Summary

This item is one of our 50 Treasures: Celebrating 50 years of James Cook University.

Pam Garfoot and Elizabeth Conway answer the question 'Why is this significant?'

Not many examples exist of first-hand, contemporary accounts of pioneer life in nineteenth century Queensland. Of droving journeys, there are still fewer accounts. Even fewer remain that record a Queensland droving journey in the words of an ordinary drover. Edward Talbot's diary might be the only one to survive.

Pam Garfoot and Elizabeth Conway transcribed the diary's pages in an effort to understand what Talbot had described. An intriguing story emerged as they traced the route that had been taken and discovered the people and places that Talbot had encountered. What they found was a fascinating glimpse into Queensland's past. Their book, Capricorn drover, is planned for future publication.

The transcription revealed that the diary covered a period of about four months in 1878 when Talbot was a member of a droving team moving cattle from Waverley Station across the colony to Diamantina Lakes Station (both stations owned by entrepreneurial pastoralist John Arthur Macartney). Talbot wrote of daily events; times when things went well, and times when they went badly.

The diary is modest but revealing. Its language is simple and the entries are often perfunctory. Later entries are written with a pencil, when Talbot's writing ink was depleted. Sometimes the pages were wet as he wrote. Even so, Talbot manages to convey richly the story of his long period in the saddle, with his voice and personality emerging. He possesses a wry and ironic sense of humour, which comes through regularly, sometimes amidst the most trying of circumstances.

The fact that Talbot was not writing for an audience other than himself prompts a couple of interesting observations. Firstly, there is veracity in his daily jottings. There can have been little incentive for embroidering the truth, lending a special credibility to the diary.

Secondly, Talbot's simple record shows that he was aware of the extraordinary nature of the journey upon which he was embarking. If he – a man unaccustomed to writing – chose to commence a diary about his trip, surely he knew that this trip was beyond the experience of even well-travelled drovers and pastoralists.

The 1870s was still a time of advancing frontiers in Queensland and the diary gives us a window into that world. The diary is a valuable record of Queensland's history. It deserves a serious place in the story of the State.