State Library of Queensland has its newest exhibition Islands, exploring the sometimes dark underbelly of Queensland islands.
Islands will explore the hidden histories of Queensland’s islands and will aim to reshape our knowledge of these close but faraway places. The exhibition will explore places like Peel Island, where Phyllis Ebbage was isolated from her husband and young daughters and forced to live in a leper colony for decade without ever receiving a clear diagnosis of leprosy.
From Peel Island’s leprosarium and St Helena Island’s penal settlement to the story of Eliza Fraser and the development of tourism on Lindeman Island, Islands brings together some of the lesser known stories of the state’s island life. The exhibition will feature a vast collection of collected artifacts such as handwritten notes, strange early tourism posters and intricate marine biology sketches from the 1800s.
Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the exhibition will show both the dark and sunny sides of Queensland’s diverse island landscape. “The exhibition will evoke images of tropical beach lifestyle and desirable holiday destinations, as well as of isolated places of incarceration and for people who were thought to be afflicted with disease,”said Leeanne. “This exhibition is another way the State Library of Queensland connects us to its vast collection and enhances our knowledge of Queensland’s history by sharing stories, images and moments from our past.”
State librarian and CEO Vicki MacDonald believes that as a custodian of Queensland’s collective memory, the State Library is in a unique position to tell the story of our state’s islands due to their extensive collection of items.“The exhibition is an emotive and informative experience, and highlights the often unknown stories of life on Queensland’s many islands. It aims to bring a different perspective to the usual surf, sand and sun stereotype,” she said.
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