Queensland origins on show in Queen Street Mall

Published Wednesday, 22 June, 2016 at 07:24 AM

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business
The Honourable Leeanne Enoch

Ahead of the State of Origin clash at Suncorp Stadium, the origins of Queensland will go on display in Queen St Mall today.

The State’s birth certificate – the Proclamation of Queensland - will be available for viewing before the mighty Maroons take on New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium this evening.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch, described the Proclamation as the Queensland’s most important founding document.

“Without it, we would not be celebrating State of Origin today,” Ms Enoch said.

“It is only appropriate that today, a day when we proudly wear maroon, that we give Queenslanders the opportunity to get close to such an important part of our state’s story."

“This is our Queensland ‘Origin’ story, the beginning of identifying ourselves as Queenslanders, and we should be proud of it.”

Queen Victoria signed the Letters Patent on 6 June 1859 creating the new colony of Queensland, but the state could not officially separate from New South Wales until the new Governor arrived from England and the Letters Patent published in the Government Gazette.

“The Proclamation of Queensland was read out by Mr Abram Moriarty, the first Clerk of the Executive Council, on 10 December 1859 after Queensland’s first Governor, Sir George Ferguson Bowen, arrived in Brisbane,” Ms Enoch said.

“Around 4000 jubilant people greeted Governor Bowen when he stepped ashore at the Botanic Gardens in Brisbane over 150 years ago.”

The Proclamation of Queensland resides at Queensland State Archives at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn.

The story of Queensland is captured within the many kilometres of records held in the vast repositories on site, beginning with the establishment of the Moreton Bay penal colony in 1823.

The Archives are open to the public Monday to Friday, and every second Saturday of the month, from 9am to 4.30pm.

Media contact: Daniel Lato 0438 830 201