In August 1961, the Premier of Queensland (Mr Nicklin) submitted a report to the Prime Minister (R G Menzies) seeking Commonwealth assistance for the development of the state’s Brigalow land to boost rural production. The ‘Brigalow belt’ extended from Collinsvale in Northern Queensland to the New South Wales border. The papers in this small series, however, essentially deal with the Fitzroy Basin area west of Rockhampton, and include two reports and a submission.

The records were transferred to archival custody by the Department of Trade and Industry in April 1972 (ref. NAA file 1969/844). They appear to have come from the office of the Minister (John McEwen) some time after his retirement from Commonwealth Parliament. A single number system of control was imposed on the records, and the series description revised, as part of the Prime Ministers Papers’ Project (November 2002).