The Story Of Queanbeyan 1838-1938 Illustrated Written  by  Frederick Watson + Others Published by  A. M. FALLICK & SONS ____________________________________________________________ Overview The Story of Queanbeyan 1838–1938 is a landmark historical souvenir booklet published by A.M. Fallick & Sons in 1938 to commemorate the centenary of Queanbeyan, New South Wales.  Written and compiled with key contributions from prominent Australian historian Dr Frederick Watson, the publication chronicles the town's transformation from a lawless, convict-heavy frontier outpost into a prosperous regional agricultural hub that ultimately laid the foundation for the creation of Australia's national capital, Canberra. A few milestones mentioned in this booklet. 1838 – The official Proclamation, On 28 September 1838, Queanbeyan was officially gazetted as a township with a population of just 50 people, including only two documented women. Government surveyor James Larmer laid out the town's grid pattern.  The 1850s saw both the Gold Rush & Bush-ranging, Early Queanbeyan was a wild border land where convicts outnumbered free settlers. Bush-ranging, cattle duffing, and illegal "sly-grog" shops dominated until Alured Tasker Faunce was appointed as the first Police Magistrate to bring order.  The mid-19th century brought wealth through wheat, wool, and nearby goldfields. Agricultural pioneers like William Farrer conducted world-first wheat breeding experiments nearby, making the region famous. 1880s saw the opening of the Railway & granting of the Municipal Status, the town grew into a formal municipality. The expansion of the railway transformed it into a critical shipping hub for the southern Monaro region. 1900 saw the Birth of Canberra only five miles (8kms) away.  The Canberra Connection: In 1899, decades before Canberra was built, Queanbeyan townspeople officially nominated the Queanbeyan - Canberra area to be the site of the new Federal Capital City. Local newspaper editor John Gale championed this cause, earning him the moniker "The Father of Canberra."  Indigenous History and Naming The booklet documents how European settlement impacted the local region. For thousands of years, the site was a vital meeting place for Indigenous groups. Dr Watson's research notes that Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell ordered surveyors to adopt phonetic versions of Aboriginal names, leading squatter Timothy Beard to name his property Quinbean (meaning "clear waters"), which evolved into "Queanbeyan". The 1938 Centenary Celebration To mark 100 years, the town erected a massive "Wheat and Wool" ceremonial archway over Monaro Street and commissioned this commemorative book to document their survival through floods, bushfires, and economic depressions. Description  1938 First edition, unpaginated staple bound, Mylar protected, a good copy.  Please check pictures and don't hesitate to ask if you have any queries! 57