Portraits of Alexander, William and Thomas Archer, ca. 1860-1900

PXX 57

fonds

ca. 1860-1900

Graphic Materials, Photographs

918293

3 photographs (1 folder) - albumen and gelatin silver, all mounted - approx. 70.5 x 57 cm, on mount 71 x 60.5 cm or less

The Archer brothers were explorers and pioneers in Central Queensland, then part of the colony of New South Wales. They came from Norway and were of Scottish stock. There were nine brothers: David, William, Charles, John, Thomas, Colin, James, Archibald and Alexander. The brothers came and went from Australia at various times. David Archer was the first to settle in Australia in 1834. His brothers William (1818-1896) and Thomas (1823-1905) joined him in 1838. Alexander (1828-1890) arrived in 1852. Thomas explored land in the Moreton, Fitzroy Downs and Burnett regions and took up land on the Burnett River where the Archers established the Coonambla and Eidsvold stations. He acted as agent-general for Queensland in London, 1881-1884 and 1888-1890. In his last years he returned to Norway. Alexander had a successful banking career with the Bank of New South Wales. He was drowned in 1890 when the ‘Quetta’ sank off the coast in far north Queensland. William managed Eton Vale station on the Darling Downs, and afterwards Gracemere in the region of Rockhampton. He also returned to Norway in later life.

References:
The founding of Rockhampton and the Archer Brothers by William Clark, read at a meeting of the Historical Society of Queensland, 12 Oct. 1917. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:207324/s18378366_1919_1_6_327.pdf (accessed 18 July 2013)
Cairns Post. 6 April 1938. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/42131474 (accessed via Trove 18 July 2013)
Australian Heritage Places Inventory. Gracemere Homestead. http://www.heritage.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahpi/record.pl?QLD600508 (accessed 18 July 2013)

Portraits of early Queensland pioneers: Alexander Archer, Thomas Archer and William Archer.

Forms part of the Archer family aggregated collection of papers and photographs, 1826-1974

Out of copyright: Created before 1955
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Pic.Acc. Upgrade Project - Information transferred from Pic.Acc.5594 as part of the eRecords Project 2013-14
Transferred from PXD 1361, 13 November 2023

On back of portrait of William Archer, written in pencil: 'William Archer. Coonambula Station, Burnett District, Q., taken up in 1847. Gracemere Station, Central Queensland, taken up in 1853. On the later exploring trip the Fitzroy River on which is the Gracemere Run was located and named.'

Very faint inscription on portrait of Thomas, at bottom right: 'Swiss Studios Sydney'

End date based on year Swiss Studios ceased to operate in Sydney