Strong focus on early history in Q150 celebrations

There is a strong focus on Queensland’s early history in the first round of projects to receive funding from Queensland’s 150^th Celebrations Community Funding Program Premier Peter Beattie said today.

Mr Beattie said Queensland communities had come up with a number of innovative and interesting ways to focus on their history.

“One of the most fascinating proposals has come from the Redcliffe City Council,” Mr Beattie said.

“As a result, the Queensland Government has granted $10,000 for an archaeological investigation of Redcliffe to substantiate the city’s claim as Queensland’s first European settlement, Mr Beattie said.

Mr Beattie said the project by the Redcliffe City Council had received strong support from the State Member for Redcliffe Lillian van Litsenburg. It was one of 45 projects in the first round of the Queensland’s 150^th Celebrations Community Funding Program.

Ms van Litsenburg said that while Redcliffe was proud to proclaim itself as Queensland’s first settlement city, there was a great deal of conjecture and mystery regarding the factual aspects of the initial convict settlement.

“The main aim of this project is to uncover any subsurface evidence of the first settlement site through archaeological investigation,” Ms van Litsenburg said.

“The project will not only highlight Redcliffe’s role in Queensland’s history, but provide an important legacy for the future.

“Evidence of settlement will provide heritage tourism and educational opportunities, as well as a basis from which to undertake future research into the settlement of our State,” Ms van Litsenburg said.

Mr Beattie said the history of Moreton Bay also featured in other projects receiving Q150 funding.

“The Royal Historical Society of Queensland will receive a $5,431 grant to produce a CD ROM of the proceedings of a seminar about the social history of the Moreton Bay region from 1842 to statehood in 1859,” Mr Beattie said.

“Another fascinating historical proposal came from the Music Broadcasting Society of Queensland Limited. It will receive $10,000 to develop “Queensland tales” a DVD and radio program about the communities of Byrnestown and Cribb Island.

“Byrnestown was a cooperative community established in Gayndah in the late 1800’s through the Australian Labour Federation Scheme.

“The settlers, who came from Ireland were given land, but their settlement failed as a result of drought and other calamities.

“Cribb Island was also set up in the late 1800s and survived until 1985 when the island was resumed for the extension of the Brisbane Airport.

“Cribb Island may be the only complete community in Australia to be demolished in the name of progress.”

“While a number of projects with State-wide significance are being planned by the Queensland Government for 2009, we recognise that the success of the year of celebrations depends on participation at a truly grass-roots community level,” Mr Beattie said.

“The government has allocated $4 million to the 150^th Celebrations Community Funding Program, which will provide grants of between $2,000 and $10,000 over three rounds between now and 2009.

“I urge all communities to consider the projects they would like to undertake to mark our 150^th birthday and apply for rounds two and three of this scheme.”

Nominations for the second round of grants will open in February next year, with the third and final round opening in June 2008.

Details on the grants program are available from the Queensland’s 150^th Celebrations website – www.q150.qld.gov.au

Media Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500