Family: Archer Family
Summary
The Mitchell Library is the principal repository for the papers of the Archer family, pioneer pastoralists of central Queensland. The holding is extensive, and is in three major collections: papers 1833-1929, and 1826-1974, and correspondence 1834-1912; listing herewith is in these three sections, with a final addition of individual manuscripts acquired. Personal and business papers, 1833-1929. A detailed list of contents is at A. 3919. Individual volumes have been provided with contents lists where necessary.
Contents:
I. Journals and diaries. Charles Archer, Exploration in the Burnett and Fitzroy Rivers districts, 1848, 1853. Alexander Archer, travel abroad, 1850. Colin Archer, station diaries, 1858-1859, others 1871, 1874, 1876-1877, 1881, 1883. One box. A.3873.
II. Family letters, 1833-1904. Letters from Edward Walker (David Archer's partner), 1838-1853. Letters from the Walker relations, 1845-1913. Biographical material, personal accounts and receipts, 1859-1904. Seven volumes. A.3874-3880.
III. Business and legal documents. Agreements, powers of attorney, estates papers, 1852-1887. One volume. A. 3 881.
IV. General and business correspondence, 1852-1917. Letters received, various dates in 1843-1917. For the most part deal with the day to day activities of the Archer properties. Letters dealing with personal matters as well as business have been left in these files except those from the pioneer Archer brothers which are in Section II.
The letters include one from W.J. Dangar on Neotsfield affairs 1867;
One from Lang on emigration December 1845;
One from Leichhardt May 1845;
Several from Sir Maurice O'Connell 1859-1868;
W.H. Walsh mainly on politics 1859-1860;
W.H. Wiseman 1855-1869;
Business letters from squatters and others in the Fitzroy and Burnett districts in Rockhampton and Gladstone;
Letters regarding possibilities of cattle and sheep raising in New Caledonia 1859?-1861?;
Immigration 1845-1862;
Australian Aborigines 1860;
Native police 1852, 1855;
Political campaigns 1859-1867, 1911;
Cotton cultivation 1861;
Wreck of the Jenny Lind 1862;
Meat trade 1867, 1870, 1894;
Kanakas 1883.
A combined index of the writers' names has been made and filed at A.3921. Fifteen volumes A.3882-3896.
Letters from H.W. Risien 1865, 1871-1873
Minnie Downs letters 1881-1882. One volume A.3897
Central Queensland Meat Preserving Co. 1870-1874;
Central Queensland Meat Export Co. 1889-1906. One volume A.3897
Letterbooks in five series, various dates in 1850-1917. 33 volumes A.3435-3463, A.3465-3467, A.3898.
V. Letters and accounts. From firms acting as agents in the sale of wool and other products 1856-1893. These are agents whose correspondence was extensive. They are -
Lotze and Lanarch 1856-1864;
R.G. Massie 1869-1870;
Johnson & Archer 1859-1893;
Beilby & Scott 1864-1866;
Gilchrist, Watt & Co. 1865-1871;
Brown & Risien 1880-1884;
H.W. Risien & Co. 1889-1892.
Letters from other firms are at Section IV. Seven volumes. A.3899-3905.
VI. Account books and other business records, 1843-1925. Includes correspondence with Australian Joint Stock Bank 1859-1871. 99 volumes A.3468-3536, A.3558-3566, A.3906-3908.
VII. Herd books: cattle, horses, sheep, 1852-1912. 20 volumes. A.3538-3557.
VIII. Papers repurchase of German rams, 1862-1863. One volume. A.3909.
IX. Papers regarding land ca.1840-ca.1920. Four volumes. A.3910-3913.
X. Gracemere burials and Gracemere school records, 1866-1888. Two volumes A.3569, A.3537.
XI. Mining and other companies; correspondence regarding shares etc 1862-1913. Minutes and other records of the Targinnie Prospecting Syndicate, 1901-1908. Three volumes A.3914. A.3572-3573.
XII. Photographs and sketches. One volume A.3915.
XIII. Maps 1848-1901. Many undated including maps of the Burnett River, Port Curtis and Fitzroy River districts to accompany Charles Archer's exploration diaries. One volume. D.261.
XIV. Archer, A. Historical notes and letters to, of enquiry on district, stations, and family connections. One volume A.3916.
XV. Leichhardt Club: accounts and correspondence 1864-1876. Three volumes. A.3570-3571, A.3917.
XVI. Archer, D.M. Botanical notes and specimens. A.3568.
XVII. Hodgkinson, W.O. Sketches (26) Made on N.W. expedition. Photographic copies. A.3918. MITCHELL: A.3435-3573, A.3873-3920, D.261. Microfilm FM.4/3657-3667.
Family Papers, 1826-1974. This collection is not yet formally organized and catalogued. Records are temporarily arranged according to category, in numbered boxes.
Cash books, 1886-1949 Box No.3K35294-35305.
Cheque book butts, 1908-1958 Box No.3K35306-35310.
Miscellaneous financial records. Includes legal and taxation material, share and investment details, certificates, directors' reports, balance sheets, bank statements, property and land sale records, land and stock valuations, sales accounts, wages vouchers, invoices and receipts, 1894-1964. Box No.3K35311-35345.
Stock records. Includes stock registers, breeding purchase and sale records, catalogues and certificates, stock returns, details of runs, subdivisions, resumptions, improvements etc., climatic records, sketch plan of plant, 1871-1948 Box No.3K35346-35352.
Letterbooks, letters received, 1896-1964. Box No.3K35353-35370.
Family letters and papers, 1838-1931 Box No.3K35371.
Letters regarding Torsdale Property, 1909-1931 Box No.3K35372.
Letters regarding 15 Mile Property, 1922-1943. Box No.3K35373-35374.
Letters regarding Laleham Property, 1920-1944 Box No.3K35375-3K35384.
Business papers of Archer Bros. Includes correspondence, reports of meetings, livestock and financial records, 1895-1963. Box No.3K35385-35393.
Diaries, Archer Bros, 1908-1958 Box No.3K35394-35401.
Diaries, sketchbooks, notebooks of Archer Family, ca.1850-1963. Box No.3K35402.
Legal papers of Archer family, 1826-1942. Box No.3K35402-35403.
Historical papers regarding Archer family and local area. Contents list inserted. Includes correspondence, biographical notes and reminiscences, papers of various families, journal of a trading voyage in the schooner Eliza, 1851, historical notes, ca.1833-1974. Box No.3K35404-35405.
Newspaper extracts, 1896-1959 Box No.3K35406.
Miscellaneous papers, 1877-1968. Box No.3K35406-35408.
The collection includes pictorial material. For location and description see PIC.ACC.4305,4060, ML. 7 69, ML. 7 70, in Pie. Source File. MITCHELL: 3K35294-35375, 3K35384-35408.
Correspondence, 1834-1912. Contents:
1. Letters from Archer Brothers in Australia to their families in Norway and to one another, 1852-1912, with a letter from Theodore Lous a Norwegian, 1834 and one from Wilhelmina Walker to William Walker, 1849. Contents list in volume. Mainly concerned with family affairs, descriptions of their pastoral pursuits in New South Wales and Queensland, gold digging in Victoria, and cattle droving and shipping cattle between Twofold Bay and Van Diemen's Land.
2. Letters from James Walker to members of the Archer family, mainly William Archer Senior, 1836-1838, 1847 and 1850. Concerned chiefly with advice about the Archer Sons and plans for their future in Australia. James Walker was the London representative of the Walker's New South Wales firm and the letters deal with mercantile affairs, emigration and economic affairs in general, and with market prices of sheep and crops in New South Wales. Maps at M.Ser.4000/1. ML.MSS.598 Maps 1-4. Two volumes, also negative microfilm. MITCHELL: 598, Microfilm FM.4/3660.
Additional manuscripts relating to the Archer family:
Archer Bros. Statement of account regarding sales of beef by Messrs Archer Bros Rockhampton, Queensland, to Colonial Consignment and Distribution Co. Ltd., London, 27, 28 June 1900. Xerox copies, original held by Oxley Memorial Library. MITCHELL: ML.DOC.1304.
Archer, Thomas. Journal 1852. 'Log book', i.e. journal, kept by Thomas Archer 'on board the American ship-Brutus from San Francisco to Panama ...' and continuation of voyage to England 2 January-8 May 1852. 19 cm. Describes voyage to Panama 2 January-29 February, stay of a month in Panama, journey to Aspinwall by mule, boat and train, then by ship El Dorado 11-12 April to New York. The writer embarked 28 April on S.S. America, bound for England. Diary entries end when entering St George's Channel, 8 May 1862. MITCHELL: B.1477.
Archer, Thomas. Memoirs. 'Recollections of a rambling life', 1897. Typescript condensation of the 1897 published edition, with omissions of some sections relating to the Archer family. Lent for copying by G.L. Archer Esq. of Lindfield, 1956. Unpublished, was to have been published as second edition.
Family trees of Walker and Archer families on same film. One reel negative. For family trees see Walker Family manuscript: A.3974. MITCHELL: Microfilm FM.4/205.