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Readings from Primary Sources on Moreton Bay & Brisbane

These "Readings" from Oxley's field books are reprinted from J.G. Steele, The Explorers of the Moreton Bay District 1770-1830, Brisbane, 1972. These field books are in the Archives Office of New South Wales.
Note that Footnotes are per J.G. Steele.
Note that the introductory paragraphs below show heavy quoting from and extensive reliance on J.G. Steele's The Explorers of the Moreton Bay District 1770-1830, Brisbane, 1972. There has also been some quoting from Hector Holthouse's Illustrated History of Queensland.
John Oxley's visit to Moreton Bay in 1823 paved the way for the Moreton Bay Settlement, which he helped to establish at Redcliffe in 1824. Oxley's party entered Moreton Bay on 29 November 1823, anchoring close to Point Skirmish at the entrance of Pumice-Stone River (near where Flinders had anchored 22 years earlier).

The castaways, Pamphlet and Finnegan, were picked up, and on 1 December Oxley and Stirling set out in the whaleboat to explore the Brisbane River.
The following extract from Oxley's field books describes some of the events of two days, 2 and 3 December 1823, which took the explorers up the river to Breakfast Creek and St Lucia, where they camped overnight.

Make sure to look at Our Indooroopilly's Historical and Contemporary BRISBANE RIVER MAP
EXTRACT FROM OXLEY'S FIELD BOOKS
Station 3rd.,1 on Rocky Point on Starboard Shore. - A small stream to larboard.2 Next station north l56¾ two miles, point on southward shore forming a D. North 160°, on [line] with the summit of a high mount3 on larboard shore. The soundings to this station from three fathoms in the wide part to ten fathoms in the narrows. The river very beautiful, specs. of rock, Coy. and timber good,4 opposite point5 low.

Station 4,6 on Larboard Shore. - A tree on larboard shore. Next station, north 238° 80 chains. The opposite side low brush land.7 This side high, stony land. The water brackish. The depth of water to this station from six to 11 fathoms.

Station 5,8 on Larboard Shore - Open forest land, soil sandy, covered with grass, ironbark trees good. Next station on starboard shore under a high ridge, north 330° one and a-quarter mile. The bank of the river this side ends on a forest point.9 Opposite shore, low brush.

Station 6,10 on Starboard Shore. - Landed on a high, rocky bluff, opposite shore low and open forest, covered with grass. Soundings to this station from five to 11 fathoms. Medium breadth of river between one-fifth and one-sixth of a marine mile. Up to this point, we have found navigable for ships of any size, the water nearly fresh. North 230° 20 chains to a tree on bend of river this side. We dined11 at this station and ascended the bank in hopes of recognising some object on the coast, but the timber and brush prevented us. We, however, discovered that we were not in the vicinity of any high land.

Station 7.12 - Ten fathoms to this station. Larboard shore13 rather low. Next station, north 169° 60 chains. On this side the land low and brushy with a few cypress.14 The station, a bold perpendicular rock.15

Station 8.16 - At foot of high, rocky bank, opposite side, low and brushy. Next station, north 262½° 40 chains, to which open forest land. Soundings to this station from four to 10 fathoms.

Station 9.17 - To this station seven to 10 fathoms. Opposite side18 low land gradually rising to the next station. On this side the land descends to a low point,19 one mile. Next station North 317°, one and a-quarter mile to tree on opposite shore.

Station 10.20 - From this station to the next on the same shore, the river forms a magnificent crescent21 of two and a-half miles of forest land.22 The larboard shore,23 a thick brush with some cypress.24 Soundings from three and a-half to 11 fathoms. Next station, north 219° two miles. Marks of the tide rising above the point of tide from four to five feet.

Station 11,25 on Starboard Side. - Which still continues low, open fôrest, good grass and iron-bark trees; opposite side,26rich, low brush. Next station on this shore, north 173½° 40 chains.

Station 12.27 - At this station, the low land on starboard shore commences, having cypress intermingled with the brush. The next station on larboard shore, north 85° one and a-half miles to a high, rocky bank, being the com mencement of the high land on that side. Soundings from the last station, seven to 11 fathoms. River narrows to ten chains.

Station 13.28 - High, rocky land, Larboard side low thick brush. Soundings from four to 11 fathoms. Next station on this shore, north 135° three-quarter mile, being the termination of forest land, and commencement of brush.

Station 14.29 - To brush on this shore. Four to 10 fathoms to this station. Next station, north 236° one mile, brush on both shores with cypresses. At half-past six landed at the termination of the brush on starboard shore on a piece of forest land.30 River quite fresh, low water. The tide has a rise of at least five feet and up to this point, a distance of 20 miles, the river is navigable for vessels of any burthen; (a rock midway in river).31

Calm and sultry. We passed a miserable night, mosquitoes and sandflies almost devoured us. At half-past five, resumed the examination of the river. Landed on high bank starboard shore.

1. On Kingsford Smith Drive at Hunt Street, Hamilton. According to Oxley's report, he climbed Toorak Hill and saw the entrance of the Bay from there.
2. Probably Breakfast Creek, but it is to starboard.
3. Mt. Gravatt (636 feet).
4. I.e. "collected specimens of rock; the country and timber are good".
5. Bulimba
6. Near Wendell Street, Hawthorne.
7. New Farm.
8. Near Wellington Road, Mowbray Park, East Brisbane.
9. Kangaroo Point.
10. Just downstream from the Story Bridge, at Collin Parade and Bowen Terrace.
11. This meal was taken at about noon.
12. Just below the Customs House at Petrie Bight, City.
13. Kangaroo Point.
14. Hoop pine.
15. Station 7.
16. At Walmsley Street and River Terrace, Woolloongabba.
17. Between Tribune Street and Sidon Street, South Brisbane.
18. The Domain.
19. At Montague Road, South Brisbane.
20. Just downstream from the William Jolly Bridge, at North Quay.
21. Milton Reach. In Oxley's map of his 1823 discoveries this reach is called "Long Reach", but on 27 September 1824, his field book described it as "Crescent Reach".
22. Milton and Auchenflower.
23. West End.
24. Hoop pine.
25. Regatta Hotel, at Coronation Drive and Sylvan Road, Toowong. Oxley saw natives here, and referred to this in his field book for 27 September 1824, when he had an encounter with them.
26. Hill End.
27. Where Sandford Street, St. Lucia, turns south.
28. At Derby Street, Highgate Hill.
29. Between Fenton Street and Princess Street, Dutton Park.
30. At either Emmanuel College or King's College, St. Lucia. He stopped here for the night, not continuing to his projected Station 15.
31. Six Mile Rocks.