Theft, Transportation, Repeated Absconding and Mutiny.

Or, how John Stewart occupied himself between the ages of 18 and 25. The bare facts of John Stewart’s convict career in Australia can be summed up fairly easily – he was transported in 1823, absconded from a few settlements, and received a Certificate of Freedom in 1829.  What he actually got up to isContinue reading “Theft, Transportation, Repeated Absconding and Mutiny.”

An Eventful Year for Thargomindah – 1888.

Floods, Droughts, Captain Starlight and a Plague of Cats. Things were looking up in Thargomindah in 1888. Bores were being drilled, camels were being mooted, and telephones were impending. A legendary bushranger passed through. And so did thousands of cats. January: Terrific Heat. In January 1888, Thargomindah experienced an intense heatwave. Daytime temperatures were recordedContinue reading “An Eventful Year for Thargomindah – 1888.”

Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?

This rhetorical question asked by King Henry II was taken literally by some of his more brutish knights, who proceeded to Canterbury to take the life of Archbishop Thomas à Becket. Moreton Bay Commandant Patrick Logan must have mused on that statement in 1829, when the Church of England decided to extend its chaplaincy toContinue reading “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”

The Early History of Maryborough in Photos.

The 1860s and 1870s. Few Queensland towns have had their infancy as carefully recorded in photographs as Maryborough. The State Library of Queensland’s digital collection has included a wealth of historical photographs from the Fraser Coast Regional Libraries, and we can now see Maryborough grow over the years in pictures. Early Homes. The contrast betweenContinue reading “The Early History of Maryborough in Photos.”

The Amity Convicts: James Turner.

Prisoner No. 36. Bristol and Shadwell. James Turner was destined for a life on the water – he was born in the harbour town of Bristol around 1799. At the age of nineteen, he stood nearly five feet six inches, had light brown hair and blue eyes. He had tattoos on his right arm –Continue reading “The Amity Convicts: James Turner.”

The Amity Convicts: Henry Allen.

Prisoner No 501, Moreton Bay. Henry Allen was a carpenter by trade, a native of Warwickshire, and was born around 1798. With the foolishness of youth, he tried his hand at burglary in 1817, which brought him before the Warwick Lenten Assizes in April 1817. He was found guilty (death recorded) and sentenced to 14Continue reading “The Amity Convicts: Henry Allen.”

Modern Problems, Old Queensland.

The past might be a different country, but in some ways, they did things the same way there. The Housing Shortage. Building.-We are glad to perceive that the advice which we have so frequently tendered to the owners of town allotments is beginning, to be acted upon, namely, that of building small cottages to obviateContinue reading “Modern Problems, Old Queensland.”

Let’s Elope!

Reading the 1846 article, “Love in the Bush,” made me think of that grand old 19th century tradition – elopement. Was it common in Queensland? A survey of the papers revealed that elopement in that century was a portmanteau term – it could mean a flight to the altar against parental wishes, a cheating spouseContinue reading “Let’s Elope!”

Consulting AI to Depict the Quiet Day in Ipswich.

AI image generators are fascinating things. I knew that I probably shouldn’t have. But sometimes the temptation is simply too much. I just had to go and play with image generation software to help tell the Ipswich Courthouse stories. The first story, that of the drunken man who sells his horse for too little, thenContinue reading “Consulting AI to Depict the Quiet Day in Ipswich.”