Summary

Dr. Lyndon Megarrity answers the question 'Why is this item significant?'

In 1933, the Townsville Chamber of Commerce commemorated its first fifty years (1882-1932) by publishing a 112-page brochure boldly titled "Advance Australia": Townsville Chamber of Commerce Jubilee Brochure, 1882-1932. It stressed the economic and civic potential of North Queensland as a whole, although Townsville's role as a major shipping and railway hub was acknowledged. Its compiler/author, H.B. Marks, was secretary of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce from 1906 to 1943.

What is the historical significance of the Jubilee Brochure? First, it captured the essence of North Queensland and Australia during the interwar period, when lingering doubts about the viability of European settlement in the tropics remained, when the romantic but impractical notion of settling the unemployed on the land en masse remained popularly supported, and when the idea of North Queensland as a part of the British Empire remained strong. All of these ideas would gradually become outdated in the decades following the Second World War.

Secondly, the advertisements that accompany the volume tell their own story of the changing nature of living in North Queensland. An advertisement enticing readers to 'Come to Bowen the Beautiful' reminds us of the amenities we now take for granted but which were still relatively luxurious for many people in the 1930s. For example, Bowen's Grand View Hotel was 'fitted with Electric Light, running water in all rooms, and Septic System.' Elsewhere, the Townsville branch of Burns, Philp & Co, general merchants, placed an advertisement catering for the rising number of middle-class travellers able to secure an overseas trip: 'World-Tour and Travel Agents. Passages Booked to all parts of the World—by any Line.' Those on more restricted budgets might have been tempted by the tourist trips, fishing and boating parties arranged by the Grand View Hotel's staff.

Finally, there are northern themes present in the brochure that transcend their 1930s context. The author's insistence that the north was missing out because of Brisbane-centric government remains a persistent theme in today's political climate. His interest in China-Australia trade was in part a reflection of the links between Asia and North Queensland that have existed since the gold rush era of the 1870s. Lastly, while the text was focused on the region as a whole, its photos and advertisements revealed the port city of Townsville's increasing position as the unofficial capital of North Queensland.

Much of Townsville's growth was based on commercial activities in the central business district including major stores, professional firms and eateries. By the 1980s, the CBD, centred on Flinders Street, was in decline as suburban shopping centres grew and there was less need for residents to venture into the 'heart' of the city. But that's another story.