Gympie takes its name from the Gubbi Gubbi word gimpi-gimpi, or stinging tree. Prior to the name being adopted, it was called Nashville, after James Nash. Nash had reported a deposit of alluvial gold in 1867, which started a rush that eventually saved the colony’s economy. Gympie in the early years. The businesses of earlyContinue reading “The early days of Gympie, in colour.”
The early days of Gladstone, in colour.
The usual suspects passed by Gladstone in the early years of contact with Europeans. Cook sailed past, and Flinders did likewise in 1803. At least Flinders didn’t engage in any hat-related misadventures with the indigenous people this time. He’d learned his lesson at Bribie. Oxley poked around there in 1823, but found the harbour andContinue reading “The early days of Gladstone, in colour.”
The early days of the Sunshine Coast, in colour.
Bribie Island The origins of the name “Bribie” are lost in myth. It was either a convict basket weaver, one of the leaders of the indigenous people of the island, or a corruption of an indigenous word. (No convict of that name or anything even remotely like it appears in the records of Moreton Bay.)Continue reading “The early days of the Sunshine Coast, in colour.”
Early Townsville, in colour.
The early years. Townsville in the 1890s. In 1890, a series of photographs of Townsville captured the town as it began to expand into suburbs. The locality had only been established twenty-four years earlier, and its rapid growth was largely due to the sugar industry in the region. I prefer not to include photographs ofContinue reading “Early Townsville, in colour.”
Early Stanthorpe, in colour.
Early 1870s – a mining boom creates a town. 1872 – the tin mining boom. Places to stay when you’re prospecting. The “Roll-Up” Tree and Maryland Street. The information from the State Library of Queensland about this photograph states that: “People gathered at the Roll-up tree in the centre of town for meetings. Advertisements wereContinue reading “Early Stanthorpe, in colour.”
Favourite old photos.
Over the years, photographers captured some evocative images of 19th century life and work. Here are some colourised versions of my particular favourites from the State Library of Queensland, the State Library of Victoria, and the National Library of Australia. Queenslanders at work in colour. Group portraits in colour. Leisure in colour. The bridal pathContinue reading “Favourite old photos.”
The early days of Mackay, in colour.
Mackay, on the Coral Sea coast of Queensland, grew into a town with a lot of help from the sugar industry. There are endless photographs from its early years that depict enormous plantation homesteads and the lives of their owners and families. There are also many photographs of the South Sea Island labourers who workedContinue reading “The early days of Mackay, in colour.”
The early years of Cairns, in colour.
Cairns is a tropical city in Far North Queensland. It was thoughtfully named after Governor William Cairns, a man who deplored hot climates, particularly those with added humidity. I’m sure that the colonial authorities wanted to honour the Governor, not troll the poor man. The seafront and the Esplanade. The town. “Vampires have been spreadingContinue reading “The early years of Cairns, in colour.”
Toowoomba through the early years, in colour.
The A-Z of old Brisbane was fun to compile, but I am mindful that Queensland is not just its capital. This will be an “early years” occasional feature, highlighting towns and districts throughout old Queensland. The 1870s. “Leaving Toowoomba on the Highfields Road, the first object that particularly drew my attention was Harlaxton, a fineContinue reading “Toowoomba through the early years, in colour.”
The A-Z of Old Brisbane in colour: Upper Kedron to Zillmere.
[Although there is a suburb in Brisbane called Upper Brookfield, the only images I’ve been able to find of it in the early days are included in the Brookfield post.] Upper Kedron Tucked alongside Keperra and Ferny Grove is a beautiful semi-rural, semi-residential suburb called Upper Kedron. It is, Wikipedia helpfully informs me, 13 kilometresContinue reading “The A-Z of Old Brisbane in colour: Upper Kedron to Zillmere.”
Moreton Bay and More 