Cultural Artefact: Cairns. Mr Allan McInnes McDonnell Harris Solicitors 33 SPENCE Street Cairns, 4870
Summary
Mr. Mclnnes has an extensive private collection of Australiana, much of which relates to the history of Central and Northern Queensland. It includes manuscripts, rare books, almanacs, newspapers, periodicals, government publications and reports, photographs, maps and charts. The following is a selective listing of the collection:
BOOKS
Published journals of overland exploration include those of Leichhardt, Burke and Wills, Sir Thomas Mitchell, the Gregory Brothers, E.B.C. Kennedy, John McKinlay, William Landsborough, the Jardine Brothers, Ernest Fauene and J.G. MacDonald. There has been particular emphasis on the collection of early maritime records; these include those of Spanish, Portuguese and French navigators, and later records of British seamen and naturalists such as Cook, Joseph Banks, Matthew Flinders, J. Lort Stokes, John MacGillivray, John Moresby, J.B. Jukes and T.H. Huxley. A useful collection of historical maps and charts is also held. Nineteenth century and early twentieth century accounts of colonial experiences and adventures include most of the well known authors such as W.H. Corfield, Robert Gray, W.R.O. Hill, E.B. Kennedy, Thomas Major, E. Palmer, J.B. Stevenson, A.W. Stirling and T.P.L. Weitemeyer. Scientific or other specialized works include publications by Richard Daintree, R.L. Jack, W. Lees, J.H. Reid, Archibald Meston, Carl Lumholtz, E.M. Curr, Gilbert White, E.R. Gribble, and W. Saville-Kent. Other holdings of particular interest are: C.W. Bowly, Letters from Australia, MM. Bennett, Christison of Lammermoor, J.T.S. Bird, Early History of Rockhampton, Edmund Gregory, Narrative of James Murrells, 1865, and also political works by C.A. Bemays.
MANUSCRIPTS AND LIMITED CIRCULATION PUBLICATIONS
Cairns-Mulgrave Tramway, reports and by-laws:
1. Report on Initiation and Construction to 30 June 1898.
2. By-law no. 1, 9 November 1898.
3. Report for year to 30 June 1900.
4. Report for year to 30 June 1901, including an additional report relating to the abolition of Kanaka labour in Queensland.
Cairns Stock Exchange. Certificates of membership, 1906, 3 items.
Charters Towers, mining records.
1. The Compulsory Winding Up of Limited Companies at Charters Towers, 1890.
2. Report of the Board of Inquiry into the proposal of T. Mills to sink deep shafts at Charters Towers, 1913.
Gulf of Carpentaria.
1. Papers relating to of Rivers running into Gulf of Carpentaria in the vicinity of Sweers Island and Point Parker.
2. Papers and reports of rivers running into Gulf of Carpentaria including survey of waters in vicinity of Sweers Island and Point Parker, 1880. [no further details available]
Hawkins, Captain Joseph Edwards. Cruise of the Nautilus from Flat-Top Island (near Mackay) on 16 November 1887 to return to Flat-Top Island on 13 April 1888.
Holdercowl, T. Some of my experiences - Gulf of Carpentaria and Normanton, n.d., [1870], [typescript?]
Huxley, T.H. Diary of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake (copy from the manuscript of Julian Huxley), 1935.
Jacomb, E. The Future of the Kanakas, n.d., [typescript?].
MacDonald,J.G. Journey of an expedition from Port Denison to the Gulf of Carpentaria, 1865.
Moreley, H.N. Notes by a naturalist on the Challenger, 1879.
See Poy Diary, [Sze Pui, Taam], My Life and Work, published privately 1925 and reprinted 1971. Chinese script with English subtitles.
Swallow Brothers, Hambledon Mill. Agreement with M. Okado, 22 June 1896, for work by Japanese labour in the sugar industry.
GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Includes handbooks, directories, extracts from Parliamentary Debates and Votes and Proceedings. Government reports on regional mining fields from 1895, including reports by L.C. Ball, M.E. Camerin, W.E. Cameron, B. Dunstan, R.L. Jack, E.O. Marks, W.H. Rands, T.H. Reid, E.G. Saint Smith and S.B.T. Skertkley; Mines Department Annual Reports date from 1884. Sugar Industry records include Reports of Royal Commissions: 1920, 1931, 1939, 1943, 1963, and W.E. Parry-Okeden, Report on the North Queensland Aborigines and the Native Police, 1897 is included.
ALMANACS
Pugh's Almanac, 1867, 1873, 1874, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1883, 1884, 1886-1905, 1911, 1912, 1914-1916, 1920, 1926, 1927. Note: 1886, 1892, 1926, 1927 imperfect.
Sapsford, Queensland Almanac, 1911. Willmett, T., Cleveland Bay Almanac, 1876.
NEWSPAPERS
Aboriginal News (Yarrabah), monthly.
volume 2, no.3 November 1906, 2 copies, volume 2, no. 6 February 1907, 2 copies, no.6 March 1907, no.6 April 1907, no.7 May 1907, no.7 June 1907, no.8 July 1907, no.11 August 1907, no.13 November 1907, no.14 January 1908.
Volume 3, no.15 February 1908, no.16 March 1908, no.17 April 1908, no.18 May 1908, no.19 June 1908, no.20 July 1908, no.21 August 1908, 2 copies, no.22 September 1908, 2 copies, no.22 December 1908,
Volume 5, no.25 March 1909, no.25 April 1909, no.26 May 1909, no.27 June 1909, no.27 July 1909, 2 copies, [1 August?], no.27 January 1910, no.27 September 1910.