Claudius Buchanan Whish diaries

This is a collection of 47 diaries principally written by Claudius Buchanan Whish, who together with partners John Raymond Trevilian and Frank Black established one of the very earliest sugar plantations in Queensland. Whish records his voyage to Queensland; the difficulties of obtaining supplies; experimenting with suitable cane varieties and food crops; building a crushing plant; distilling and selling rum; his interactions with members of local Aboriginal communities; his employment of South Sea Islanders and creating a home for his growing family in a very young colony. The collection also includes scrapbooks, sketches, literary manuscripts and a small collection of correspondence relating to the Roe family.