Making Do: Pioneering gentry in North Queensland

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Discover Queensland as it was more than 150 years ago at the State Library of Queensland and explore the novelty and hardships of Queensland country life in the1800s.

A very personal display, Making Do unearths the Rawsons and Archers - two astonishingly influential British pioneering families seeking fortune and adventure in Northern Queensland. It reveals their stories and legacies through diaries, illustrations, photo albums, letters and books from the State Library of Queensland’s John Oxley Library.

On display are photographs of Colin Archer’s beautiful Gracemere Homestead in Rockhampton - a remarkable example of early pioneer architecture. Charles and William Archer were the first to explore the Rockhampton region, naming the idyllic Fitzroy River in 1853 and the local mountain range Eidsvold and Berserker.

The Rawson’s left a detailed and often comical account of their pioneering life in Queensland. Their many diaries entries clearly meant to amuse those at home include delightfully humorous pen and ink sketches detailing the daily occurrences of domesticity, their reactions to the ‘wildlife’, and the workings of their cattle property outside Mackay before the sugarcane boom. A major cyclone and tidal wave in 1918 destroyed much of Mackay’s documents from that time making articles from the Rawson collection extremely rare.

Don’t miss this opportunity to view these historical treasures – anyone with an interest in Queensland’s past or family history will be enchanted by this wonderful display.

Dates

Thu 21 August 2008 - Sun 7 December 2008

Times

daily 10am - 5pm

Venue

State Library of Queensland

Cnr Grey & Peel Street, South Brisbane

Cost

Free

Further information

State Library of Queensland
Email: info [at] slq [dot] qld [dot] gov [dot] au
Phone: 07 3840 7666
Web: www.slq.qld.gov.au

Location

State Library of Queensland

Cultural Centre

Stanley Place, South Bank

Brisbane

Opening hours

Open daily 10am - 5pm (until 8pm Mon-Thu)

Heritage Collections open daily 10am - 5pm

Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday

Open 10am-5pm all other public holidays

Parking

Temporary vehicle set-down in Stanley Place, access via Grey Street, Montague Road, the Cultural Centre tunnel or Peel Street.

Paid parking is available at the following local car parks:

Stanley Place car park. Enter via the Cultural Centre tunnel or Stanley Place. For information on parking fees, telephone (07) 3840 7103.
Queensland Art Gallery/Queensland Museum car park. Enter via Grey Street or the Cultual Centre tunnel. For information on parking fees, telephone (07) 3840 7103.
Queensland Performing Arts Centre car park. Enter via the Cultural Centre tunnel. For information on parking fees, telephone (07) 3840 7103.
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Enter via Stanley or Merival Streets. For information on parking fees, telephone (07) 3308 3000.
South Bank Parklands Underground car park. Enter via Tribune or Little Stanley Streets, South Bank. For information on parking fees, telephone (07) 3867 2051 or Visit South Bank

Public transport

For further public transport information call TransInfo on 13 12 30.

Bus: Cultural Centre Busway Station in Melbourne Street.

Train: South Brisbane Station, corner of Melbourne and Grey Streets.

CityCat & Ferry: The CityCat and City Ferry terminals are located at South Bank 1 CityCat terminal.