Development

Darling Downs land use map, 1952. Under the Land and Water Resources Development Acts, 1943 to 1946, the Bureau of Investigation’s annual report summarised its inquiry into agricultural development in the Darling Downs. The report included a ‘tentative’ soil map to assist future planning as well as this land use map. This map showed areas under cropping and different types of grazing and was compiled using aerial photographs and records from the government statistician. Queensland parliamentary papers, vol 2, 1952

Australian sugar growing and refining sites, c1950. This map shows both the major Australian sugar growing districts along the Queensland coast and northern New South Wales, and also the sugar refineries that were located in Bundaberg, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. It details how much processing of the raw sugar cane was done away from the source. The inset demonstrates the export of sugar from far North Queensland to the rest of the world, which accounted for about half of the raw sugar produced in Australia. Collection of the Centre for the Government of Queensland, the University of Queensland

Proposed Queensland sugar mill locations, 1923. In 1922, the Queensland Government appointed William Harris to chair a Royal Commission into the most suitable locations for future sugar mills. From 10 October to 13 December the Royal Commission inspected and listened to the testimony of witnesses at many of these proposed locations. Together with the evidence of interested people, the commission heard from master mariners, Crowns Lands Rangers, officers of the Public Estate Improvement Branch, and other departments of the Public Service. The product of the Royal Commission was a report presented to the parliament which included this map. Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the most suitable locations for sugar mills which may be erected in the near future, Brisbane, Government Printer, 1923

Proposed sugar mill sites, Tully and Banyan area, 1923. This detailed map of the Tully River and Banyan area was included as an appendix to the 1923 report by the Royal Commission into the most suitable locations for sugar mills in Queensland. The members of the commission were quite taken with the Tully site, noting: ‘These lands are the most suitable for cane growing that we inspected, and stand out on their own in comparison with other areas brought under our notice’. Proposed sugar mill sites are shown with a red mark. Notably, each of these marks are located in, or adjacent to ‘forest lands’. ‘Smyth’s site’ (Portion 16, and the second mark from the top of the map), appeared to the commission as the most suitable for a sugar mill in the district. The commission reported, ‘The question of a mill and township site, however, including a scheme for drainage, would require to be very carefully investigated by expert surveyors and engineers in order that the most suitable site may be secured.’ With the sympathies of the then Queensland Premier, and North Queenslander, Edward Theodore, this site was later chosen as the location of the Tully Mill and an adjoining township. Tully Mill would become the largest sugar mill in Australia. Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the most suitable locations for sugar mills which may be erected in the near future, Brisbane, Government Printer, 1923