Rev Dr David Parker has advised that he will be scaling back on his involvement in the QB archives. For more than four decades, the Queensland Baptists Archives has been blessed by the faithful and meticulous service of David. Beginning in 1982, David volunteered to organise the historical records of the Baptist Union of Queensland, transforming a collection of documents stored in a cupboard into what became the modern Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Over the ensuing years he served as Honorary Archivist, carefully preserving denominational records, publications, photographs, church histories and personal papers, and becoming one of the leading custodians of Queensland Baptist history.
David’s ministry has combined pastoral service, theological scholarship and historical research. His many publications have documented the development of Baptist churches and institutions across Queensland and beyond, helping successive generations understand and appreciate their heritage. Even after formally stepping down from the archivist role in 2019, David continued to support the Archives and its research work into 2026, reflecting his deep commitment to the gospel and to the story of God’s work among Queensland Baptists.
Queensland Baptists gratefully acknowledge David’s outstanding, long-term service and the legacy he leaves. The Archives today stand as a testament to his vision, perseverance, and careful stewardship of our collective memory. At this time, I would also like to acknowledge the contribution and dedicated years of service of Bill Hughes and Anne Cameron as members of the archives team, who have also retired during the last year.
As we look to the future, we are pleased to introduce Sue and Ian McQuay, who are offering their skills and experience to support the ongoing work of the QB Archives. Sue brings professional training in librarianship, digital archives curation, academic publishing and editing, with decades of experience overseeing research libraries and archives within SIL Philippines and SIL Global, including work with systems such as Koha and DSpace for large digital collections. Ian adds complementary expertise in town planning, printing and media management, digital audio and video archiving, academic computing, relational databases and digital publishing workflows across Asia and globally.
Both Sue and Ian have served as Curators for SIL Global’s Language and Culture Archive, where they were responsible for ensuring accurate metadata and appropriate access controls for sensitive collections. They are long-standing members of Baptist Heritage Queensland, with Sue editing The Queensland Baptist Forum and Ian serving as webmaster, and both are active members of Windsor Road Baptist Church. Their combined experience in archives, digital preservation, publishing and Baptist heritage positions them well to help carry forward the work that David has so faithfully nurtured.
We thank God for David Parker’s remarkable contribution to QB Archives, and we warmly welcome Sue and Ian McQuay as they join in continuing this vital ministry of remembering, recording and sharing our story for generations to come. They can be contacted via our continuing archives email address archives@qb.org.au