Queensland Day is officially celebrated on 6 June as the birthday of the

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state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

History

Letters Patent for Colony of Queensland 1859

Moves towards statehood began with a public meeting in 1851 to consider

separation of Queensland The Separation of Queensland was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day State of Queensland in Australia was excised from the Colony of New South Wales and created as a separate Colony of Queensland. History European set ...

from the

Colony of New South Wales The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of ...

. As the push for separation gained momentum,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

was approached to consider establishing a separate colony based at

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

. The Queen gave her approval and signed the

Letters Patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

on 6 June 1859. On the same day an Order-in-Council gave Queensland its own Constitution. Queensland became a self-governing colony with its own Governor, a nominated Legislative Council and an elected Legislative Assembly. Now 6 June is celebrated by Queenslanders as the day when the new colony of Queensland was established. With the word 'Separation' painted on its hull, the ship ''Clarence'' sailed into

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

on 10 July 1859, to be greeted by a jubilant crowd eagerly awaiting the news of separation. ''Clarence'' was welcomed with a 14-gun salute, a 'blue light' display and

fireworks Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...

. On 20 July, Queensland was informed that Sir George Bowen would be the State's first

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. Celebrations resumed with fireworks, cannon fires, flag raisings and the sound of gunshots. On 10 December 1859, Governor Bowen arrived in Brisbane to a civic reception in the Botanic Gardens. He officially marked the historic occasion of Separation by reading a proclamation from the verandah of the Deanery of St. John's Cathedral.

The Sunshine State

The song, ''The Sunshine State,'' by prolific Queensland composer

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was written for the centenary of Queensland in 1959. It is still performed regularly by bands and choirs, especially on Queensland Day. Songwriter, harmonicist and clarinettist

Horrie Dargie Horace Andrew Dargie (7 July 191730 August 1999) was an Australian musician and harmonicist, television compere and manager and music label founder and arranger. Life and career Early life Horrie Dargie was born in Whyalla, South Australia, th ...

(1917-1999) recorded the song in 1959 with the famous Horrie Dargie Quintet. The quintet’s farewell concert in Sydney Town Hall before their tour of England (1952) became Australia’s first Gold Record, selling 75,000 copies.

Queensland Greats Awards

Since 2001, the Queensland Greats Awards have been presented as part of Queensland Day celebrations. These awards recognise outstanding Queenslanders for their lifetime of dedication and contribution to the development of the state and their role in strengthening and shaping the community. A posthumous category was added in 2015 and from 2016, an institution has been acknowledged annually.

References

Attribution

{{SLQ-CC-BY, url=http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2010/06/03/the-sunshine-state/, title=The Sunshine State, date=3 June 2010, authors=Laurel Dingle, accessdate=25 May 2017

External links