Mathewson family and Cribb family biographies

'Jack Trevallon Mathewson: Some Historical Accounts of His Life' is a biography of John Trevallon Mathewson (known as Jack Mathewson), written by Alan Reeve North. The document contains a brief biography of Jack Mathewson (covering his education, youth and service during World War 1), as well as a photograph of Jack Mathewson; a photograph of Mr Thomas Matheson; a photograph of Jack Mathewson's family and friends as they welcome him home on his return from China; and a photograph from the wedding of Jack Mathewson and Leila Gwendolyn Davis. Also included is the text of 32 newspaper articles relating Jack Mathewson's travels as a missionary in China and Tibet.

The articles, originally published in Brisbane's Courier Mail between 1923 and 1928, are based on letters Jack Mathewson wrote to his parents during this period. Mr Mathewson writes about his journey through China and the way of life of the people he meets, concentrating on topics such as poverty of the Chinese people, child labour, religious festivals, and customs, such as binding of women's feet. Jack Mathewson, together with Mr Plymire, an American missionary, and Dr Wilhelm Filchner, a famous scientist and the leader of the German Polar Expedition (1911-1912), travelled to Tibet, where they were imprisoned by a Tibetan garrison at Llhasa. The three men were eventually released when a letter, secretly sent by Jack Mathewson, reached the British authorities, who intervened with the Dalai Lama.

'Thomas Mathewson - 1842 - 1934': a biography of Thomas Mathewson, one of the first photographers in Queensland, written by Mr Mathewson' granddaughter Jean Casswell (the daughter of Jesse Inglis Mathewson, who was married to Arthur Samuel Dunmore Cribb). The biography contains an account of Thomas Mathewson's early life, following the death of his father in 1854, and his mother in 1855. A number of stories from Mr Mathewson's life are included, such as an account of the naming of Toowoomba and the role that John Mathewson, Thomas' eldest brother, played in the event. Also included is an account of Thomas' first trip as a photographer. He visited the Darling Downs, Eton Vale, Yandilla and Dalby, among other places. At Dalby Thomas met his brother John and spent Christmas with Mr and Mrs Yule whom they befriended on the ship "America" on their journey to Australia. On his trip around Queensland, Thomas Mathewson also encountered Captain Brown, who was in charge of the Native Police Barracks on the Maroona River. The biography notes Thomas Mathewson' marriage to Miss Jane Reeve at Ipswich, as well as the insolvency of Mathewson & Co. photographic studio after the 1893 floods.

'Thomas Mathewson - 1842 -1934': a biography of Thomas Mathewson, written by his granddaughter, Jean Casswell, born Cribb. This document is a manuscript version of item 3249/3. It differs only slightly from the typewritten version.

'The story of the camera in Australia': a brief account of Thomas Mathewson's photographic career, written by Jack Cato. The document describes Mathewson's career, listing general subjects of his early pictures, including his photographic records of the growth of Brisbane. Cato mentions Mathewson's photographs of the gunboat Paluma and a coastal vessel during floods in Brisbane. The ships, raised from their anchorage, were left among the trees in the Botanical Gardens. This biography also includes an article from Moreton Bay Courier (15/1/1853), describing the voyage of America, the ship on which Thomas Mathewson and his family arrived in Australia.