Summary

William Eugene Finucane was born in 1844 in Corfu Garrison during the British occupation, the son of Colonel George Thurles Finucane, a British army officer. He was educated at Lord Gilfoyle's College at Corfu and became a painter, sculptor and journalist in his adult years.

In 1865, at the invitation of Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland, he came to Brisbane where he joined the staff of the Lands Department. He was one of Australia's earliest pioneers. During this time, together with Messrs Thistlethwaite, Atkinson and Burkitt, he established the Ipswich Punch, the first publication of its kind in the colony.

He was transferred to Normanton in 1866 and was amongst those responsible for the opening up of the district about Burketown and Normanton. His career also included sixteen years as Chief Clerk with the Police Department and a period in Europe as the commercial agent for Queensland. He died in Melbourne on 13 March 1927.

The records are in the form of a scrapbook which includes old letters, photographs and documents relating to W. E. Finucane's family and career.