QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Queensland

Proclaimed

“And now, Gentlemen, let me announce a fact which I know you will all hear with delight – Queensland, the name selected for this new Colony, was entirely the happy thought and inspira tion of Her Majesty (Queen Victoria) herself!”

In December that year, Sir George Bowen, the first governor, arrived, and the little town of Brisbane, with its 7,000 inhabitants, was raised to the dignity of being a capital. It was the seat of government of a landmass of more than 670,000 miles 2 (1.73 million km 2 ), although inhabited by only 25,000 people. A few months later, Queensland received its Constitution, which differed little from that of New South Wales. Two legislative Houses were established, one of members nominated by the Governor, the other elected by the people. The new state’s initial financial position was all of nine pence, although this small sum quickly disappeared when a thief broke into the Treasury a few nights after Bowen’s arrival. Sir George arranged for money to be borrowed from the banks as an interim measure. Early revenue came largely from land revenue (including the rent and sale of land) and customs receipts from import duties. These two sources respectively accounted for 56.9% and 33.2% of revenue in 1860. (Import duties applied to alcohol, tobacco and cigars, tea, sugar, coffee and chicory, gold and opium.) In 1859, Queensland’s population was estimated at 23,520 people, accounting for 21% of Australia’s measured population. These figures excluded an unknown number of indigenous Australians, who were estimated, two years later, to be about 60,000 in the new state. The new Queensland was heavily dependent on pastoral activities, mainly sheep and cattle (wool accounted for 95.4% of exports and contributed 70% of the government’s revenue). The spread of pastoral settlement continued rapidly until the mid-1880s. In contrast, in the years following separation, agricultural production was relatively small and during the 1860s the only crop to make substantial headway apart from wheat was cotton. After 1880, sugar contributed significantly to the economy, and by 1900 had grown to 7% of exports. It could be truthfully observed that Queensland’s German connections are innate in its name and that of the person who granted it. Queen Victoria was born to a German mother, wed to her beloved German consort Albert, and was known as ‘the grandmother of Europe’.

“Other designations had been suggested to Her; but the Queen spontaneously determined to confer Her own Royal Title on this new province of Her Empire. It should assuredly then be the constant aim of us all to show ourselves not undeserving of this signal mark of this favour and sympathy of our Sovereign.” (From the Reply of Sir George Bowen, to the Address of Welcome by the people of Queensland, 12 December 1859.) Below: A stained old map showing the extent of Queensland’s settled areas by 1878, almost 20 years after separation. By 1827, New South Wales comprised all of the mainland east of longitude 129°E. During the late 1840s the ‘Northern Districts of New South Wales’ began to agitate for separation from New South Wales and, in 1851, a petition was sent to the Queen, urging the right of Moreton Bay to receive the same concession as had been made to Port Phillip (to become Melbourne in the new state of Victoria).

On this occasion their request was not granted but, on being renewed about three years later, was more favourably received; the follow ing year an Act was passed by the Imperial Parliament giving the British Government power to constitute a new colony. Again, as in the case of Port Phillip, delays occurred and, in 1856, a change of minis

try caused the matter to lapse. It was not until 1859 that the territory to the north of the 29th parallel of latitude was proclaimed a separate colony, under the title of Queensland.

Queensland’s coat-of-arms is the oldest in Australia, first granted in 1893 by Queen Victoria, although the shield and mantle were unaccompanied by the fauna for the first 80 years; and a number of minor design changes have evolved over time. The current version was created in 1977, during the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, with the addition of the red deer – a classic heraldic animal, representing the herd given by Queen Victoria to her new colony – and brolga, Australia’s only native crane and Queensland’s official state bird.

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