| Title |
The Royal visit to Queensland |
| Reference |
GBR/0115/Y3085J |
| Creator |
Unknown |
| Covering Dates |
May 1901 |
| Extent and Medium |
33 images |
| Repository |
Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library |
|
| Content and context |
|
A collection of thirty-three black and white photographs, in two sizes (150 x 105 mm and 205 x 130 mm), mounted on board. Each board is printed with 'The Royal visit to Queensland, May 1901' and stamped 'Agricultural Department, Queensland.' There are brief handwritten captions beneath each photograph.
Queen Victoria had originally intended to undertake a tour of several countries of the Empire to express Britain's gratitude for help received against the Boers, and also, in Australia's case, to be present at the ceremonies to celebrate the union of the states into the federal 'Commonwealth of Australia.' Her death cast doubts on the project altogether but finally the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York set sail in 'The Ophir' in March 1901 on a tour that included Malta, Ceylon, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Melbourne was reached on the 6th May and on the 20th May the party arrived by train at Brisbane. The photographs cover the four main events of the visit in Brisbane; the decoration of the town, the laying of a foundation stone, an aboriginal display, and the fireworks display.
|
Access and Use
|
Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, The Royal visit to Queensland, Y3085J |
| Further information |
|
Indexed
This item level description was entered by NE and MJC using information from the original typescript catalogue.
This collection is available on microfiche: Australasia, fiche number 20.
|
| Index Terms |
| Australia |
| Oceania |
| Queensland |
| RCS/Y3085J contains: |
|
1
|
Treasury Buildings. 205 x 130 mm. A three-quarters front view of the building decorated with flags and bunting, and letters spelling 'Advance United Australia'. With bystanders and policemen on the street.
Fair condition, with some overall fading.. |
May 1901 |
|
2
|
Treasury Buildings, George St. 150 x 105 mm. A view of the side of the Treasury buildings from George Street, decorated with arches, flags and trees, and looking down Queen Street to the Queen Street arch (see Y3085J/10). A photographer can be seen at work in the bottom left of the picture. |
May 1901 |
|
3
|
Treasury Buildings. 203 x 155 mm. A side view of the buildings, with flags and decorations, and with bystanders and a horse cab in the road. The Brisbane River can just be seen at the extreme right of the picture. |
May 1901 |
|
4
|
Treasury Buildings. 205 x 155 mm. Another view of the decorated building, with partially obscured sign reading 'Queensland Greets You'. |
May 1901 |
|
5
|
The Custom House. 105 x 150 mm. A view of the Custom House decorated with flags, palm leaves and a sign reading 'Welcome to our Royal Duke and Duchess'. |
May 1901 |
|
6
|
Custom House. 205 x 155 mm A view of the Custom House from another angle, and farther back, showing the streamers criss-crossing the street outside.
Fair condition, slight fading.. |
May 1901 |
|
7
|
Custom House. 210 x 135 mm. A view from further back still, showing the whole building and more of the street. |
May 1901 |
|
8
|
Lands Office. 210 x 135 mm. A view of the Brisbane Lands Office decorated with flags and palms, and a sign reading 'Queensland rejoices'. With electric tramlines in the road. (See Y3085J10). |
May 1901 |
|
9
|
In George Street. 150 x 105 mm. A view of the Duke and Duchess being driven through George Street in an open coach, with soldiers lining the road, and crowds on the road and on the balconies of buildings. |
May 1901 |
|
10
|
The Queen St Arch. 150 x 105 mm. A view of the arch across Queen Street, with pictures of the King and Queen at either side and surmounted by a large crown. With an electric tramcar on the street in the foreground. Electric trams took over from their horse-drawn predecessors in 1897, at which time there were over six miles of track. |
May 1901 |
|
11
|
Aboriginal Arch, George St Brisbane (Caption on print). 205 x 155 mm. A view of the arch, with the crowds in front and the Lamington Hotel behind. |
May 1901 |
|
12
|
Anglican Cathedral Foundation Stone 1. 205 x 145 mm. First of a series of five photographs taken from the same viewpoint showing the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist. The foundation stone at the right, with churchmen and choir in centre. The Duke and Duchess have just arrived, and onlookers raise their hats as they pass by. |
May 1901 |
|
13
|
Anglican Cathedral Foundation Stone 2. 205 x 145 mm. The ceremony in progress. The Duke bends over the stone and applies mortar, while the Duchess stands to his right with umbrella. The Bishop of Brisbane stands next to the Duke. (Bishop William Thomas Thornhill Webber, 1837 - 1903). |
May 1901 |
|
14
|
Anglican Cathedral Foundation Stone 3. 205 x 140 mm. A hymn is sung while the stones are joined. |
May 1901 |
|
15
|
Anglican Cathedral Foundation Stone 4. 205 x 145 mm. The end of the ceremony, with children filing away. This is in fact the last in the series and should be preceded by Y3085J/16. |
May 1901 |
|
16
|
Anglican Cathedral Foundation Stone 5. 205 x 145 mm. The Duke and Duchess sit to the right of the foundation stone, during an address by the Bishop of Brisbane.
Fair condition, a little fading, yellowing.. |
May 1901 |
|
17
|
The Royal Train. 150 x 105 mm. With initials 'H.W.M.' printed in ink, right hand corner of print. Showing the train approaching, having just crossed an unidentified bridge, the front of the engine decorated with flags. Presumably at the end of the visit, since although the Royal party arrived by train, this was not publicised, as they were meant to come by sea. |
May 1901 |
|
18
|
A Meston P.A. 150 x 105 mm. A European posing with an aboriginal spear. The spear is inserted into a small cup at the end of the stick held by the man, and flicked out, enabling the spear to be thrown over 100 yards. Archibald Meston (1851 - 1924) was a journalist and explorer who early became interested in the language and lore of the aboriginal tribes, and being a keen sportsman, was a practiced thrower of the boomerang and aboriginal spear. From 1898 to 1903 he was protector of aboriginals in Southern Queensland and in 1910 was appointed director of the Queensland Government Tourist Board.
Fair condition, slight silvering.. |
May 1901 |
|
19
|
Aboriginal Display. 105 x 150 mm. An aborigine posing as if about to hurl a spear. |
May 1901 |
|
20
|
Aboriginal Display. 150 x 105 mm. A group of aborigines wrestling, while one man wearing a kangaroo skin stands in the background. |
May 1901 |
|
21
|
Aboriginal Display. 150 x 105 mm. A continuation from Y3085J/20. Aborigines sit on the ground or stand, some with boomerangs, while the man in the kangaroo skin crouches with his back to the camera.
Fair condition, some fading.. |
May 1901 |
|
22
|
Aboriginal display. 150 x 105 mm. Showing aborigines with raised hands, with the man dressed in the kangaroo skin to their right.
Fair condition.. |
May 1901 |
|
23
|
Aboriginal Display. 150 x 105 mm. Showing aborigines doing gymnastics, with men doing handstands over a line of aborigines on their hands and feet. |
May 1901 |
|
24
|
Aboriginal Display. 150 x 105 mm. Showing aborigines on their hands and knees, while the man in the kangaroo skin leaps between them. May 1901. |
May 1901 |
|
25
|
Aboriginal Display. 205 x 130 mm Showing a line of aborigines holding spears, boomerangs and painted shields, with the man in the kangaroo skin in front of them. |
May 1901 |
|
26
|
Aboriginal Display. 205 x 130 mm. Showing a group of aborigines in a semi-circle around the kangaroo-skinned man. The sequence of photographs presumably represents a symbolic hunt, although Wallace, who describes the event in 'The Web of Empire', makes no specific mention of it. |
May 1901 |
|
27
|
Aboriginal Display. 155 x 110 mm. Photograph showing a mock fight between A. Meston (see Y3085J/18) and an aborigine. Photograph blurred through movement. |
May 1901 |
|
28
|
Fireworks Display. 155 x 110 mm. A picture of the King and Queen made of lights with the message '1901 God Bless our King and Queen'. The firework display took place at Government House on the 22nd of May and was 'said to be the finest pyrotechnic display ever seen in the Southern Hemisphere'. |
May 1901 |
|
29
|
Fireworks Display. 155 x 110 mm A similar picture to Y3085J/28, with the Duke and Duchess of York depicted. |
May 1901 |
|
30
|
Fireworks Display. 105 x 150 mm. A time exposure of rockets bursting in the sky. |
May 1901 |
|
31
|
Fireworks Display. 150 x 105 mm. A time exposure of rockets bursting. |
May 1901 |
|
32
|
Fireworks Display. 160 x 115 mm. Time exposure of fireworks on the ground, behind the structure used for Y3085J/28. |
May 1901 |
|
33
|
Fireworks Display. 2 prints 105 x 95 mm. and 110 x 110 mm. Two more time exposures of fireworks (a) of rockets bursting in sky, (b) similar to Y3085J/32. |
May 1901 |
![[Home]](/images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
