Government
Queensland Parliament
Hansard
The Parliamentary Library has digitised Queensland Parliamentary Debates from 1860. Hansard may seem dry or not very relevant but it is a surprise what is discussed in Parliament.
Queensland Parliamentary Papers
The Queensland Parliamentary Papers are an amazing treasure trove of both the expected and unexpected. The Website contains an index of all the items in the Parliamentary Papers from 1860 to the present. The latter years have been digitised and some papers from the earlier years. The digitisation of the Parliamentary Papers is a work in progrss.
Former members
Register of members since 1860.
Legislation
The Queensland Law Collection hosted by the Queensland University of Technology contains historical legislation and other legal materials relating to Queensland. The site includes
- Queensland Statute reprints 1962-1992
- Public Acts of Queensland 1828-1936
- Queensland Land legislation 1833-1910
- Queensland Criminal code 1879-1899
The Queensland Statute 1962 reprints are also available online at the Supreme Court Library.
Queensland Government data
The Queensland government has made available more than 2400 datasets to download.
Queensland data
Not quite the one stop shop for available government data - some is referenced in other links but this is a good place to start. For example a search on 'history' brings up an index of mining accidents in Queensland form 1882-1945, railway employees etc
Queensland place names gazetteer
Cannot find where that unusual named place is? And Google maps is no help. This gazetteer is a very comprehensive list of places in Queensland, not just towns and localities, but topographical features, aerodromes, bores etc.
Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy
For a more detailed explanation of how to use these resources, download Understanding Land Ownership in Queensland.
Historical cadastral maps
Extensive range of maps which show property boundaries, property descriptions and land tenure, and other related miscellaneous maps - range from 1841-2005.
Historical topographic maps
Topo maps from the 19th century - a great resource that has only recently become available. See for example the series of Gympie in 1910.
Historical orthophoto maps
Orthographic maps covering parts of Queensland from 1976.
QImagery
QImagery contains historical aerial photographs from 1930 to 2009, although the dates vary for different parts of Queensland - an amazing resource.
QTopo
An up-to-date topographical map of Queensland. It is much more detailed than Google maps and useful in identifying the location of obscure or little known features such as a creek or even gully.
QDEX reports
This site provides access to maps and publications from the Geological Survey of Queensland and to other government publications including departmental annual reports and the Queensland Government Mining Journal. The Queensland Mining journal is an interesting read - not just about the main mining fields and activities but even areas with small mining activities.
Queensland Heritage Council
The Queensland Heritage Council is responsible for maintaining the Queensland Heritage Register which contains entries on more than 2000 places of cultural heritage significance throughout Queensland.
Queensland Heritage Register
Each entry includes a statement of significance, history and description. Initially the entries were rather pithy but have become rather detailed. The history section contains useful information, often nor just about the specific place, but also owners and historical context. For example, a recent entry on pensioners cottages in Cairns includes original research on pensioner cottage in Queensland that were built by local authorities - so you never what you might find.
The whole of the database can be downloaded here in xml format.
Parliament of Australia
Historic Hansard
This site provides easy access to the Commonwealth of Australia parliamentary debates from 1901 to 1980. Plenty of references to events, places and people in Queensland - for example, Birdsville (131 hits), Gorden Chalk (88) and 1974 floods (171).
Bureau of Meteorology
It is not immediately obvious what relevance the data from the Bureau what be for historical research. However, it is has a marvellous site on historical climatic data.
Climate data online
This site provides historical data on weather and climate on most locations in Queensland.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Historical census data
The Census data contains a wealth of information not just on a state level but on census districts and localities.
Year Book Australia
The Year books contain a wealth of information not just about Australia as a whole but also at a state level - population, industry, land tenure, post and telegraph, roads and railways, local government and unions. The Year books are available from 1908 to 2014.
Year Book Queensland
A rich source of historical data - but not just facts and figures. The 1901 edition is superb and has a series of essays providing invaluable insights on Queensland in 1901. The year books range from 1901 and 1937-2001.
Australian Data Archive
The Australian Data Archive holds over 6000 datasets from more than 1500 projects and studies from 1838 through until the present day.
Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive
The Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive (HCCDA) is a searchable archive of Australian Colonial census publications and reports. Includes Queensland censuses from 1861 to 1901.
IP Australia (Patent office)
Australian Patents
Australian patents back to 1901. Not searchable by regions, but plenty of clever inventions developed by Queenslanders such as a portable cot, improved floor and ceiling clamp, and earth closets.
National Film and Sound archive
The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia's 'living' archive as the custodian of over 2.8 million items.
Search the collection
A wide range of moving images about Queensland dating back to the late 1890s including the opening of Parliament in 1899, interviews with Queenslanders such as Neville Bonner and former Police Commissioner Ray Whitrod, and children riding billy goats carts in Rockhampton in 1920.
UK Parliament
UK Parliamentary Papers
This site can be accessed from the National Library of Australia - so you will need a library card which is free. This site has an extensive collection of reports etc about Queensland including reports by Governor Bowen and his classic quote that 'distress and pauperism are unknown in Queensland'. Of great value are the annual statistical reports for Queensland - very informative.