Appendix 5
The Indian and Colonial Exhibition of 1886
A list of the Queensland Exhibits assembled for
London’s Indian and Colonial Exhibition of May 1886
as detailed in the Brisbane Courier of 22nd December 1885
The only specimen of machinery in the display was a quartz-crushing device which was manufactured for the Queensland Government by Messrs. John Walker and Sons of Maryborough. It was intended that its inclusion would serve to direct attention to the colony’s mineral specimens which could, in turn, assist in conveying to the British viewers some idea of the potential for the development of the great mines whose resources still lay undiscovered in Queensland.
Specimens from the Hodgkinson goldfield obtained by the Commissioners’ appointee, Mr. Clarke, comprised nearly 2,000 specimens of ore and he had also obtained representative collections from the Palmer and Herberton districts. The Ravenswood, Peak Downs, Crocodile, and Norton fields were also represented in the display as was Mr. Clarke’s ore collections from Charters Towers and Tinaroo with some of the Charters Towers samples being remarkably rich in mineral. Samples typical of the mineral resources of the Stanthorpe and Gladstone districts were supplied by local committees.
Privately provided samples of minerals for exhibit included:
Copper ores and other specimens from Mr. H. Salmon, Clermont;
Rich auriferous quartz from Mr. Howard St. George, of Maytown;
Iron ore samples from Mr. J. Harris J.P. with paint pigments made from them by Mr. K, T. Staiger;
Argentiferous galena in very large blocks from the Ravenswood Silver Mining Company;
A magnificent collection mainly of copper carbonates and red copper oxides from the Cloncurry Copper Company;
Specimens of galena weighing nearly 6½ cwt. from Messrs. Ashton Brothers of Sellheim River, Northern Queensland;
A splendid mineralogical collection, principally of samples of copper, from Mr. W. S. C. Adrian of Nebo;
A large block of copper weighing about 1½ ton from Mr. R. H. Sheaffe of the Leichhardt River;
Ores of various kinds and ingots containing lead, silver and gold, from the Ravenswood Gold Smelting Company;
Plumbago from Mr. C. S. A. Drain, of Mount Bopple;
Splendid specimens of molybdenum from Mr. J. G. Francis of Mackay;
A collection of minerals from Messrs. Beckett and Mills of Mount Britain;
Beautiful specimens of gold from Mr. Thomas Mills of Charters Towers;
Tin ores from the Bulimba Smelting Works; and
Minerals from Messrs. Donald Brothers of Ravenswood.
The Charters Towers Local Committee had contributed quartz sulphides. Some of the sulphides of silver recently unearthed at Ravenswood were also on display and Mr. F. Mauve, the then current inspector, exhibited a collection of mining implements. The Ravenswood sulphide specimens being of a very substantial nature were 10 inches in thickness and had been mined at a vertical depth of 650 feet. They assayed from 500 oz. to 5,000 oz. of silver per ton.
The working crushing machine model on display had the quartz ore for its feedstock supplied by mines of various goldfields in the colony. Each of the goldfields displayed gilded blocks showing the total amount of quartz ore that had been mined, and the quantity of gold that had been produced from these ores. Mr. Clarke had prepared a revolving microscope with which the finer specimens of the mineralogical exhibits could be given a minute examination.
Samples of the coal measures of Queensland were forwarded by the Stafford Brothers of Bundamba and by the Borehole Company, whose colliery was in the same locality. A large block of coal, about 6½ feet in height, which had been cut to uncover the contained fireclay, was exhibited by Mr. James Robertson of Torbanlea Colliery, Maryborough, while additional specimens of coal had been received for the display from the Walloon Coal Company.
Another important feature of the Queensland Court was the display of timbers ----------. The samples the commissioners had secured were prepared for the show by Messrs. Pettigrew and Sons, of William Street. The exhibits consisted of 400 to 500 logs each 2 foot 6 inches long with the bark left on one side and of pieces of wood in book form either polished, varnished, or veneered.
A large variety of timber samples had also been received from the following private exhibitors: Messrs. J. W. Jackson and Company of Mitchell (which included some fine specimens of bloodwood and of cypress pine); Messrs. Walsh and Brook, of Cardwell; Messrs. J. Fairlie and Sons of Maryborough; Mr. O. E. Adams of Goondi Plantation, Johnstone River; the Gladstone local committee and 500 varieties from Mr. T. Han of Burketown. Messrs. Fairlie and Sons’ exhibit comprised a very large cedar plank with some specimens of joinery. Mr. Isaac Burgess also provided two large logs of solid cedar, one having a length of 12 feet 8 inches, with a girth of 20 feet 5 inches providing 3,859 super feet of solid timber; the other with a girth of 18 feet 5 inches containing 3,266 super feet of solid timber. From the Mackay district Mr. J. Brown provided a handsome obelisk which consisted of 2,063 separate pieces and Mr. W. D. Cooke, the local engineer, supplied a table of his own construction. Both items were made from the district’s indigenous timber.
The wool exhibit was of a scale commensurate with the importance of the colony’s pastoral interests and included large numbers of black and white samples, in fleece and in bale, of all the colony’s wool varieties. It was expected that one result of this display would be to show that wool of the best quality could be grown just as well in northern, as in southern, Australia. Amongst the principal wool exhibitors were: Messrs. Gore and Company of Yandilla; The Darling Downs and Western Lands Company; Messrs. Shanahan and Jennings of Westbrook, Darling Downs; Mr. C. B. Fisher of Ellengowan; Sir E. Wienholt of Goomburra; Messrs. Marshall and Slade of Glengallan, Warwick; Messrs. Fanning, Nankivell and Company of Tambo; Mr. O. Armytage of Alton Downs Station; Mr. W. Allan of Braeside; The Queensland Land and Pastoral Company of Dandine; Messrs. Hodgson and Ramsay of Etonvale; Mr. B. M’Kay of Mackay; The Queensland Pastoral Company of Pikedale; Mr. J. D. Macaush of Canning Downs; Mr. George Clarke of East Talgai; Mr. F. Struver of Pine Creek; and Messrs. Chermside, Riley and Company of Vindex, North Gregory. A manufactured woollen product was provided by the Queensland Woollen Manufacturing Company.
Of all classes represented in the colony’s display the sugar-planters appeared to be most alive to the importance of having Queensland adequately represented at the Exhibition. Despite the many serious discouragements that they had encountered they had, judging from the number of their exhibits, rallied round the commissioners with praiseworthy zeal. Samples of their saccharine products had been forwarded by: Messrs. Penny and Company, Mr. W. Adams, Messrs. A. H. and E. Young all of Bundaberg; Mr. J. M. M’Bryde, Messrs. Paget Bros., Mr. A. Henderson and Mr. H, M’Creedy, the Melbourne-Mackay and the Mackay Co-operative Company - all of Mackay; Mr. M’Kenzie of Seaforth; The Hamleigh Sugar Company, Lower Herbert; Mr. A. A, Robinson of Helensvale, Coomera; The Mourilyan Sugar Company; Messrs. Nolan and Wanliss of Johnstone River; Messrs. Wood Brothers of Herbert River; The Colonial and the Gairloch Sugar Companies; Messrs. Swallow and Derham of Cairns; The Queensland Sugar Company of Geraldton; Messrs. Cran and Co. of Millaquin Bundaberg; The Yeppoon Sugar Company of Rockhampton and others. Waste products from sugar mills, suitable for use as cattle food, were provided by Mr. W. K. Witty.
Great difficulty had been experienced by the commissioners in getting farmers to take an active interest in the Exhibition no doubt due to the continuance of the adverse seasons which had left the Queensland agricultural industry in a poor position to benefit from the general competition. -------- . Farm produce samples were displayed by:
Mr. A. Hutchinson of Gympie, and by Mr. H. Franklin of Pine Creek, the samples being of a varied and comprehensive character;
Arrowroot was displayed by Mr. Doherty, Messrs. F. Lahey and Sons of Pimpama; Mr. D. Hart of Mosman River and Mr. J. L. Cowley of the North Pine River;
Rice, coffee and ginger were displayed by Mr. Hart;
Coffee was displayed by Messrs. J. K. Burnet and Dickson of Buderim Mountain; Mr. Baillie of Pimpama and by Mr. Costello of Mackay; and both arrowroot and coffee were included in a display provided by the convict establishment of St. Helena;
Wheat and flour were displayed by Messrs. W. and O. Hayes of Warwick; and
Indian wheat that had been grown for the commissioners at Tambourine.
This marks the end of the agricultural exhibits.
The Central Queensland Meat Export Company of Rockhampton provided an animal-based product and a rival product of the same description was supplied by the Hogarth Australian Meat-preserving Company of Oakey Creek. A model of the Poole Island meat works at Bowen was exhibited by Mr. A. J. Vagg. Tallows, smoked tongues, neatsfoot oil, blood and bone, and similar products were contributed by Mr. J. H. Gilbert of the Alligator Creek Works.
The chief exhibits of local industry were specimens of the saddlery, tailoring, tinware, boots and shoes together with the arrowroot, coffee etc made and grown at the convict establishment on St. Helena Island. Despite the general disinclination of local manufacturers to provide exhibits there were a few commendable instances of individual enterprise. Mr. E. E. Jarman, of Queen Street provided a very fine display of saddlery and splendid assortments of leather work were supplied by Mr. Peck of Brisbane and by Mr. Stephens, with additional leather work coming from the Toowoomba tanneries. Horse riders found an attraction in a saddle made by Mr. William Purcell, of Rockhampton, designed for use in the breaking-in of horses and for ordinary station work Note 1 and it was also said to be suitable for military use.
Messrs. A. Forsyth and Company of Kangaroo Point provided a variety of ropes of their own manufacture, some of Queensland fibres.
A display of silk, cocoons, and coffee was forwarded by Miss Gibson, of Stanmore, who assigned the latter exhibit to the Prince of Wales, in the hope that his Royal Highness may then have felt inclined to taste Queensland product. Mr. P. P. Johnson of Rosedale also intimated that Great Britain’s Heir to the Crown may, if he pleased, have a hundred weight of potato flour from his display.
Amongst the other manufactures exhibited were:
Woollen product by the Queensland Woollen Manufacturing Company;
Wools coloured by vegetable dyes by Mr. Swan of Leichhardt Street;
Soaps and candles by Mr. W. Hancock of Ipswich;
Dugong oils, bacon, beef, and hides by Mr. Jas. A. Hamilton of Dunwich;
Pepper and coffee by Mr. C. F. Chubb;
Grass-tree gum and kangaroo sinews for surgical use by Mr. G. J. Wickham of Toolburra;
Pickles, jams and similar, Mr. C. Hardy of the Eight-mile Plains;
Golden syrup by the Brisbane Refinery Company;
Tanning barks from Bundaberg;
Soaps by Mr. R. Ruddell also of Bundaberg;
Flour by Mr. Jas. Dougall of Allora; and
Canes from Mr. A. Meston of Cairns.
Building stones from the Helidon quarries were shown by Mr. J. A. Pearson and several varieties of this material were also displayed by the Gladstone and Rockhampton Committees. A building stone, of a similar nature to that used in the erection of the Government Printing Office, was supplied by Messrs. Carroll Brothers of O’Connell Town. Blocks of white marble and of granite were sent by Mr. H. Friend of Gladstone whilst Campbell and Sons, of Brisbane, and Mr. W, Greaves of Warwick also provided building stones and marble. Mr. J. Harrison of Bundaberg and Mr. J. Northing of the Beenleigh Brick Works sent specimens of their bricks and clay, while additional bricks and pottery were contributed by the Waterstone Brick Company and by the Dinmore Brick Works.
Wines manufactured in the colony were represented by products from Ipswich, Toowoomba, Warwick and Rosewood. Samples of rum were provided by Beenleigh, Loganholme, Caboolture, Normanby, Milton, the Melbourne-Mackay Sugar Company and the Pleystowe Sugar Company Distilleries. Ales and stout were provided by the City Brewery Bundaberg and the Townsville Brewery Company. These beverages, together with some spa water and cordials from Helidon, Ipswich and Bundaberg made up the Queensland liquor and cordial list. Mr. D. Clarke of Maryborough, and Mr. T. Ingham of Rockhampton provided samples of medicinal eucalyptus preparations.
Amongst the miscellaneous exhibits there was a large collection of clam shells of immense size, mixed with other coastal shells and a large collection of pearls and pearl-shell from the Torres Straits supplied by Mr. Frank G. Brown. Native curios and weapons were displayed by Messrs. Walsh and Brook of Cardwell, Mr. E. Morley of Clermont and by Mr. F. J. Murray of Blackall. Large glass cases of native birds came from Mr. Bytheway of Gympie and from Mr. B. M. Hyne of Maryborough, while a case containing a fine entomological collection was displayed by Mr. J. C. Baird, of Cooktown. Another curio was a stuffed snake Note 2 21 feet in length, which would be one of the largest ever found in Australia, and which was forwarded by Mr. George H. Brewster of Cooktown, together with other specimens of natural history which included the skin of a large alligator Note 3 provided by Mr. P. A. Raymond of Mackay. Queensland animal skins made into hearthrugs, chest preservers, capes, etc were on display ---------- as were kangaroo skins from the Stanthorpe Committee.
Mr. Shane, of the Botanic Gardens, Bowen, sent an example of a humpy, or bush hut, and Mr. F. A. Blackman of Breakfast Creek an interesting model of a stockyard, completely furnished with appliances. A model of a Cobb and Co. coach gave the cockneys some idea of the vehicles in which travellers in the Queensland bush were jolted along on their uncomfortable journeys. Mr. H. Farley, of Stanthorpe, contributed an interesting model of a tin mine, every section of which being made according to scale. ----------. A novel and ingenious sundial or ‘settler’s clock’ displayed the name of its inventor, Henry E. Fisher of Woolloongabba.
Thanks are due to Mr. W. Samwell, gold warden at Georgetown, for an excellent collection of weapons used by the aborigines and of some water colour views of the Etheridge district. He also sent water samples from some of the local boiling springs, which are said to have waters of great medicinal value. These samples were exhibited complete with copies of their chemical analyses. New Guinea was represented by curios collected and forwarded by Captain Liljieblad, of the Ellangowan missionary steamer, the Hon. John Douglas, Mr. H. Milman, P.M. Note 4 of Cooktown, Mr. Livesley of the Courier staff and Mr. Foxton. Examples of local art were illustrated by the water colours and oil paintings of Mr. William Austin, Mr. J. A. Clark and Mr. W. Jenner.
The Government Printer sent specimens of his department’s work; Mr. Bailey, the Government Botanist, supplied a collection of orchids and other live plants; Mr. M’Pherson, of the Queensland Museum, prepared a collection of Queensland fibres and the Education Department provided specimens of scholastic work and the Commissioners themselves exhibited an old bullock dray, pack saddles and similar colonial artifacts to exemplify the nature of bush life. This particular display was reinforced by essays written by Mr. P. B. Gordon on the subject of wool, Mr. Horace Earle on commerce, Mr. A. J. Boyd on life in the colony, Mr. Robinson on education in Queensland, Mr. H. Tryon on native animals, Mr. H. L. Jack on Geology, Mr. K. T. Staiger on the colony’s mining industries, Mr. D. Bancroft on pharmaceutical products, Mr. T. Wright on horticulture, and by Mr. P. Fletcher on the colony’s agricultural and sugar producing industries.
Note 1: This item sounds very similar to the traditional Australian stock saddle.
Note 2: Almost certainly a python.
Note 3: A crocodile and, coming from Cooktown, almost certainly of the saltwater variety.
Note 4: The Police Magistrate?