A crowd of maroon-faced fans cheering on their favourite footballers, skimpy-clad bodies basking in the Queensland sun and the sweet taste of a freshly cut pineapple are just some of the Sunshine State’s iconic images, captured in the newly-released UQP title Made in Queensland: A New History.
Made In Queensland coincides with the State’s Q150 celebrations and is the work of historians Professor Ross Fitzgerald, Dr Lyndon Megarrity and David Symons.
The book details the state’s separation from New South Wales in 1859, its burgeoning mining and tourism industries, changes in technology, education and the evolution of the arts as well as its political landscape.
It canvasses the impact of the World Wars on the Queensland people, and the importance of the 1982 Commonwealth Games and Expo 88 in showcasing the state to the world.
Professor Fitzgerald said one of the many things that intrigued him about writing the history was how much Queensland had changed culturally, politically and socially since the Commonwealth Games and especially since Tony Fitzgerald's pathbreaking report into police and political corruption.
“Queensland is no longer seen as the ‘hillbilly’ state and on the periphery of Australia. It is central to political, social and economic change,” he said.
The book includes more than 90 images from around Queensland, many showing its laid-back character and captivating environment.
“Images of Queensland life are still dominated by the dream of sun, surf and sand; many people from down south want to live in Queensland for its relaxed lifestyle and its natural wonders,” Dr Lyndon Megarrity said.
“At the same time, like other Australians, Queenslanders are working hard to achieve great things in science, the arts, education, business and so many other endeavours.”
In addition to historic facts and figures, Made In Queensland also captures the lives of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events like the World Wars and the upheavals of the 1980s and 1990s.
As historian David Symons believes, some of Queensland’s greatest achievements belong to Queenslanders themselves.
“Being able to settle in some inhospitable terrain, and succeed, is testament to the character of Queenslanders,” he said.
“Queensland’s primary industries have long been the flagship of the state’s economy amid devastating drought, floods and other natural disasters including cyclones.”
The book was achieved through the support of the Fryer Library at UQ, John Oxley Library, Queensland State Archives, Queensland Art Gallery, as well as the Library and Research Services staff at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the picture archivists at the Courier Mail.
“Newspapers were especially important in understanding what people were thinking via letters to the editor and other articles in metropolitan and regional newspapers – they really made the past come alive for us,” Dr Megarrity said.
Media: Eliza Plant at UQ Communications (07 3365 2619)
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