rockhampton – Moreton Bay and More

Rockhampton in Colour

The magic lantern slide photographer and their trusty aide with the love of dayglo blue skies visited Rockhampton and recorded its wide streets and beautiful buildings. A combination of gold rush money and something that I believe is called “town planning” resulted in the picturesque city on the Tropic of Capricorn.

Greeting Cards and Postcards

How do we represent ourselves when we send greetings to friends far away? In the digital age, the options are bewildering. In the pre-digital age, we were at the mercy of local photographers of varying levels of skill. A survey of postcards and greeting cards from the 19th century is nothing if not instructive. FromContinue reading “Greeting Cards and Postcards”

The Magisterial Fracas at Rockhampton

Rowdyism in Rockhampton On 12 November 1863, a scandal that had been hinted at over the dinner tables of Rockhampton broke out in the most sensational fashion. Two prominent men of the town, who also held the Commission of the Peace as Magistrates were charged with committing assault in the public streets. At 10 inContinue reading “The Magisterial Fracas at Rockhampton”

The Snob.

Part 1 – Edward Hartigan’s Early Years. In the years between Separation (1859) and Federation (1901), Queensland had its share of storied criminals. Some terrorised the roads for a few years but were captured and imprisoned– the Wild Scotchman was probably the most celebrated. There were infamous murderers who went to gaol or the gallowsContinue reading “The Snob.”

“A Double Fraud, Double Treachery and Double Infamy.”

Judge Innes, Rockhampton District Court, 17 June 1867, sentencing a bigamist. Bigamy in Colonial Queensland – PART ONE Moreton Bay Courier, 1859 Whoever W.H.G. of Nanango was, he or she would have done well to take note of Brown’s Billy’s warning in the Courier’s classifieds in October,1859. Bigamy attracted stiff sentences of penal servitude, notContinue reading ““A Double Fraud, Double Treachery and Double Infamy.””