We hold records that are specific to the business of running the Government, including Cabinet and Executive council processes, Government buildings and employment of civil servants.
Finding government records
Research guides
Research guides give information about the types of records you might find on different topics, and relevant series of records that may help get you started.
The indexes are collections of information from our most popular records (usually peoples’ names) that link to ArchivesSearch catalogue. Search indexes about government records below.
Registers of personal accounts for pensions paid through the Treasury to persons who were previously employed by the Imperial Government who were living in places such as Rockhampton, Mackay, Charters Towers, Roma and Townsville
Correspondence about indigence or extreme poverty cases or including memos or police reports or correspondence and usually an application form or letter requesting assistance
Registers of Logan Village Cemetery and Beaudesert Cemetery registers giving date of burial (or death), name of deceased, occupation, age; from 1991 also includes sex (gender), fees, where buried, undertaker's name, denomination, name of minister, and remarks.
Old age pensions were paid by the Queensland Government from July 1908. In July 1909 the Commonwealth Government began paying old age pensions and payments by the state government appear to have ceased about June 1909. Each entry in the register gives the number, date of claim, name and age of claimant, number of years resident in Queensland and present place of residence, Commissioner's recommendation as to whether claim should be allowed or rejected and suggested rate of payment, minister's decision on claim, number of pension certificate and office from which the pension was to be paid.
Record of persons receiving outdoor relief, with the monthly amount paid. The registers are divided by town or suburb of Brisbane, and details for each entry, though varying over time, include name, number, month of year and amount paid.
Index to correspondence of the Colonial Secretary. Arranged by name of correspondent about matters such as Aborigines, land, customs, immigration, police including native police, Courts of Petty Sessions, local governments, prisons, hospitals, aliens, education, legislation, military establishments, foreign correspondence, mining, schedules of tender, licenses, incorporation of towns, applications for naturalization and employment, petitions and appointments.
ArchivesSearch provides access to QSA’s collection of records, including documents, letters, land orders, maps, plans and images. For help searching, read the ArchivesSearch help guide.
Cabinet is the decision-making body of the Queensland Government and is made up of The Premier and all Ministers of the Crown. The first Queensland Cabinet was formed in December 1859.
Cabinet minutes are the formal record of the decisions Cabinet makes on a specific issue. The issues discussed affect the whole of Queensland and may set precedent for future State government policy. Examples of Cabinet matters include:
law reform
significant policy issues and initiatives
release of discussion papers
intergovernmental agreements
important appointments to government boards and committees.
Before 1957, Cabinet minutes were not officially recorded—decisions were noted on the relevant departmental files by the Minister(s). From 1957 onwards, the decisions and documents of Cabinet meetings have been recorded by the Cabinet Secretary—a non-political, senior public servant— on behalf of the Premier.
Cabinet minutes are subject to a minimum access restriction period of 20 years, with most records subject to a 30 year access restriction period.
Cabinet minutes are released from an embargo period on 1 January each year. For example, the 1986 Cabinet minutes were released from embargo on 1 January 2017.
Cabinet minutes from 1985 onwards are available on ArchivesSearch. You can find them by searching for a Minister’s name or keyword(s), or a Cabinet decision number, if you know it.
We have a number of reports, written by historians and researchers, that discuss the background, important decisions and selected highlights for each year since 1972.
Read our research guide for more about researching Cabinet minutes.
Gazettes
Queensland State Archives does not hold Queensland Government Gazettes as these are publications of the Queensland Government.
Spelling of names was not as consistent as it is today, so be sure to check alternatives—e.g. Thompson and Thomson.
Names may have been incorrectly indexed as the handwriting is sometimes difficult to read or the ink has faded.
The capital letters L, T, F and S are often confused as lower-case letters n, m, u and w. This means that Taylor may indexed as Laylor or Brum may be indexed as Bruin.
The use of double ‘s’ (ss) often looks like fs, so Ross will be indexed as Ross but may appear in the record as Rofs.
Names may have been written in the record phonetically as the clerks wrote the names as they heard them. Think about how it could be spelt as it was heard.
Some given names are abbreviated as they appear in the original record
Some records are restricted for several years.
Some records have not survived.
A blank cell indicates that there is no information recorded in the original.
