Brisbane History Timeline 1823 to 1859
Brisbane and Moreton Bay Settlement timeline is indexed to a historical reference "In the Early Days" via the hyperlinks which sometime appear with the events. The actual story headline appears in brackets.
1823
March - Pamphlet, Finnigan, and party left Sydney.
October 16 - Lieutenant Oxley received instructions from Governor Brisbane to search for new penal establishment.
October 23 - Oxley left Sydney in search of new depot.
November 25 - Oxley anchored in Moreton Bay.
December 2 - Oxley discovered the river Brisbane.
1824
September 2 - Settlement founded by Oxley at Redcliffe.
September 12 - Convicts landed at Redcliffe. (Humpybong)
November 4 - Penal Settlement removed from Redcliffe to Edenglassie - the first name given to Brisbane.(Founding of Brisbane)
November 10 - Governor Brisbane left Sydney on visit to Moreton Bay.
November 23 - Governor Brisbane arrived in Moreton Bay (Brisbane's Visit).
December - Commissariat (now Colonial) stores built (Early Architecture)
1825
September 1 - Major Lockyer left Sydney in the Mermaid for Moreton Bay.
September 6 - Lockyer arrived in the Bay.
September 10 - Lockyer, with Captain Bishop and Lieutenant Miller, left on excursion up
the river.
September 20 - Lockyer named Redbank from the colour of the soil.
September 28 - Lockyer discovered either the Bremer or the Lockyer - there is a doubt
which.
November - Captain Logan appointed Commandant Moreton Bay (Captain Logan).
1826
Discovery of Logan River by Logan.
December 19 - Death of Governor Brisbane. Limestone named by Logan (Discovery of Ipswich).
1827
May 14 - 300 prisoners located at Moreton Bay.
June 5 - Darling Downs discovered by Allan Cunningham.
June 5 - Logan found coal at Limestone.
June - Governor Darling visited Brisbane and was unfavourably impressed with the site, believing that Stradbroke Island would be better.
July 16 - Stradbroke. Dunwich, and Logan River proclaimed.
Convict Hospital built.
1828
Prisoners' barracks, military barracks built (Old Bumbles Workshop).
September 18 - Rev. J. Vincent appointed chaplain.
1829
Windmill (present Observatory) commenced,
June 24 - Governor Darling reported that he would shift Settlement nearer the bay, as the water was bad and sickness common at Moreton Cay.
1830
April 17 - Pop. Moreton Bay, 1000 convicts, 100 soldiers. Female factory built (The Home on the Hill).
October 9 - Captain Logan left Settlement on an exploring trip.
October 17 -Captain Logan last seen alive by his men..
October 28 - Captain Logan's body found (Death of the Tyrant).
1831
December- Captain Clunie appointed Commandant Moreton Bay.
1834
April 12 - Hunter Steamship Navigation Company (afterwards Q.S.N. Company) formed in Sydney.
1835
Captain Foster Fyans appointed Commandant Moreton Bay.
1836
March 28 - Visit of Messrs. Backhouse and Walker, Quakers, to Moreton Bay (Walker and Backhouse)
1837
August - Arrival of first steamer in Moreton Bay, the James Watt, bringing Petrie family.(The First Steamer)
November 5 - Governor Bourke expressed himself as favourable to closing Moreton Bay and of reducing the number of prisoners to 300-all short sentence men. The maize grown at Moreton Bay he valued at £1046 , and the cost per head per annum £13.
1838
March - German mission established: eleven men, eight women, eleven children.
March - Arrival of Dr. Ballow in Brisbane.
November 2 - Fast in New South Wales owing to drought.
1839
May 21 - Convict settlement broken up (Home of the Freeman).
June 27 - Allan Cunningham died in Sydney.
July 1 - All convicts except thirty-nine men removed.
1840
May 14 - Murder of Surveyor Staplyton and assistant Tuck on the Logan (Murder of Staplyton).
June 4 - Patrick Leslie with assigned servant Peter Murphy and other convicts formed first settlement on Darling Downs.
August 12 - First pack bullocks took supplies to the Downs from Brisbane.
October 19 - First dray taken through Cunningham's Gap.
1841
January 17 - Great flood Ipswich and Brisbane.
May 14 - Trial of blacks for murder of Staplyton and Tuck in Sydney-found guilty and
sent to Brisbane.
1842
January 27 - News received in Settlement that Moreton Bay would be thrown open to free settlers.
January 27 - Arrival first Hunter River Steam Navigation Co.'s steamer (Pioneer Shipping Company).
March 24 - Governor Gipps visited Brisbane (Gipps Visit).
May 4 - Andrew Petrie, Henry Stuart Russell and two other gentlemen started on trip Wide Bay district.
May 4 - Moreton Bay thrown open to selection (Settlement thrown open).
May 7 - Mr. Petrie's party found Wandi (The Runaway Convict Bracefield).
May 17 (about)- Mr. Petrie discovered Mary River. (Discovery of the River Mary)
May 20 - Found the runaway Duramboi (The Finding of James Davis).
June - Moreton Bay defined.
July - First sale Moreton Bay lands in Sydney: 13.5 acres realised £4037 10s (The First Land Sale).
November 14 - Captain Wickham appointed police-magistrate.
1843
June 23 - First election for Moreton Bay Alex. McLeay returned (We Are Included in a Constituency).
August 9 - First sale of Moreton Bay lands conducted in Brisbane (First Land Sale in Brisbane).
October 11 - First sale of Ipswich land at Ipswich.
Coal found by Andrew Petrie at Redbank (Mr Petries Excursions) ; John Williams ran first ferry between Russell-street and Colonial Stores (The First Ferry) ; boiling down establishment opened at Kangaroo Point (Plucky Pioneers).
1844
January 10 - Heavy flood Ipswich.
March 19 - Captain Freeman while coming from Sydney in schooner William discovered the channel which now bears his name.
August - Leichhardt left Sydney on Port Essington Expedition.
October 1 - Leichhardt left Jimbour station.
1845
March 29 - Leichhardt returned to Sydney from Port Essington.
May 13 - Moreton Bay made a port of entry (Early Customs History).
June 11 - Governor Gipps left Sydney for England (An Unpopular Governor).
June 17 - First race meeting at New Farm (Early Racing Days).
June 20. - Moreton Bay Courier first published (The Birth of the Courier).
June 30 - First steamer, the Experiment, ran between Brisbane and Ipswich (An Unprofitable Experiment).
June 30 - First census taken-population, including Darling Downs, 2258 (The First Census).
July 13 - Arrival of first Customs officer-W. A. Duncan.
July 20 - Moreton Bay defined.
August 2 - Governor Fitzroy arrived in Sydney (Sir Charles Fitzroy).
September - Dr. Lang left Sydney for England on his famous immigration crusade.
October 20 - Murder Mr. Gregor and Mrs. Shannon by blacks at the Pine(Gregor and Shannon Murder).
November 18 - Colony of North Queensland proclaimed. Leichhardt left back country on last expedition.
1847
March 1 - Surveyor Burnett left Brisbane intending to trace the Boyne to its source ;unsuccessful.
March 11 - Wreck of the Sovereign (The Wreck of the Soverign).
April - Discovery of a road over the range to southern end of Downs (A Road Over The Range).
April 24 - First theatre opened by George Croft in Russell-street, South Brisbane (First Theatre).
April 24 - Plan of northern entrance of Moreton Bay completed (A Road Over The Range).
May 15 - First schooner built here launched; christened Selina by Miss Petrie (The Ship that Never Returned).
May 20 - Annual race New Farm (An Incident of Old New Farm).
September 11 - Murder of two sawyers at North Pine (Murder of Sawyers at the North Pine).
December 8 - Oddfellows' lodge opened Brisbane
1848
January 20 - Steamer Experiment foundered at wharf. (Experiment Flounders at Wharf)
January 22 - Rev. John Gregor drowned at Gorman Station.
January 20 - First regatta held on the Brisbane (January 26th Regatta)
March 27 - Discovery of horrible murder at Sutton's Hotel, Kangaroo Point (An Awful Crime).
April 1 - Leichhardt last heard of.
April 29 - Kennedy sailed on last expedition from Sydney.
June 2 - First mails despatched to Ipswich by steamer.
June 3 - Bishop Tyrell visited Moreton Bay (Visit of the Right Rev. William Tyrell).
June 21 - First races hold at Drayton (Toowoomba).
June 23 - Military recalled from Moreton Bay.
July 4 - Execution William Fife in Sydney for Kangaroo Point murder.
August 22 - Colonel Snodgrass returned from Moreton Bay and other districts.
October 20 - Selina found water-logged in Keppel Bay (A Mystery Solved).
November 26 - Arrival of J. C. Bidwell, first land commissioner for Wide Bay.
November 27 - Arrival sixty Chinese shepherds per Nimrod (Chinese immigrants arrived in the Nimrod).
November 28 - Post office box at South Brisbane established (Ever Growing).
December 13 - Arrival of Artemesia, first Government immigrant ship, in Moreton Bay (Arrival of the Artemisia).
1849
January - Surveyor Burnett laid out town ship of Drayton.
January 6 - News received of Californian goldfield (The Exodus to California).
January20 - Arrival of Fortitude, Moreton Bay (The Fortitude).
January 23 - Post Office established at Maryborough, the name being given on this
date.
February 3 - First Brisbane Gaol completed (female factory).
February 7 - First, batch of Fortitude folk brought up to Brisbane
February 8 - Death of Dick Ben, notorious aboriginal.
February 18 - Rev. Charles Stewart conducted first service in old court-house.
February 19 -Thanksgiving service for safe arrival of Fortitude in old court-house.
February 24 - Site present Custom house approved (Signs of the Times).
March 7 - Site of present St. John's Pro-cathedral granted.
March 10 - First Wesleyan Methodist Church erected in Albert Street
March 21 - Rev. Charles Stewart appointed minister United Presbyterian Church.
March 21 - Brisbane made a free warehousing port.
May 1 - Chaseley arrived in Moreton Bay (Dr Langs second ship - Chaseley).
May 8 - Establishment of first Temperance Society.
May 13 - Rev. Kingsford conducted first service at Ipswich.
.May 14 - Rev. Kingsford accepted call from Ipswich Presbyterians.
June 20 - Arrival of forty-five convicts by the Hashemy. (The Resumption of Transportation)
August 1 - Arrival of thirty, orphans girls from Sydney.
August 20 - Branch Lodge, Sydney District, G.U.O.O.F., established in Ipswich.
September 18 - Execution of Owen Molloy in Sydney for the murder of John Leonard, . Oxley Creek.
September 24 - Brisbane School of Arts established.
October 11 - Warner's plan of road to Bremer, via North Brisbane, sent to Sydney for
approval.
November 1 - Arrival Mount Stuart Elphinstone with 225 convicts (Locking the Door Too Late).
November 3 - Lima arrived in Moreton Bay (Locking the Door Too Late).
November 13 - Great anti-transportation meeting held in Brisbane (Great Anti-transportation Meeting).
November 13 -Detachment 11th Regiment took up their quarters in old barracks. Erection of Catholic Church commenced.
December 6 - Windmill submitted to auction; knocked down at £30 (The Old Landmark).
December 11 - Brisbane Gaol proclaimed.
December 18 - Launch of steamer Hawk at South Brisbane.
1850
February 11 - Circuit Court, Brisbane, proclaimed (One of the Necessities of Civilization).
February 28 - First letter carrier appointed; salary £30.
April 20 - Custom-house completed.
April 30 - Bangalore, last exile ship, arrived Moreton Bay. (Great Anti-transportation Meeting)
May 1 - Arrival of 108 Chinese shepherds in Favourite.
May 10 - Tender accepted to build bridge at Breakfast Creek (Local Topics 1850s).
May 12 - Service held first time in new Catholic Church.
May 18 - First Circuit Court held Brisbane (One of the Necessities of Civilization).
May 14 - Survey of Cleveland sent to Sydney.
May 15 - Wagner and Fitzgerald sentenced to death for murder of James Marsden at Wide Bay.(One of the Necessities of Civilization)
May 20 - Meeting North Brisbane re National System of Education.
May 20 - Meeting South Brisbane re National System of Education.
July 8 - Foundation stone of St. John's laid.
July 8 - Execution Wagner and Fitzgerald (One of the Necessities of Civilization).
July 11 - Military withdrawn from Moreton Bay
July 15 - Moreton Bay Quarantine Station (Dunwich) proclaimed.
July - Grant of £150 towards establishing National School at South Brisbane.
July 10 - Moreton Bay Free Press first published (Our Second Newspaper).
July 29 - Arrival of first dray (empty) from Wivenhoe to North Brisbane.
July 31 - First land sale in Ipswich, Drayton, Warwick.
August 8 - Arrival of ship Emigrant, typhus on board ; forty deaths (A Death Ship)
September 5 - Marriage Mr. John Petrie with Miss McNaught.
September 20 - Death Dr. Ballow at Quarantine Station. (A Death Ship)
September 30 - Tender accepted erection Dr. Lang's church.
October 7 - Launch of steamer Swallow by Captain Winship.
October 13 - Severe hailstorm.
November 11 - First bank opened in Brisbane.
December 18 - Cleveland township proclaimed.
1851
January 8 - First separation meeting held in Brisbane (Separation Meeting).
January 12 - Mail robbery at Bundamba (In and About).
February 2 - Maryborough township established.
February 10 - Departure of Rebecca first wool, ship direct from Moreton Bay.
March 1 - Second census taken ; pop., 8575.
April 13 - United Evangelical Chapel, William street, opened.
May 7 - Moreton Bay Amateur Musical Society established.
May 12 - Affray between whites and Chinese at Ipswich. One killed, eleven injured.
May 28 - News arrived Brisbane of Bathurst gold diggings. (The Discovery of Gold at Bathurst)
July 23 - Party made first trip overland Cabbage-tree Creek to Brisbane.
September 8 - Francis Briggs elected for Pastoral districts, Moreton Bay, Wide Bay, Burnett and Maranoa. (Further Electoral Concessions)
September 11 - J. Richardson returned for county of Stanley (Further Electoral Concessions).
September 12 - Richard Jones returned for Stanley Boroughs (Conservative Ipswich).
October 7 - School of Arts opened.
October 18 - Pearls found at Caloundra.
November 8 - Arrival Duke of Roxburgh with 227 Chinese.
185 2
March 4 - Meeting held Brisbane to petition to Queen for direct emigration.
March 20 - Expedition search Leichhardt left Gowrie station.
April 11 - Heavy floods Brisbane and Ipswich.
April 17 - Thomas King wrecked on Cato's Bank.
April 20 - Jane Ellis, wife of warder, sent for two years for hanging servant girl up by arms, and for other cruelties,
April 24 - Visit of Hardgreaves (Bathurst fame) at Darling Downs.
April 20 - Swallow made initial trip to Cabbage tree Creek.
May 17 - Arrival of survivors Thomas King in Brisbane.
May 24 - Gold found at Bingera ; caused rush.
June 27 - Murder Halloran (shepherd) at McGrath's, Pine River.
July 4 - Arrival Maria Soames ; 281 emigrants.
July 30 - Dr. Allan (surgeon Argyll), first mate, and immigrant drowned off Dunwich.
August 11 - Arrival Meridian; 284 immigrants.
September 10 - Burnett's plan of Sandgate sent Sydney for approval.
September 10 - Arrival Rajahigonanl, 351 immigrants; fifteen deaths influenza mid typhus.
September 24 - Bingora declared a duffer by returned fossickers.
October 30 - Influenza epidemic Brisbane.
November 10 - Death of Richard Jones, member Stanley Boroughs.
November 15 - Tinkabed, blackfellow, sent six years for outrage at Cash's North Pine.
1853
January 1 - Captain Wickham appointed Government Resident.
January 1 - Courier enlarged.
January 10 - Arrival Parsee ; 493 immigrants.
January 10 - Arrival America ; 825 immigrants.
February 14 - Election R. J. Smith for Bigge's seat.
February 20 - Arrival Agrícola; 210 immigrants.
March 10 - Death of Mr. Bidwell, commissioner Crown lands, Wide Bay.
March 25 - Arrival nine notorious Norfolk Island convicts in Moreton Bay (Notorious Norfolk Island Convicts).
April 1 - Two Norfolk Island convicts brought to Brisbane.
April 12 - Steamer New Orleans from Europe via Torres Straits in Moreton Bay (Steamship New Orleans).
April 25 - Arrival Florentina; 245 immigrants.
May 4 - Other Norfolk Island convicts captured near Brisbane.
May 20 - 5th and 6th section Native Police in Brisbane.
June 7 - Branch Union Bank Australia opened in Brisbane,
June 11 - Arrival John Fieldon; 306 immigrants.
June 15 - Strike of sawyers.
June 80 - Pettigrew's mill started.
July 5 - Brisbane Exchange opened.
August 6 - Death John Gamie at Ipswich.
September 20 - Branch Bank New South Wales opened Ipswich.
October 8 - Capture Thos, Haywood, alias Anderson, bushranger,
October 31 - Wreck of Countess of Derby, South Passage, bound for Cleveland.
November 9 and 10 - Sale Sandgate, Cleveland Brisbane lands ; realised £15,000.
November 10 - Escape of Sippey, notorious black murderer (Police and Prisoners).
December 3 - Outrage on "Tom" Dowse at Sandgate (Old Tom's Attempt to Civilize Sandgate).
1854
January 10 - Courier, ship, 280 tons, burnt at Cleveland.
January 22 - Murder Stephen Swords at Kangaroo Point (Kangaroo Pointers Again).
January 27 - First shipment of cotton from Brisbane.
March 5 - Swallow sunk at South Brisbane wharf.
March 20 - Arrival Governor Fitzroy in Calliope in Moreton Bay (Visit of Governor Fitzroy).
March 23 - Official entry into Brisbane.
March 30 - Police informed magistrates that unless pay was increased they would resign.
April 1 - Robert Graham and Co. abandoned Cleveland store (The Misfortune of Cleveland Point).
April 28 - Hodgson-Lang election ; latter returned majority nine.
May 10 - Gazehound, first ship loaded at wharf left direct for London.
May 25 - Capture of Dundalli.
May 23 - New election Lang-Hodgson, latter returned on casting vote.
June 17 - Death of Brown, last of Newcastle tribe.
July 18 - Death of J. C. Burnett, surveyor.
August 22 - Execution of Davey for murder of Trevethan Wide Bay (Another Execution in Queen Street).
August 10 - Now election Lang-Hodgson ; former returned one vote.
October 29 - Consecration of St. John's by Bishop of Newcastle.
November 21 - Dundalli sentenced to death. .
December 10 - News fall Sebastopol received Brisbane (Glorious News).
December 20 - John Fahey, runaway convict, eleven years at large, captured at Bunya (Another Runaway Convict).
December - Death of Bungaree, educated, black.
1855
January 6 - Dundalli executed in Queen-street (Death of the Notorious Dundalli).
March 8 - Meeting St. John's parishioners to protest against offertory (Church Troubles).
July 8 - Pettigrew's mill destroyed by fire.
August 12 - Gregory expedition sailed Moreton Bay.
October 2 - North Australian newspaper established Ipswich.
November 21 - Wreck of Venus with 250 tons sugar in Freeman's Channel (A Wreck in Freemans Channel).
November 25 - Death of Captain J. S. Barney.
December 20 - Fitzroy River navigated.
1856
January 20 - Site for Goodna Village fixed.
January 21 - First Circuit Court before Judge Milford.
March 1 - Tenders called for Cape Moreton Lighthouse.
March 18 - Macalister's first address to electors.
April 7 - First election under new Constitution (Elections Under the Constitution Act).
May 5 - Phoebe Dunbar went ashore near Amity with 270 immigrants.
May 6 - Brig Maria took first shipment sheep and cattle to New-Caledonia (The New Caledonian Trade).
June 21 - Arrival of Persia ; 250 immigrants.
November 20 - Great separation meeting Brisbane (Separation Meeting).
December 10 - Gregory expedition returned to Brisbane.
1857
April 15 - Moreton Bay Supreme Court formally opened by Justice Milford.
May 19 - Great floods Brisbane and Ipswich.
September 20 - Labouchere's positive separation despatch arrived Moreton Bay
October 27 - Hornet Bank outrage; eleven murdered by blacks.
1858
January 31 - The Leviathan launched.
March 4 - Gregory expedition left settled districts search Leichhardt.
June 11 - D. D. Gazette first published.
June 13 - Rev. T. Binney visited Moreton Bay.
July 9 - First announcement of gold discovery on the Fitzroy.
July 22 - Rush to Fitzroy commenced.
July 25 - Opening Presbyterian Church, Ann-street.
July 28 - Gregory's last expedition returned to Adelaide.
September 12 - Arrival of Rev. B. G. Wilson Brisbane.
October 1 - Return rush from Fitzroy commenced.
October 7 - Flood at Ipswich.
October 8 - Rockhampton made a port of entry.
October 10 - Erection of Petrie Terrace Gaol commenced.
October 25 - Foundation stone Roman Catholic Church, Ipswich, laid.
October 27 - First Municipality Act (N.S.W.) assented to.
November 17 and 18 - First sale Rockhampton land (at Sydney).
December 19 - Meeting at Ipswich to petition for creation of municipality.
December 25 - Pugh's Almanac- first published.
1859
February 6 - Wharf Street Baptist Church opened.
February 22 - Judge Lutwyche sworn in and gazetted.
March 8 - Arrival of Judge Lutwyche in Brisbane.
July 4 - Ipswich Herald first published.
August 20 - Brisbane erected Roman Catholic See ; Bishop O'Quinn.
September 7 - Municipality of Brisbane proclaimed. First Council : John Petrie (mayor) Patrick Mayne, T. B. Stephens, Joshua Jeays, A, J. Hockings, Edmondstone, R. Cribb, George Warren, and W.S. Sutton.
October 12 - Circuit Court proclaimed Ipswich, Drayton, and Maryborough.
October 20 - Terrific hailstorm Brisbane.
December 10 - Queensland Separation Day.
December 31 - Estimated population of Queensland 25,050.
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