This year marks a thirty year milestone for National Police Remembrance Day services, which have been held in regional centres throughout Queensland since 1989.
National Police Remembrance Day is a day for police officers to remember their comrades who have fallen in the line of duty and a day for the community to remember, honour and get together to say ‘thank you’ to the dedicated men and women who have died whilst on duty.
Police in Queens Park. Photographer Tania Schafer.
This year’s Brisbane Police Remembrance Day events were a Vigil at the Queensland Police Memorial, Brisbane City Botanic Gardens on the evening of September 26, and a march from Queens Park to the Botanic Gardens and service held at the Queensland Police Memorial the following day.
Funeral procession of Inspector Watson 1939. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 106477
I did some further research on Inspector Charles Webster Watson (1881-1939). He entered the Queensland police force in 1905 and served for 34 years. Newspapers reported that Inspector Watson was an exceptionally good officer with a meritorious career in the force. He was made sergeant in 1929 and senior sergeant in 1934. He eventually rose to the rank of Inspector in January 1938. He served in many parts of the state, including Roma Street, Ipswich, Cloncurry, Rockhampton, Biggenden, Winton, Warwick and Stanthorpe. Charles Webster Watson died after a brief illness on the 1st June 1939 at the age of 58 years, while still an officer in the Queensland Police Force.
The Brisbane Arcade is celebrating 95 years as Brisbane’s oldest and grandest shopping arcade, from 1924-2019.
95 years celebration sign in Brisbane Arcade. Photographer Tania Schafer
In celebration Brisbane Arcade presented the Spring Flower Show “Jewel in the Crown” between Saturday 31 August to Friday 6 September 2019, which included a lovely assortment of flowers from Redlands, Victoria, New South Wales and further afield from Columbia, Singapore and Vietnam.
This flowery display consisted of 20,000 stems and buds throughout the Arcade, with shops participating through presenting floral displays in their windows.
95 Years celebrations of the Brisbane Arcade. Photographer Tania Schafer.
Second level of the Brisbane Arcade looking down on walkway Photographer Tania Schafer.
Brisbane Arcade History
Brisbane Arcade was developed by Dr James Mayne and his sister Miss Mary Emelia Mayne.
The Mayne’s engaged Brisbane born architect Richard Gailey (Junior) 1873-1954 to create a traditional 18th Century European looking arcade, accessible between 160 Queen Street through to 117 Adelaide Street in the Brisbane Central Business District. The Arcade was built by Messrs J. and E.L. Rees at a cost close upon £70,000. On 21 October 1992 Brisbane Arcade was heritage listed.
As neither Mayne sibling had children, a Trust was establish with proceeds from the Arcade going to benefit medical research, which continues today.
Past notable stores include the Johnstone Gallery, which was owned by Brian and Marjorie Johnstone, who collected Australian and overseas art. The Johnstone Gallery was located in the Brisbane Arcade basement from February 1952 until December 1957. State Library holds the Johnstone Gallery Archive.
Interior of the Johnstone Gallery at the Brisbane Arcade, Queensland, ca. 1955. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 27642-1186-0001
Another delightful store was the ‘G. E. Adams. Rich Cake Specialist’.
Front display window of G. E. Adams’ cake shop, Brisbane Arcade, Brisbane, ca, 1938. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 52161
George E. Adams’ cake shop, Brisbane Arcade, Brisbane, ca. 1938. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 52150
G. E. Adams may be gone, but cake can still be purchased at the cafes within the Arcade, including at long term tenant Room with Roses.
Today marks 100th anniversary of Edward Granville Theodore becoming Queensland Premier.
Edward Granville Theodore 1 June 1915. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 67744
Theodore entered politics in 1909 as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Woothakata, later becoming Premier of Queensland and leader of the Queensland Labor Party from 1919 until 1925. He was nicknamed ‘Red Ted’ because of his confrontational style whilst Treasurer of Queensland.
Moving to Queensland in 1906, Theodore worked the mines and prospected for wolfram and tin in the Chillagoe-Irvinebank hinterland of Cairns. He became involved in the union movement where he was responsible for organizing the Amalgamated Workers’ Association and was elected president of the Australian Workers’ Union in 1913.
E. G. Theodore on horseback, 1925
John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 197728
Several photographs from the John Oxley Library collection reveal an informal perspective on this significant political figure. A trip to Tully Falls in 1925 shows Theodore on horseback as well as relaxing with friends whilst investigating the possibility of a hydro-electricity scheme at the Tully River Gorge.
E. G. Theodore trip to the Tully Falls, 1925
John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 197727
Delving further into the John Oxley Library uncovers the Sunny Queensland Photography Album (1924). Developed as a special Christmas gift from Premier Theodore, the album showcases “Queensland’s tropical grandeur, scenic charms and industrial activities” of the time, acting as an effective tool to summarise Queensland achievements to its recipients. A selection of images from the Sunny Queensland Photography Album are available to view online via our One Search catalogue.
APE-36, Sunny Queensland Photograph Album, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Australia.
I’m the Mittelheuser scholar in residence, which means my job is to “develop new ideas, tools, strategies and services” for the State Library and other Queensland cultural institutions. In my case, I’m working on the idea of sound as historical material—uncovering the sounds of the past as a way of knowing about the past. This comes out of my background as an artist and designer making multimedia installations that deal with local history; in fact I was part of the Home exhibition at the State Library earlier this year.
If we can think of sound as something to archive and display, like the objects and documents in the library’s collections, what does that mean for how we catalogue them, curate them, and make them available to the public? A lot of archival material in the Library’s collection that might have sound components aren’t immediately obvious in the way they’re described in the catalogue; they’re hidden behind simple titles like “film” or “newsreel.” For that matter, if we do know a particular archived film has sound, how do we know what sound, or where it is in what may be a very long file?
For this project I’m concentrating not on spoken word, but on other, environmental sounds; what the past sounded like. These sounds — trafficless vistas, the sound of mangles in suburban backyards — can be a very evocative way of bringing a sense of the past into the present. Those affective moments then form the nexus of a way for us to find about the past, the concrete details that make the past real and inspire us to learn more.
When I began this project I thought my first move would be to do an audit of the Library’s materials that do, or might, have sound aspects. But first I had to figure out how to record sounds once I’d found them. So far I’ve spent a lot of my time building software tools that allow me to create and add to a catalogue of sounds in the various media sources I’m looking at — mostly videos and audio that have already been digitised and are available online. I’m creating summaries or “transcriptions” of original sounds in these media sources. My first test subject was the documentary Palen Creek: A Changing Community, made by Gary Moloney in 1994. Starting there, I’ve begun to create a catalogue of dozens of sounds so far across multiple video and audio files.
A sample of original sounds on the documentary, Plan Creek: A Changing Community. Image courtesy of Seth Ellis.
One interesting thing that’s come up for me is how to deal with silent media, like home movies. Should I just label them “soundless” and move on? There’s something interesting, at least for me as a researcher, in identifying the sounds that aren’t there. Part of why I’m attracted to sound as a subject for historical research is that in the real, physical world, sounds come and go so quickly; silent films remind me of all the sounds we can’t access any more. Perhaps it could become an interesting source of historical research, asking people who were there to fill in with their sonic memories of that time and place. Already I’ve found that not only the sounds themselves, but the way people remember and describe sound, is a powerful way of calling up the past.
Summarising “missing sounds” on the silent Gumahah Station home movies. Image courtesy of Seth Ellis
In the end, I’m using this project to create structures and strategies that will help not just me, but other people find and tell stories more easily in the future.
Bert Hinkler from Bundaberg, Queensland, became the first person to fly solo from England to Australia.
Hinkler’s successful flight was a feat the world had not yet seen, nor expected. Leaving with no fanfare from Croydon Aerodrome, England on 7 February 1928, Hinkler zig zagged across the continents in a single-engine Avro Avian aircraft. Reaching India, the press began to take notice and public interest intensified, and when Hinkler landed at the Darwin airstrip on 22 February 1928 in a time of 15 1/2 days or 128 hours, his record breaking journey had the attention of the world’s media.
Aviator Bert Hinkler, standing in from of his Avro Avian G-EBOV aircraft, ca. 1928. Neg no: 16290.
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) serves to advocate for the significance of audiovisual archives as a resource of our collective memory, and the importance of conserving our shared heritage, now and into the future.
This year, World Day for Audiovisual Heritage encourages us to ‘Engage with the Past through Sound and Image’. A sound recording of Bert Hinkler’s message to Australia, ‘Incidences of my Flight’ which he gave on 13 March 1928, is a natural choice to do so.
OH 14 Bert Hinkler Oral History 13 March 1928 was recorded 3 times, each at different settings from the original Columbia record (78 speed), to maximise playback clarity. There is some extraneous noise in the recording, some muffled bumps and crackling, which only emphasises the realisation of listening to, and not reading, this piece of Queensland history as it is spoken by the very person who created it.
Bert Hinkler’s Avro Avian G-EBOV, the aircraft used in his record breaking solo flight from England to Australia, grounded at Bundaberg in 1928. Neg number: 25267
“I want to tell you a few things about flying”
Hinkler’s address begins with acknowledging Lawrence Hargrave, “heavier than air flying would not have come about if not for this great pioneer”; before he accurately speaks of aviation from going to strength to strength.
“I venture to say in 20 years’ time the aeroplane may be as familiar a figure in our scheme of things, as a motor car is today.”
Buoyed by his recent success, Hinkler heralds light aircraft as ushering in a new era of personal transportation in Australia and proclaims that all one needs to fly “is an aeroplane, level clearings, a few hundred yards square of landing grounds and a mechanical knowledge no greater than that possessed by the average common sense motorist”.
Hinkler speaks from a position of confidence, of someone whose success manifested from their determination and courage. His contagious sense of adventure is enough to inspire a fossick into acquiring a personal pilot’s licence, and adding it to the bucket list.
“To sit in a snug little cockpit, to see the world rolling away below, to hear the sweet even note of the engine… well, to me, flying… this is the salt of life.”
His enthusiasm is grounded in his vision of Australia having as many licenced pilots as drivers; approaching 100 years later our reality is closer to ordering a helicopter via Uber.
When Hinkler mentions how much cheaper and faster it is to fly than drive the same distance from England to Karachi in Pakistan, and that you could pick up a flying machine like his for £750 with low overheads, you can practically hear the ears of future Qantas investors leaning towards the speaker. As well as writing himself into a chapter of aviation history, it isn’t difficult to imagine he inspired listeners to pursue the same.
Captured on a 78 speed record, copied to cassette by John Simpson of Record Market, Queen Street in 1993, and now digitised and available to listen online, State Library has ensured three levels of conservation for this slice of Queensland history so you too, can continue to ‘Engage with the Past through Sound and Image’.
The State Library of Queensland has tens of thousands of its photographs digitsed and available to share and download through our One Search Catalogue, however we don’t always know the details of what’s in every photo.
Governor, Sir Matthew Nathan arriving by rail motor at Tambourine station on the Canungra line, 1922. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 66055.
This simple question started an investigation by State Library staff. The State Library of Queensland has been collecting items relating to Queensland history since 1935 through the John Oxley Library, items have been deposited into the collection through public donations often with no corresponding information. A simple check of our Photographic Accession Register only recorded the photo as being catalogued under the subject heading Logan – Slacks Creek and the date of 1922. This location could not be possible as there has never been a railway station built at Slacks Creek.
With no helpful leads from the Accession Register, staff retrieved the original photograph from State Library’s repository where 42 kilometres of collections are housed. The photograph had a cataloging card attached with a note, not Slacks Creek, confirmed by Logan City Council Libraries.
State Library of Queensland’s state of the art, climate controlled repository on level 4 of the State Library building, South Bank. State Library’s repositories house 42 kilometers worth of collections.State Library’s photographic collection is housed in individual Mylar (polyester) sleeves, in archive boxes sorted by subject headings.
Upon closer inspection, the photograph turned out to be a Post Card with the clue – Eagle Heights Series. The rough location – around the Eagle Heights/ Mt Tamborine area and approximate year 1922, were now confirmed. Staff have access to an array of online resources including Trove, the National Library of Australia’s online database of digitised newspapers. Conducting a search in Trove resulted in finding a news article Mountaineering Governor again on Tour published in the Daily Mail on 19 June 1922 (the same confirmed year of the photograph). The article reported Governor Matthew Nathan on tour and travelling by rail motor car down the Canungra railway line from Logan Village through Tambourine to Canungra, Queensland.
The back of the photograph in question turned out to be a Post Card with the clue – Eagle Heights Series. The note visiting Railway Station at Tambourine has since been added.
A response on Twitter to @Ozbob13 and the link to the Daily Mail newspaper article on Trove was re-tweeted and shared via State Library’s twitter account in case other rail enthusiasts could help with the question. With the magic of social media, online resources such as digitised maps from the National Library of Australia and further research in Trove, a news article His Excellency the Governor on tour in the Country, published in the Daily Mail on the 24 June 1922 confirmed the location as Tambourine Station. A copy of the photo in question was even in the article! Cataloging staff at the State Library then added this valuable research and extra information to the catalogue record for the photo on One Search.
State Library’s mission is to make our collections as discoverable as possible and we encourage researchers using our catalogue who have extra information that could be added to or correct a record to submit this via the feedback link at the bottom of all our catalogue records. We also encourage researchers to tag our catalogue records to make our records more searchable.
One Search Catalogue Record. Help make the State Library’s collections more discoverable by submitting feedback and adding tags.
Further collections on Governor Sir Matthew Nathan and the Canungra Railway
Maria, Queen of Childers has always interested me, as there are a multitude of images in our collection, and it was a rarity for an Aboriginal woman to be given a breast plate (Kingplate – Regalia). She was a well known ambassador between the Aboriginal people and Migloo’s (white people) of Childers. It was assumed she was from the Butchulla group, who were one of the three landowners of Kgari (Fraser Island).
Maria was presented a breast plate (Regalia) inscribed with “Maria, Queen of Childers” by James Butler, the local solicitor. Breast plates were given to senior men and women of local Aboriginal groups. Some of these breastplates had etchings of animals, or elaborate cutting designs. Maria’s only had the words “Maria, Queen of Childers”. The Childers Historical Society have the breast plate at their complex.
Maria, Queen of Childers, Queensland, ca. 1908 4831 Postcard Collection. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 22175
At the bottom of the above photograph is written “This royal lady with a smile, Extends a dark lean hand. You gibbet sixpence, me bin Queen. Of all this bloomin’ land”.
Some people may find this comment offensive and thought the photograph shouldn’t appear online. As an Aboriginal myself, I view this historical image and its accompanying words in a different light. To me, this photo is of a well-known monarch asking for the rent payment of a “sixpence” for the land stolen from her people. In 1908 she is seeking acknowledgement of her claim to the land.
Maria was an iconic figure and on one occasion a witness in a cattle stealing case, which has provided more insight into this woman’s personality.
The trial Maria had to participate in took place in Bundaberg, with transportation arranged by train by the local police officers. The story goes that when the police sergeant placed her on the train, it shunted and Maria got frightened. She jumped off the train and could not be persuaded to get back on board.
It is said that she remarked, “Me be there at Bundaberg tomorrow. Yarraman (horse), he take him me”. Maria, an accomplished horsewoman, instead rode through the night and was at the Bundaberg court house when it opened the next morning.
The following image, provided by Colleen Paton on the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community Facebook page on 19 May 2017, may well have been taken on this particular day. Colleen also states that Maria is her great-great-grandmother and that she was also known as Towcha.
Photo courtesy of the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community Blog by Colleen Paton May 2017
Maria, Queen of Childers. John Oxley Library, State Libray of Queensland. Neg 121554
Maria lived in a shack by the Court House, though occasionally camping on the Noakes’s Lookout to be with the tribe, which was near the Childers hospital. Maria had four children and only three that I have names for – Lucy, Cobbo and Woppi. There is another unnamed daughter.
Cobbo and Woppi were understood to be great runners and during the carnival in Isis they would compete in foot-racing events. Both men were great horsemen. Cobbo also played in the local cricket team. I imagine that the sons lived on local stations.
Woppi and his wife Susie were well known in the Woodgate area. They had a 30 acre perpetual lease near Theodolite Creek. Richie Webb has an account of (Dave) Woppi’s life (1875) and talks about his death in 1943 at the age of 68. Webb mentions that Woppi’s family worked for the Buss family. Woppi was a tracker for the police, but after spending time in prison, he developed a strong dislike for the police and refused to track for them anymore. Woppi was also known as Dave Woppi and there is some argument about whether he is Maria’s son, or grandson.
Below is an image of Maria, Queen of Childers taken in 1917.
Maria, Queen of Childers. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 22517
Maria, Queen of Childers. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 171120
Maria was an Aboriginal woman icon and at the time of her death she was remembered by the local Childers people, having an obituary in the local paper, a rarity for the majority of Aboriginal Australians.
“QUEEN MARIA” DEAD. Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser, Thursday 29 March 1917, page 3. States…
To residents of Isis, as well as visitors from the neighboring towns, ”Queen Maria of Childers” for such was the proud designation she laid claims to on her much-prized and highly-burnished name plate, has for years been a familiar figure about the streets of Childers, and not a few will be sorry to learn that the cheery old aboriginal woman has passed to the happy hunting grounds. She claimed to have known ”Durrumboi” an escaped convict, when she was only a piccaninny with her tribe, on the Noosa River, and at the time of her death Maria must have exceeded in length of years the allotted span of threescore and ten, although until quite recently remarkably active. She was of abstemious habits, es-Chewing “fire water”altogether, but was an ardent devotee of the soothing weed, of which she was always sure of a pipeful from one or other of her many white friends. For some months past the old “Queen” had been rapidly failing, and the end came quietly on Sunday last from a general break-up of the system – “Isis Recorder”.
Maria, Queen of Childers. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 49492
Maria and her family were respected and accepted in the area. She would break down barriers by visiting other peoples homes and helping out when needed. She raised her children with values, bush craft and tribal lore. Today we should remember her.
Bibliography
O’Neill B.W. “Taming the Isis (1987) Isis Shire Council.
Aird, Michael (1993) Portraits of our Elders
Walkers Point: The cultural landscape of Burrum River Country by John Bunn.
Perry, Chas. S. “Marie Queen of Childers (Poem), Trove: Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser, Thursday 29 March 1917, page 3.
Isis Recorder. Trove: Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser , Monday 7 October 1912, page 6
Web, Richard (2009) The Life and Time of Richie Webb, Art X Design, Queensland (mentioned in Walkers Point)
State Library’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Blog.
Over the past 5 years, this online space serves as a portal for State Library, IKCs, Indigenous Language Centres, Community Language Workers and others to share and network about Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. The Categories for the Blog reflect some of the key themes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages: Resources, Training, Contacts, etc.
State Library’s IYIL2019 Word of the Week: Week 10.
Currently, State Library’s IYIL2019 “Word of the Week” can be found here as part of State Library’s commitment to the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Language Resources.
The Resources section provides useful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language resources and links to help community groups and language workers with their research. In addition to highlighting resources within the State Library collections, this element of the Blog has a focus on community-based resources and collections.
Railways map of southeast Queensland showing the Aboriginal tribes in the region.
Within the Collections category, items within the State Library collections are showcased. For example, the above Map is from OM73-20 F J Watson Papers and identifies “The Aboriginal tribes of south-east Queensland – with map showing their lingual divisions”. This item accompanies Watson’s work ‘Vocabularies of four representative tribes of South Eastern Queensland: with grammatical notes thereof and some notes on manners and customs, also, a list of Aboriginal place names and their derivations’.
Launch of Yugambeh Language App.
State Library and community activities will be highlighted in the Events category. This space will allow IKCs, language Centres, Community Groups etc to share news of upcoming events such as language workshops, culture love programs, etc. For example, the above image is from the launch of the Yugambeh Language App, held in April 2013. The new version of the App includes Greetings from the State Library’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language webpages.
Norman Tayley presenting at a Research Discovery Workshop.
State Library holds regular research activities, including Indigenous Languages Research Discovery Workshops – these will be a key component of the Training section. In addition, key outcomes or findings from workshops will also be presented here. Again, community groups are also able to provide accounts of their local/regional workshops as well as language research activities. National events relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are also listed here.
Philip Brown – Guest Blogger.
Guest Bloggers are encouraged to submit posts on their language activities within this section. State Library is aware there is a range of community language activities in place across Queensland to preserve and maintain Indigenous languages; these range from small individual or family activities to those coordinated via language centres through to larger-scale projects supported by external organisations/collecting institutions. State Library invites language workers, IKC Coordinators and community members to submit a Blog Post about their work with language; e.g. recording language, community resource development, language stories, etc.
“Birds and their Native Names”, Meston Notebook.
Digitised Content identifies language material that has been digitised and made available for community access. In addition to State Library, other collecting institutions such as University of Queensland, AIATSIS and State Library of NSW have significant digitisation projects underway. The above image is an extract from the Meston Vocabulary Notebooks which are digitised and available online via the State Library’s website.
During the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Blog has been a dynamic space with news and updates on a weekly basis. State Library welcomes your input into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Blog and looks forward to ongoing support for your language journeys.
Desmond Crump
Indigenous Languages Coordinator, State Library of Queensland
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Webpages
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Map
Jarjum stories: A kuril dhagun showcase focusing on children’s books and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. 19 October 2019-10 May 2020.
Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages: A major exhibition exploring the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages throughout Queensland. Join in the many talks and events to celebrate the rich and diverse languages spoken today. Opens 21 November 2019 -19 April 2020.
UN IY2019 Links
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages webpages
Did you know that State Library has compiled over 115 greetings from 91 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages across Queensland?
In 2014, the original “Say G’day” initiative, State Library compiled an initial twenty-five greetings. As part of State Library’s commitment to the International Year of Indigenous Languages, a new resource guide for “Say G’day in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language” has been developed. This resource can be accessed online and downloaded as a PDF from the State Library’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages webpages!
Palm Island greetings.
Many of the additional words or phrases were part of a 2017 research project to support Palm Island IKC in identifying greetings for the language groups of their community – the above image is from a banner on the side of a shipping container as part of their centenary commemoration.
Extract from Say G’day resource.
Where possible, documented greetings have been listed; however, it should be acknowledged that greetings are a fairly contemporary notion that may not have been present in many Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander settings. Alternatively a generic phrase such as ‘Good day [= g’day]’ ‘Are you good?’ or ‘How are you?’ is listed.
Wik-Mungkan greetings.
This example above shows greetings from Western Cape York – Wik Mungkan has different acknowledgements for talking to an individual or a couple; while the Windawinda language has different ways of saying hello depending on how close or distant the second person is from the speaker. Other languages have similar rules, with different greetings for someone close or far away.
Pronunciation Guide, Say G’day resource.
A brief pronunciation guide is also included to assist with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sounds which may not be present in English; however, State Library advises contacting local language speakers or custodians to confirm preferred pronunciation. Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) and Indigenous Language Centres can also provide assistance and further information on local languages.
VACL Talking Head app.
The Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages has an excellent resource to help with the pronunciation of sounds – the Talking Head application shows the position of tongue and teeth to create the sounds and gives examples from local Victorian languages.
Say G’day wordle.
The State Library of Queensland acknowledges that the language heritage and knowledge of these wordlists always remains with the Traditional Owners, language custodians and community members of the respective language nations. The collation of these word lists and phrases is to support communities in their work to revive, document and preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages as well as raise awareness in the broader community.
Desmond Crump
Indigenous Languages Coordinator, kuril dhagun
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Webpages
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Map
Jarjum stories: A kuril dhagun showcase focusing on children’s books and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. 19 October 2019-10 May 2020.
Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages: A major exhibition exploring the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages throughout Queensland. Join in the many talks and events to celebrate the rich and diverse languages spoken today. Opens21 November 2019 -19 April 2020.
UN IY2019 Links
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages webpages
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages Resources
Resources and Further Reading
The following items are just a selection of the many references and sources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and words, including greetings.
Breen, J. G. and Blake, B. (2007) The grammar of Yalarnnga: a language of western Queensland. Pacific Linguistics: Canberra.J 499.152 BRE
Curr, E. M. (1887) The Australian Race: its origins, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over that continent. John Ferres Government Printer: Melbourne. RBF 572.994 cur
Dixon, R. M. W. (1972) The Dyirbal language of north Queensland. London: Cambridge University Press. G 499.15 1972
Edwards, R. (Ed) (2001) Dictionary of Torres Strait languages. Rams Skull Press: Sydney. Q 499.1503 RAY
Harriet Barlow Manuscript ca. 1865. OM91-69
Holmer, N. (1983) Linguistic Survey of South-Eastern Queensland. Australian National University: Canberra. J 499.15 HOL
Lawrie, M. (1970) Myths and legends of the Torres Strait. Q 398.2099438 MYT
Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders-in-Council Aboriginal Corporation (2011) Jandai language dictionary: a dictionary of language spoken on Stradbroke and Moreton Islands based on words remembered by all Elders and recorded by interested visitors to our shores. HKT 499.153 JAN
Patz, E. (2002) A grammar of the Kuku Yalanji language of north Queensland. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. J 499.15 PAT
Roth, W. E. (1898-1903) “Reports to the Commissioner of Police and others, on Queensland aboriginal peoples 1898-1903.”FILM 0714
Sharpe, M. (1998) Dictionary of Yugambeh, including neighbouring dialects, compiled by Margaret Sharpe from various sources. Pacific Linguistics C-139. G 499.15 1998
Sutton, P. (ed) (1974) Languages of Cape York: papers presented to the Linguistic Symposium, Part B, held in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Biennial General Meeting, May,1974. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies: Canberra. G 499.15 1976
Terrill, A. (2002) Dharumbal: the language of Rockhampton, Australia. Pacific Linguistics 525. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. J 499.15 TER
Thancoupie (2007) Thanakupi’s guide to language and culture: a Thaynakwith dictionary. Q 305.899 THA
Watson, F. J. (1944) “Vocabularies of four representative tribes of South Eastern Queensland”; supplement to the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia(Queensland), No. 34, Vol XLVIII. REFJ 499.15 wat
Weblinks
State Library “Say G’day in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language” Resource Guide.
2019 has been an exciting year for the celebration of the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
As announced in December 2017 by the United Nations, the overarching theme for IYIL2019 is Indigenous languages matter for development, peace building and reconciliation. UNESCO emphasises that “languages play a crucial role in the daily lives of people, not only in education, communication, social integration and development, but also as a repository for each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions and memory”.
Gamilaraay Chatterbox.
The above image is a quick and easy template for a chatterbox in language! It features 20 words in Gamilaraay language from South-West Queensland and is a fun way to learn everyday words in an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.
This post will provide suggestions and further ideas for IKCs, libraries, schools and community groups to continue celebrating the International Year of Indigenous Languages. Language activities should be developed in partnership with Elders, Traditional Custodians, Indigenous Language Centres and other members of your local community. Remember to keep the energy going after the International Year of Indigenous Languages and explore activities for 2020.
Acknowledgment of Country in Gunggari.
Welcome / Acknowledgement of Country in language – this could be developed with your local community and written in language for display in your library, school, community organisation or workspace. Incorporate this into your email signatures, meetings and community events.
State Library’s IYIL2019 Word of the Week: Week 3.
‘Word of the Week’ – during 2019, State Library has showcased a language word of the week from IKCs, Indigenous Language Centres and other community groups and language workers. These can be shared across your work spaces, libraries, schools and community. Share these on social media #IY2019 #IYIL #2019IYIL #SLQIndigenousLanguages #IndigenousWordoftheWeek Continue this idea in 2020 with a Word of the Week from your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Lois and Priscilla looking at wordlists, Aurukun.
Language Circle – host informal gatherings to bring together Elders, language custodians and other community members to meet and share language. Choose a theme each month, e.g. ‘favourite language word’; ‘animals’; ‘family’, etc.
Language Nest – similar to a language circle but aimed at little ones; an informal gathering of mums, bubs and nans to play and talk together using language. This could be used as part of a First 5 Forever program along with rhymes, songs and games in language. Use the wordlists on the State Library webpages to create rhymes for counting, “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, Hokey Pokey, etc.
Mackay recording workshop.
Record/document language speakers from the local community – collect language, stories, songs, oral histories to add to your local library or IKC collections.
Torres Strait Everyday Words resource guide.
Build up word lists for common/everyday things (e.g. family names, body parts, plants, animals, placenames, etc.); create a community dictionary of everyday words for the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Extract from “Say G’day” Resource Guide.
Learn greetings/farewells in the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander languages – use daily and have these on signs in the library and community. State Library of Queensland has collated over 100 greetings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages across Queensland. The latest version of the Yugambeh Language App features sound recordings of these greetings.
Waymburr – Mt Cook (via Cooktown).
Dual signage/labels in the library and community – use English and the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language for signs in your school. library or other community space.
Incorporate language activities into key events/displays, e.g. NAIDOC & Reconciliation Weeks; Mother Tongue Day; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day; etc.
Language Resources – make your own flash cards, chatterboxes, body charts, posters, etc. for language words.
Language through Art / Stories – work with community members to create your books, artwork, songs using language.
Host a community language festival to celebrate language in your town, city or community!
Have a language display / language corner / language wall in your library, IKC or community space!
How the Porcupine got his quills,JUV 499.15 TIG
There is a range of websites that are excellent sources for further information, resources and ideas to support you and your communities for IYIL2019 and beyond.
ACARA: Australian Curriculum Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages website
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) website
Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA): Indigenous Matters webpages
Australian Government Department of Communication and the Arts
State Library of Queensland: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages webpages
United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages website
Queensland Language Wordle.
State Library is looking forward to the opening of the Spoken exhibition on 21 November to celebrate Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. The exhibition will also showcase the State Library’s work with communities in supporting their language journeys – some of these personal journeys will be showcased in Spoken.
Desmond Crump
Indigenous Languages Coordinator, State Library of Queensland
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Webpages
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Map
Jarjum stories: A kuril dhagun showcase focusing on children’s books and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. 19 October 2019-10 May 2020.
Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages: A major exhibition exploring the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages throughout Queensland. Join in the many talks and events to celebrate the rich and diverse languages spoken today. Opens 21 November 2019 -19 April 2020.
UN IY2019 Links
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages webpages
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages Resources
Note: Additional content for this blog post has been sourced from the United Nations webpages and supporting documentation pertaining to the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
References and Further Reading
This is a selection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language resources from the State Library Collections – additional items can be found using One Search.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (2005) National Indigenous Languages Survey. 499.15 2005
Bell, J. (1994) Dictionary of the Gubbi-Gubbi and Butchulla languages, compiled with the assistance of Amanda Seed. G 499.15321 1994
Breen, J.G. (1990) Salvage Studies of Western Queensland Aboriginal Languages. J 499.15 bre
Capell, A. (1963) Linguistic Survey of Australia. Q 499.15 cap
Curr, E. M. (1887) The Australian Race: its origins, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over that continent. RBF 572.994 cur
Edwards, R. (ed) (2003) Dictionary of Torres Strait languages.Q 499.1503 RAY
Eseli, P. (1998) Eseli’s Notebook. S 306.089 001
Howitt, A.W. (reprint) (1996) The Native Tribes of South-East Australia. J 306.089 how [Online access through SLQ]
Lawrie, M. The Margaret Lawrie Collection of Torres Straits Materials. TR2082
Meston, A. (undated) Archibald Meston Papers Undated. OM64-17
Nekes, H., Wurms, E. and McGregor, W. (2006) Australian Languages. J 499.15 NEK
Roth, W. (1975) Reports to the Commissioner of Police and others, on Queensland Aboriginal peoples 1898-1903. (Microfilm) Material drawn from Queensland ethnography: bulletin, nos. 11-18 / by Walter E. Roth. FILM 0714
Sharpe, M. (2005) Grammar and texts of the Yugambeh-Bundjalung dialect chain in Eastern Australia. Q 499.15 sha
Sutton, P. (ed) (1974) Languages of Cape York: papers presented to the Linguistic Symposium, Part B, held in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Biennial General Meeting, May,1974. G 499.15 1976
Tindale, N. B. (1974) Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits and Proper Names. Q 994.0049915 tin
Watson, F. J. (1944) “Vocabularies of four representative tribes of South Eastern Queensland”; supplement to the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia(Queensland), No. 34, Vol XLVIII. REFJ 499.15 wat
Websites
AIATSIS Austlang Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Database website
Australian Government Department of Communication and the Arts: Indigenous Languages and Arts webpages
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) IY2019 Brief
Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages website
Queensland Government Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships website
“A new era in theatrical entertainment in Brisbane was ushered in last night when Hoyts Theatres Ltd. opened the doors of the Regent Theatre to more than 3,000 people”, reported Brisbane newspaper The Telegraph on the official gala charity opening of the Regent Theatre in Queen Street on 8 November 1929. This month marks the 90th anniversary.
Interior of the Regent Theatre in Brisbane, Ca. 1969: Collection Reference: 9982 Palmos Family Photograph. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
As part of our historical collections, State Library of Queensland holds two items documenting the construction and opening of this elegant American-style picture palace. First is an architectural plan of the Regent Theatre, produced by Melbourne architect Charles N. Hollinshed in association with Brisbane architect Richard Gailey Jr. The plan, dated 16 January 1929, is on waxed linen and shows a longitudinal section of the theatre. The plan is available to view onsite at State Library.
Architectural plan of Brisbane’s Regent Theatre, 16 Jan 1929. 3011 Hollinshed & Gailey, Associate Architects 1929. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
Another significant collection item is an original souvenir program from the official opening. The illustrated program produced by Hoyts Theatres Ltd features promotional advertisements for the companies involved in the construction and features of the new theatre, including building contractors A.J. Dickinson, Cahills Ltd suppliers of chocolates and ice-cream, chandeliers and other light fixtures by Wm. Bedford Ltd, and its Brunswick-Kroeschell air-conditioning system installed by Hunt’s Australia Ltd.
The Regent, Brisbane : souvenir programme , 1929. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
The program also details the opening night’s festivities which included the National Anthem performed by the Regent Grand Concert Orchestra, Fox Movietone News covering current events, including a policy speech by new Prime Minister James Scullin, and organist Stanley Wallace played a selection of music from operas on the Wurlitzer. The feature presentation was a screening of the US musical film, Fox Movietone Follies of 1929. A detailed description of the gala opening was published in The Telegraph the following day. The souvenir program is available to view onsite.
Wurlitzer organ being installed in the Regent Theatre in Brisbane, ca. 1929. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 135068
The Regent Theatre was redeveloped in the 1970s and again in the 2010s under much controversy. A detailed history of the Regent building and its redevelopments can be found on the Queensland Heritage Register.
The Atlas Café, located at Atlas Chambers, 27 Adelaide Street in Brisbane’s CBD, was operated by Greek migrant George Sklavos, starting some time during the mid-1920s. Sklavos is first listed as the proprietor of the Atlas Cafe in the 1927-1928 edition of the Queensland Post Office Directory.
Entrance to the Atlas Café, 27 Adelaide St, Brisbane. From 31181 Atlas Cafe Brisbane Photographs circa 1937. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 31181-0001-0001
Previously, Sklavos had operated the American Bar in Fortitude Valley for approximately 18 years. George was born in the Kytherian village of Mitata in Greece in 1882. He travelled to Australia in 1900, working in New South Wales before moving to Queensland.
On the morning of 29 November 1948, a fire was discovered at the Atlas Cafe. The fire brigade was summoned and the blaze was brought under control. Brisbane’s Telegraph newspaper (29/11/1948) reported that a gas stove, an electric stove and fryer were destroyed with the ceiling and a table scorched.
In her 2019 book, Brisbane’s Greek cafes : a million malted milks, Toni Risson vividly describes two photographs of the Atlas Cafe which are now part of State Library’s collection – “They reveal leadlight panels, potted plants, fans, coat hooks at every table, an Art Deco carpet runner, white tablecloths and polished silverware. A bank of Hamilton Beach milkshake machines has pride of place on the milk bar and a neon sign on the façade indicates popular items”.
Interior of the Atlas Café, 27 Adelaide St, Brisbane. From 31181 Atlas Cafe Brisbane Photographs circa 1937. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 31181-0001-0001
George Sklavos died on 1 March 1949. His funeral took place at the Greek Orthodox Church of St George in Charlotte Street and he was interred at Toowong Cemetery. Prior to his death he lived at ‘Megaron’, 320 Bowen Terrace, New Farm. According to Toni Risson, half of George’s estate was donated to restoring the village church in Mitata, Greece.
George and Maria Sklavos. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 102369
State Library’s latest exhibition, Meet me at the Paragon explores how the creation of American-style cafes enabled Greek migrants of the early to mid-1900s to carve out a new life in a foreign land. The exhibition runs from 27 September 2019 until 15 March 2020.
Meet me at the Paragon digital story
Myles Sinnamon – Engagement Officer, State Library of Queensland
Guest blogger: Dr Jennifer Moffatt, 2018 John Oxley Library Fellow.
Balloting was big in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The government wanted to increase agricultural production so needed more farmers 1. Balloting land removed the greatest barrier for those wanting to be farmers – the cost of agricultural land.
Outside the large land development schemes (e.g. the Fitzroy Basin Brigalow development scheme and the Emerald Irrigation Area) scheme 2,3 most Crown agricultural land was available, only by ballot, and only landless men with limited financial resources were eligible to apply.
Showing predominantly brigalow scrub, from which the ballot blocks were cut for the Fitzroy Basin Brigalow development scheme, in the 1960s. Collection reference: 31287 Department of Land Brigalow Development Scheme photographs, State Library of Queensland
Winning a ballot meant winning the right to lease a block of land. However once the residential condition (living on the land), was met usually 5 to 7 years, and the ongoing development conditions had been complied with, the balloter could sell the lease as if it was his own land, continue to lease it, or purchase it, depending on legislation. He had land!
A dam, or earth tank being excavated, on a block in the Fitzroy Basin Brigalow development scheme, in the 1960s Collection Reference: 31287 Department of Land Brigalow Development Scheme photographs, State Library of Queensland
The joys and challenges are captured by a Wandoan Soldier Settler: ‘you won a piece of dirt which otherwise you never would have been able to acquire, but that’s where the lottery part of it finished, and it was all hard work from there on’4.
The joys
The joy was in the winning: ‘it was every fellow’s dream to have his own piece of land’5. One man won on his 300th attempt 6, for another it was his 190th7. Joy also came with success, years later when they had overcome the challenges, and created a business and future for themselves, and for those who did so, handing on their land to the next generation.
The challenges
Balloters had challenges in addition to those experienced by all farmers. Key was surviving financially until the land was sufficiently developed to produce an income. The land could not produce an income until significant development work had occurred – taking from 6 months4 to 7 years8. Many blocks needed to be fenced, trees cleared and dams built. This was costly work and these were men without funds, so they borrowed. This resulted in financial hardship, with a mortgage, rates and rent to be paid, without having an income to draw on.
Fairbairn Dam, a principal feature of the Emerald Irrigation Area scheme built in the late 1960s. Collection Reference: 31287 Department of Land Brigalow Development Scheme photographs, State Library of Queensland
Additionally early living conditions were sometimes basic, for example it was ‘the goannas and I, and the caravan’4, and isolated, with ‘any medical, hospitalised assistance, or even doctors, it was a long distance to travel’9.
Many of the blocks were too small to support a family and often new uses of the land were required, such as cropping in pastoral areas. The degree of government support and knowledge was variable, so much experimental work was undertaken by the balloters as reported here: ‘it was all trial and error’10.
The challenges were too great for some balloters, others sold as soon as they could to invest in a larger holding, and many stayed. Those who met the challenges endured the hardship, and they drew on their strengths and networks as they chased their dreams. They became astute business operators, adapted or increased their knowledge and skills. They developed not just their land, but created communities as well.
Jennifer’s project is titled: The story of Queensland’s selectors. How those who won land in a ballot contributed to Queensland’s social, economic and political development. The aim has been to fill a knowledge gap in Queensland’s history to complement the history of pioneers, squatters and land development.
1Queensland Royal Commission on Pastoral Lands Settlement, Report of the Royal Commission appointed to investigate certain matters relating to the pastoral industry in Queensland. 1951, Government printer: Brisbane.
2Queensland Land Administration Commission Fitzroy Basin, The brigalow scheme in Central Queensland 1962-1978. 1979, Land Administration Commission Department of Lands: Brisbane.
3Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Emerald Irrigation Scheme: a Project to Stabilise and Increase Production in Queensland. 1967, Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane.
4Balloter 1 in the Wandoan area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. This was a Wandoan Soldier Settlement Scheme block won in 1954.
5Descendent 1 of balloter in the Wandoan area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. This man’s father won a Wandoan Soldier Settlement Scheme block in 1954.
6Balloter 2 in the Taroom area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. This was a block in the Brigalow scheme drawn in 1968.
7Descendent 2 of balloter in the Taroom area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. This man’s father drew a block in 1957.
8Balloter 3 in the Springsure Rolleston area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. This man won a block in the Brigalow scheme in 1963 and moved there with his wife.
9Descendent 3 of a balloter in the Theodore area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. This man’s father was a returned Serviceman who won a block at Theodore in 1959.
10Descendent 4 of balloter in the Emerald area interviewed for the Land ballot project in 2018. His father won an irrigation block in the Emerald area in 1974.
The Right to Play by Arja Gullvik (11 years) Rainworth State School Created as part of the project ‘Children have rights’. ACC 7116/1/22 Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM Children’s Art Archive. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
Article 31 of The Convention on the Rights of the Child
States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.
On 20 November 1989 the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child and opened this significant treaty for signatures. In the following thirty years 194 countries have become signatories to this Convention making the Convention on the Rights of the Child the most widely ratified treaty in history with each signatory state committing to ensure the protection, survival, and development of all children, without discrimination.
To mark both this occasion and the adoption of the declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, Universal Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20 and commemorates the important commitments world leaders have made to our children. The goal of Universal Children’s Day is to raise awareness of issues that impact our children’s welfare, to improve the conditions of childhood worldwide and to promote and celebrate children’s rights.
These rights include the right to identity, education, the right for children to practice their own culture, language and religion and the right to have an opinion and to share that opinion with others. The State Library of Queensland joins the worldwide community to observe and celebrate Universal Children’s Day and commits to valuing children as competent, curious and creative people with a right to participate in all aspects of life and invites children and families to enjoy State Library’s spaces, programs, exhibitions and collections.
To learn more about children’s rights visit the Children’s Voices pages on the State Library website to find resources for children and families that explore the Convention and artworks by children that illustrate the convention in action. These drawings, paintings and linocuts, held in the Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM Children’s Art Archive, John Oxley Library, were made by children in response to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, more children’s artwork from this collection can be found in the 2018 Children’s Report: Australia’s NGO coalition report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
VisitJarjum Stories, in kuril dhagun, a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s books and storytelling. Jarjum [pronounced jah-jum] means children. This colourful showcase highlights the role of storytelling in sharing language, cultural knowledge and moral lessons across generations and invites you to revisit childhood favourites – The Rainbow Serpent, Stradbroke Dreamtime and The Legends of Moonie Jarl and to see the world through the eyes of jarjum in the exploration of stories created with children across Queensland including a bilingual Yugambeh story book. Continue your Jarjum Stories adventure in The Corner, a place for children and families to play, create and share stories everyday.
State Library collects, preserves and makes discoverable Queensland stories from Queenslanders of all ages including photographs depicting Queensland childhood. Here are some highlights from the John Oxley Library collection.
Roy by Roy, aged 6, from Brisbane, Australia. Created as part of the project ‘Our World’. ACC 7116/3/87 Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM Children’s Art Archive. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
Migrating from Kythera, Greece, Haralambos (Harry) Corones first leased the Charleville Hotel in 1913 and began expanding business opportunities in the region with his nephew Jim. In the mid-1920s Harry had purchased the Norman Hotel in Wills Street, Charleville, demolishing it to make way for a modern hotel at a cost of £50,000 completed in 1929. Jim settled in Quilpie buying the Quilpie Hotel and together they were to become two of Queensland’s foremost hoteliers.
Hotel Corones, Charleville, 1930. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 48419
The dimensions of the Hotel Corones in Charleville were large by any standard, fitted out in cedar timber, imported marble tiles and large hall/ballroom. The dining room could seat as many as 150 guests. Many people called it the Lennon’s of the West. In a souvenir booklet created for the official opening proprietor Harry Corones invited his patrons to indulge in shooting, golf and swimming parties arranged during their stay.
Harry Corones, Jim Corones and their sister, Charleville, ca. 1914 . John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 48419A large gathering attend the Country Women’s Association (CWA) Conference at the Corones Hotel, Charleville, 1927. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 50135.Princess Alexandra at a civic reception outside the Hotel Corones, Charlville, 1959. , John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 199602
Many celebrity guests visited the hotel including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Charles Kingsford Smith and Amy Johnston. The hotel was auctioned in 1982.
Harry also had links to the Paris Cafe in Barcaldine which opened in 1929. Read more about the Paris Cafe in the Western Champion, Barcaldine, 27 Dec 1930, Pg 15.
Dining room of the Hotel Corones, ca. 1930. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 76030
Exhibition – Meet me at the Paragon
State Library’s latest exhibition, Meet me at the Paragon explores how the creation of American-style cafes enabled Greek migrants of the early to mid-1900s to carve out a new life in a foreign land. The exhibition runs from 27 September 2019 until 15 March 2020.
Guest blogger: Tricia King – 2019 Place Making Fellow.
Many of us have enjoyed the taste and experience of savoring a Peters Drumstick, a Choc Wedge or have plunged a spoon into a 2L tub of Neapolitan ice cream but few might give thought to the workers who created, designed, manufactured, packed and shipped these delicious treats from the Peters Factory in West End across Queensland. Without their hard work and creative vision many of these iconic treats would not have made it off the factory floor.
Eric Boden’s perspective sketch of the proposed Peters Factory, 1927. Image courtesy of West Village historical collection
Banging the Drumstick is a new project which seeks to uncover the history and creativity behind the factory doors and look at the impact the factory made on both the social and cultural environment in and around West End. The project is the inaugural Place Making Fellowship, sponsored by West Village and forming part of the State Library of Queensland’s Memory Awards.
Peters Factory, West End, Brisbane. Image courtesy of West Village historical collection
The factory itself is an iconic landmark in West End having been built on Kurlipa land in 1929 by architect Eric Hawksley Boden under the direction of Peters founder Fred Peters. The factory expanded in 1936 and again in the 1970s becoming a dominant presence on Boundary Street. The factory absorbed some of the operations of the Pauls factory after Paul’s was flooded in the 1974 floods and so operations increased to incorporate the Paul’s range, such as the Billabong. In 1996 the company was bought by Nestle and they closed the West End Peters factory shortly thereafter. The site then became home to Absoe Building Equipment until 2014 when the site was purchased by Sekisui House with the intention to develop West Village which is what occupies the site today.
Inside Peters Factory, West End. Image courtesy of West Village historical collection
In the seven decades that Peters operated from West End the factory employed thousands of workers, many of them recent migrants to Australia. This focus on a wide and inclusive workforce contributed greatly to the multicultural community which is embedded in West End today. Additionally, at a time when women were re-entering the labor force the company welcomed women not only to the factory floor but in management, marketing, research and specialised trade positions. The inclusivity and community feel made the factory a flourishing, secure and highly desirable place to work. According to Peter Wehr, who worked in the factory for over 35 years, the factory came to a standstill one weekday a month so that everyone who worked there could enjoy a rostered day off. He remembers the focus on the people and the diversity of the Peters family was wide. Peter noted at one time there was a discussion of moving the factory out to Wacol so it could be on a bigger property, however the management recognised not only how integral the factory was to employing the West End community but the role the factory played in creating that community. Thus, the decision was made to stay in West End.
Image courtesy of Peter Wehr who is pictured front row third from the left.Former worker Peter Wehr. Image courtesy of Tricia King.
Whilst the Banging the Drumstick project is still in its infancy, interviews with Peter and other former workers have unearthed stories about the diversity of the factory and the opportunities that it forged with community. These stores will be shared on the bangingthedrumstick.net website over the coming months. This project hopes to give voice to former workers and record their stories whilst exploring the cultural, social, and personal impact of the site itself.
Aboriginal placenames generate a lot of discussion regarding meanings, translations, etc. – in fact, over the course of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, State Library has received a steady flow of requests asking for meanings or origins of placenames across South-East Queensland. In response, State Library has developed a new Resource Guide for Aboriginal Placenames of South-East Queensland which lists over 100 placenames, including Brisbane suburbs and their Aboriginal meaning or origin.
Survey plan for the area of the Tabragalba Estate. Negative number: 195248
It should be acknowledged that the landscape of South-East Queensland had traditional names prior to the settlement of Moreton Bay in 1824. Some have been maintained in placenames or landmarks, others have been lost and replaced by introduced names or anglicised versions.
F J Watson, Aboriginal Placenames.
Many Aboriginal traditional placenames had a more practical meaning or source. The traditional names may have referred to animals or plants found there; for example, Bulimba, a suburb in Brisbane, is anglicised from the Yuggera / Goenpul language: Bulimba which means ‘place of magpie lark (peewee)’ [from Bulum = ‘peewee’; ba = ‘place of’]. -Ba, -bah, -da, -dah as a suffix ending in Aboriginal languages generally refers to ‘place of’.
Place-names of North Brisbane, J G Steele (1984)
This theme is explored in Rod Milne’s publication Dahs and bahs: Aboriginal placenames of Southern Queensland and is a great starting point for exploring Aboriginal placenames in Southern Queensland. Another excellent source for the South-East Queensland corner is F J Watson’s Vocabularies of Four Representative Tribes of South-East Queensland which lists approximately 200 placenames and their Aboriginal meanings and origins as part of the appendixes. Watson identifies that the suffix -pilly / pilli refers to ‘a gully’, hence we have Indooroopilly = ‘gully of the leeches’; Yerongpilly = ‘sandy or gravelly gully’; Mutdapilly = ‘sticky/muddy gully’; and Jeebropilly = ‘gully of the sugar glider’.
Selection of placenames, F J Watson (1945).
Often landmarks and placenames were some of the first language material documented and they provide important clues to how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are constructed and used across Queensland communities.
Nomenclature of Queensland Railway Stations, 1914.
Early Surveyors such as John Oxley named geographical features after Government Officials, e.g. Brisbane River, Port Macquarie. Thomas Mitchell, his predecessor as NSW Surveyor-General, took a different approach and encouraged his staff to ‘consider the native name of a river to be the proper one in all cases where it happens to be short, and easily pronounced’. This advice applied to official placenames and was taken up on occasions; Namoi or ‘Big River’ is one such example; Goondiwindi is another example which referred to the ‘bird droppings on a roosting spot on the McIntyre River’.
Macintyre River Bridge near Goondiwindi, ca. 1890.
Colonial placenames tended to be based on descriptions, e.g. Bustard’s Bay, Point Lookout, Sandy Cape, Rocky Creek, Magnetic Island, etc. Others were named after people such as Cape Howe, Hervey Bay, Townsville, etc. In the 1800’s settlers imposed names from their homeland onto the Australian landscape, including Esk, Killarney, Ipswich, Somerset, Dundee, etc. So we have Helidon Spa at the foot of the Toowoomba range named after an early pastoral run – it just doesn’t have the same flair as Woonarrajimmi from a local Yuggera Creation story which refers to ‘where the clouds fell down’!
In 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, it is a timely reminder to find out more about the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander placenames.
“McIntyre River Bridge at Goondiwindi” API-14 Album of Views of Brisbane, Ipswich, Warwick and Goondiwindi ca. 1893.
Desmond Crump
Indigenous Languages Coordinator, State Library of Queensland
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Webpages
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Map
Jarjum stories: A kuril dhagun showcase focusing on children’s books and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. 19 October 2019-10 May 2020.
Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages: A major exhibition exploring the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages throughout Queensland. Join in the many talks and events to celebrate the rich and diverse languages spoken today. 21 November 2019 – 19 April 2020.
References and further reading
This is only a selection from the State Library Collections – for a comprehensive listing of print and electronic materials relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, including placenames, use the One Search facility: One Search -Catalogue
Brisbane History Group (1990) Brisbane: local, oral and placename history. Brisbane History Group: Brisbane. G 994.31 1990
Helon, G. (1994) The Goreng Goreng tribe of South-East Queensland: its’ traditional tribal territory, clan divisions and proper names. (Map) Gurang Land Council: Bundaberg. MAPS 840 1998 02000 F
Hercus, L.; Hodges, F and Simpson, J. (2002) The land is a map: placenames of Indigenous origin in Australia. Q 919.4003 LAN
Holmer, N. (1983) Linguistic Survey of South-Eastern Queensland. Australian National University: Canberra.J 499.15 HOL
Guest blogger – Rutian Mi, 2019 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame fellow.
There are many studies on Chinese immigrant history in Queensland but few studies have been done about Chinese business history in Queensland.
This research focuses on Chinese businesses in Queensland during 1840-1940 with two case studies: Kwong Sue Duk and Tom See Poy (also known as Taam Sze Pui).
Kwong Sue Duk with his three wives and fourteen children, Cairns, 1904. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 10203Portrait of Taam Sze Pui. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 31892
This is not an academic study. The purpose of this research is to find out how Chinese business started and developed in Queensland during this 100-year period and the impact they had on the community. Based on the collections of the John Oxley Library and the research found in published work and theses, I would like to tell the story of Chinese business people 1840-1940.
To help understand the historical background and the social background of Chinese business in Queensland I created this chronological overview of Chinese business in Queensland online using the time graphics platform .
Above the timeline, there are the main events that happened in China and during the life of Kwong Sue Duk.
Under the timeline, there are the main events happened in Australia and the life of Tom See Poy.
We can divide this period into four stages:
Pre Gold rush: 1840 -1850
Gold rush: 1851-1881
Farming: 1882-1900
Merchandise: 1901-1940
I will explore each of these stages in upcoming blogs.
About the author –
Rutian grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution, he had a passion for reading and libraries. Rutian studied Archaeology and later international business. Rutian now works as an international business and export market consultant and language expert speaking Mandarin, Japanese and English. Alongside his business and language expertise, Rutian has a passion for history which he is exploring through his current fellowship.
One of the interesting facts about Aboriginal languages is that many people would not be aware that they are already saying Aboriginal words!!
Kangaroo from the painting by George Stubbs, in Endeavour Journal of Joseph Banks.
Captain Cook’s Journal Saturday 23 July, 1770 – One of the Men saw an Animal something less than a greyhound; it was of a Mouse Colour, very slender made, and swift of Foot. On Saturday 4 August, Cook wrote in his journal that the animal was ‘called by the Natives Kangooroo, or Kanguru’; thus becoming the first Aboriginal loanword into English!
Australian Aboriginal words in English.J499.15 AUS.
Following on from NAIDOC Week 2015, one of the interesting topics that comes up in discussions is the number of words from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages that are commonly used in English. The above image shows the publication Australian Aboriginal words in English which lists over 400 words from 71 Aboriginal languages now in everyday use across Australia.
Road sign, Boulia. JOL Negative No. 201070.
Placenames are obvious ones – the general rule being if it ends in ‘-dah/-da’ or ‘-bah/-ba’, it is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of’; examples include Pinkenba = ‘place of long-necked turtle’, Elimbah = ‘place of grey snake’. Other placenames may have significance to people, such as Wamuran,Obi Obi and Guthalungra which were named after local Aboriginal identities. The image above shows a sign at Boulia listing distances to other centres, many of which are Aboriginal in origin, e.g. Windorah, Bedourie, Coorabulka, Dajarra, Urandangie, etc.
McIntyre River (1880): Image No. APE-073-0001-0001
There are also placenames that tell a story about the landscape – Burgowan means ‘flat where there are dogwood trees’; Wandoan refers to a ‘flat where grey possums are plentiful’; while Goondiwindi (above image) is named after a point on the McIntyre River where waterbirds used to nest and refers to the bird droppings on the rocks.
Waratah, Queenslander, 3 November 1932.
Possibly, the most popular Aboriginal loanwords are plants and animals which are now in everyday use. This is understandable as early settlers, explorers and others would need to discover the animals and plants in this unknown Australian landscape.
Plants
bumble tree – from Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay languages of North-West NSW
bunya – from Yuggera language of Brisbane region
conkerberry – from Mayi-Yapi / Mayi-Kulan languages of Cloncurry region
coolabah – from Yuwaalayaay language of North-West NSW
cunjevoi – from Bundjalung language of Northern NSW
kurrajong – from Dharug language of Sydney region
mallee – from Wemba-wemba language of Western Victoria
midyim – from Yuggera language of Brisbane region
muntries – from Gaurna language of Adelaide Plains, South Australia
quandong – from Wiradjuri language of Central-West NSW
wallum – from Kabi Kabi language of the Sunshine Coast
waratah – from Dharug language of Sydney region
Animals
barramundi – from Gangulu language of Central Queensland
bettong – from Dharug language of Sydney region
bilby – from Yuwaalaraay language of North-West NSW
brolga – from Gamilaraay language of North-West NSW
bunyip – from Wathawurung language of Geelong Region, Victoria
chowchilla – from Dyirbal language of Tully region
corella – from Wiradjuri language of Central-West NSW
currawong – from Yuggera language of Brisbane region
dingo – from Dharug language of Sydney region
galah – from Gamilaraay language of North-West NSW
kangaroo – from Guugu Yimidhirr language of Cooktown region
koala – from Dharug language of Sydney region
kookaburra – from Wiradjuri language of Central-West NSW
quoll – from Guugu Yimidhirr language of Cooktown region
taipan – from Wik Mungkan language of Western Cape York
yabby – from Wemba-wemba language of Western Victoria
yowie – from Yuwaalaraay language of North-West NSW
Haunted & Mysterious Australia: Bunyips, Yowies, Phantoms and other strange phenomena. Q001.94 TIM
Often Aboriginal weapons or implements are given universal names from the first point of contact; these names are then adapted and used in other regions. A good example is boomerang which originates from the Dharug language of the Sydney region: each language group across Australia had their own name barran [Gamilaraay]; burragunn [Yugambeh]; burgan [Kabi Kabi]; munyan [Ngadjon]; winchi [Pakanh]; and so on. Roth, in the image below, identifies wongala as the local Yuwibara word for boomerang in the Port Mackay region.
H L Roth, Discovery and Settlement of Port Mackay. Q 994.36 ROT
A similar situation arose with woomera and waddy which both also originated from the Dharug language of the Sydney region. Dixon, et al in their publication Australian Aboriginal Words in English identify that the majority of Aboriginal loanwords come from the Sydney Region, particularly Dharug. Given this was the first point of contact with Aboriginal people, it naturally follows that Sydney languages were the first documented in colonial accounts.
Nomenclature of Queensland Railway Stations (1914). GSB 929.409943 1914
Within the State Library collections, there is quite a range of original material from this early period through to contemporary research which identifies the source and origins of Aboriginal words in English as well as placenames and other applications for loanwords. Additionally, the State Library has developed a Research Guide to assist people wishing to discover more about Aboriginal loanwords.
Australian National Dictionary, REF 423 1988
The latest edition of the Australian National Dictionary (August 2016) includes over 550 words from 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages!
State Library extends an invitation for all Queenslanders to find out more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, including loanwords at Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages.
Desmond Crump
Indigenous Languages Coordinator, State Library of Queensland
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Webpages
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Map
Jarjum stories: A kuril dhagun showcase focusing on children’s books and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. 19 October 2019 to 10 May 2019.
Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages: A major exhibition exploring the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages throughout Queensland. Join in the many talks and events to celebrate the rich and diverse languages spoken today. 21 November 2019 to 19 April 2020.
References and Further Reading
Banks, J. and Dalton, J. D. (2011) Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks during Captain Cook’s First Voyage in H.M.S. Endeavour in 1768-71. 910.41 BAN 2011
Banks, J. and Beaglehole, J. C. (1962) Endeavour journal of Joseph Banks 1768-1771. J 910.910.0461 BAN
Bull, T. (2006) Haunted and mysterious Australia: Bunyips, yowies, phantoms and other strange phenomena. Q 001.94 TIM
Cook, J. and Wharton, W.J. L. (1968) Captain Cook’s journal during his first voyage round the world, made in H.M. Bark Endeavour, 1768-71 : a literal transcription of the original mss. / With notes and introduction edited by Captain W.J.L. Wharton. Q 910.4 COO
Dixon, R. M. W. (1991) Words of our country : stories, place names and vocabulary in Yidiny, the Aboriginal language of the Cairns-Yarrabah region. G 499.15 1991
Dixon, R. M. W., Moore, B., Ramson, W. and Thomas, M. (2006) 2nd edn. Australian Aboriginal Words in English. J 499.15 AUS
Hercus, L., Hodges, F. and Simpson, J. (2002) The land is a map: placenames of Indigenous origin in Australia.Q 919.4003 LAN
On the banks of the McIntyre River (1880): JOL Image No. APE-073-0001-0001
Queensland Place Names Board (1963) Interim Gazetteer of Queensland Place Names. REF 919.43 1963
Queensland Railways (1914) Nomenclature of Queensland Railway Stations.GSB 929.409943 1914
Not many of his customers knew his real name. To most of us he was just ‘Spesh’ — Spesh who ran the Mayfair (or was it the Paris?), a Greek café in Oak Street, Barcaldine’s main street. His nickname came from his inevitable response to orders from his customers – and he had many: “Ah, specialty for ma frend,” he would say. Sometimes it would be: “Especially for you, ma frend.” And friend he was, particularly to us kids when we called in for our ice creams or drinks. The ice cream – plain, chocolate or strawberry was the simple choice – would arrive on the Midlander train, presumably from Rockhampton – in green canvass bags packed with ice, even in high summer. Whenever we visited Barcaldine from our home in Longreach, a visit to Spesh’s was always a highlight.
Oak Street, Barcaldine, Queensland, 1950. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 191497
I asked a family friend, David McKenzie from Mildura outside Barcaldine, for his memories of Spesh, and he told me of an incident at the café during the visit of a travelling circus. It had set up its tents across the railway line near the town’s old swimming pool when an elephant broke free. It found Spesh’s cafe and smashed the window to sample the vegetables he had on display. The premises had to be boarded up until repairs were carried out. And there were reports that the elephant did the same thing the following year when the circus called again. Well, they always say that elephants never forget.
And like so many country towns around Australia, Longreach and Blackall also had their Greek cafés. In Longreach it was Cominos, opened in Eagle Street, the town’s main street, by the Comino brothers during the Great War. A photograph from the 1920s showed it with the clumsy title of Comino Bros. Central Café and American Bar, probably because it had an American-style soda fountain. But to us it was just Cominos where we would buy our sweets and ice creams. In the 1950s it was the height of sophistication, and I vaguely recall that it was divided into two eating areas, with one set aside for those wearing coat and tie.
Advertisement for Comino Bros’ Central Cafe and American Bar. Published in Longreach Leader, 13 December 1950, p.13
According to information published by the Blackall Shire Council the Cominos also opened a café in the 1920s in Shamrock Street, Blackall which they called the Central. A few years later it was taken over by the Logos Brothers who installed a news agency at one side.
Comino Brothers Central Cafe & American Bar in Longreach, 1935. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 49930
The Shire Council says that in those days, “a visit to the café was a social highlight with its silver table settings, printed menus and waitresses in starched green uniforms. Patrons were introduced to American-style food such as malted milks, ice-cream sundaes and sodas at the same time as these treats were being introduced in the larger coastal cities such as Sydney.”
The Central was always popular place with my uncle, Francis (Bing) Bell, of Blendon, Barcaldine, and his family. My cousin Sue Bell told me: “We stopped there almost every time we went down to Brisbane. We would have big T-bone steaks and milkshakes (most un-Greek) and Dad always made a point of talking to the owner.” In fact he would ring the café the night before to check on the state of the roads because he knew that customers passing through would always provide the latest news. Sue’s sister Diana Bell told me that the Greek families who pioneered the bush cafés obviously missed their homeland, and one traveller from Melbourne made his living by travelling around Queensland in the 1960s selling Greek icons, oil and beads.
Advertisement for Comino Bros Cafe. Published in Longreach Leader, 8 October 1954, p.9
While the Greek café proprietors were highly regarded in their local communities there was often a slightly patronising attitude towards their origins. When one Greek café proprietor bought a sheep property outside Barcaldine, it became known locally (without any sense of Mediterranean geography) as Macaroni Downs.
Exhibition – Meet me at the Paragon
State Library’s latest exhibition, Meet me at the Paragon explores how the creation of American-style cafes enabled Greek migrants of the early to mid-1900s to carve out a new life in a foreign land. The exhibition runs from 27 September 2019 until 15 March 2020.
