everyone. Our collections include some of the finest records of the state’s development, treasured for their rarity, artistry, diversity and cultural value.
Among these collections are the microfilm copies of the original letters held in State Records Authority NSW under ‘Letters received relating to Moreton Bay and Queensland, 1822-1860', or Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence. It stands as one of the most significant recorded accounts of Queensland’s colonial history.
The Colonial Secretary’s office played a pivotal role in facilitating communication between the NSW Governor, government offices and private settlers. With over 16,000 copies of letters relating to the colony at Moreton Bay addressed to the Colonial Secretary this invaluable resource offers a wealth of information that sheds light on the colony’s history, enabling research and providing supporting material for the important process of truth-telling.
The collection comprises letters written by notable figures such as Commandants Miller, Logan, Clunie, Fyans, Cotton, Gravatt and Gorman, addressed to Governors Brisbane, Darling, Bourke, Gipps and Denison. Additionally, the collection contains reports written by Surveyor Generals Oxley and Mitchell, Master Attendant John Nicholson, Doctors Cowper, Murray and John Gregor, and other prominent pioneers of that time. Official circulars and despatches, convict petitions, applications by early settlers and listings of land sales can also be found.
State Library is seeking to raise $100,000 to advance 21st century discovery and access to the Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence Collection.
With your support, State Library can unveil this collection by providing online access through the development of an innovative and user-friendly website. This platform will enable researchers, historians and students to discover and easily access and contextualise the content of this important collection.
Join us in preserving and sharing the past, ensuring its vibrancy and accessibility for generations to come.
Dr Terry White AO and Ken MacDonald AM have generously provided leadership gifts through the Queensland Library Foundation to support the Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence Project.
For further information, discover the Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence Collection.