CQUniversity Rockhampton Library's Capricornia CQ Collection has recently received a number of letters that represent significant additions to the city's heritage.

The donation was made by Judith Hiskens, wife of the Rockhampton Library building's namesake, the late Bruce Hiskens.

Judith Hiskens presented the letters to Director of CQUniversity Library Graham Black at the launch of the newly refurbished Rockhampton campus library earlier this month

The letters were written between 1859 and 1903, and provide a detailed description of buildings and events early in Rockhampton's history.

Amongst the letters are a description from 1860 of the Rockhampton township in detail, an account of a fire in 1862 at the offices of 'The Bulletin', details of the 1864 flood, the establishment of the Pandora Sugar Company in 1887 and the loss of the 'Cape Capricorn' in 1893.

Capricornia CQ Collection volunteer Robert Macfarlane listed all the works, and says they are valuable insights into Rockhampton's past.

"The prose is a wonderful example of the descriptive, somewhat 'flowery' language used in formal letter writing at the time" he said.

Most of the letters are to the Collector of Customs, Sydney or the Collector of Customs, Brisbane.