The adventures of Maurice & Mattie Yonge in North Queensland

In the late 1920s a young English couple kept a photographic record of their travels throughout North Queensland. The photographs now represent a unique snapshot of what are now well-established Far North Queensland tourist destinations. Maurice Yonge, a marine biologist from Cambridge, and his wife Mattie Yonge, a medical doctor, were in North Queensland as part of a scientific expedition to discover the mysteries of the Great Barrier Reef. They spent 13 months living at Low Isles, and during their stay they had the opportunity to do a few short excursions and see the sights of North Queensland.

Group outing on the Atherton Tablelands, January 1929. Maurice Yonge is roughly centre of photo with a pith helmet in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth. Photo: National Library of Australia

Maurice and Mattie Yonge, seated on a garden bench at 'Fairyland', Kuranda, 1929. Photo: National Library of Australia

View towards the Queen's Hotel, Mossman, 1929. Photo: National Library of Australia

View of the main Street, Herberton, c.1929. Photo: National Library of Australia

View of Cooktown, c. 1928. Photo: National Library of Australia

Horse riding in Yungaburra. Maurice Yonge is pictured on the right, 1929. Photo: National Library of Australia


On one of their short sojourns, the Yonges swam at Lake Barrine, dined at the Lake Eacham Hotel in Yungaburra, breakfasted at Herberton, lunched at Ravenshoe, visited Millaa Millaa Falls and Malanda Falls, visited various places around Yungaburra on horseback, and took the train to Barron Falls. They covered quite a lot of ground in just a few days!

Mattie Yonge with arms stretched out across the base of a tree to indicate the size of the trunk, probably Atherton Tablelands, 1929. Photo: National Library of Australia

If you'd like to read more about Maurice and Mattie Yonge and the Great Barrier Reef Expedition, check out the eBook I was lead author on for JCU Library's Special Collections - https://jcu.pressbooks.pub/yonge/ (this links to the eBook! Once there, scroll down and click the button "Read Book" )