Our Indooroopilly - Extracts re Oxley's Expedition 1823

Readings from Primary Sources on Moreton Bay & Brisbane

TThese "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 3 December 1823, which took the explorers up the river from Seventeen Mile Rocks to "Termination Hill" at Goodna, the end of this expedition for this year of 1823. This final extract from the Field Books includes some of Oxley's opinions about the significance of the Brisbane River and describes the return to the mouth of the river.

Make sure to look at Our Indooroopilly's Historical and Contemporary BRISBANE RIVER MAP

EXTRACT FROM OXLEY'S FIELD BOOKS

WEDNESDAY 3 DECEMBER 1823

Bend of river up - north 262° one and a-half mile, then turns southerly.¹ A distant mountain which I take to be in the vicinity of Mt. Warning,² if not the mount itself, north 178½°, distant 25 or 30 miles. Round from this point to the north-west, I should consider the country to decline in elevation rather than otherwise. It appeared, in fact, an immense extended plain of which no great portion was visible, the point of view being little elevated above the country around. The hill might be about 120 feet above the water.³ The only hills of six or eight hundred feet in height were those we had passed to the northward. This appearance of the country, the slowness of the current and depth of water induce me to conclude that the river will be found navigable for vessels of burden to a very considerable distance, probably, at the least, 50 miles.

I cannot help entertaining a strong belief that this is no river having its source in mountain streams. I see none to give them. On the contrary, my opinion is strongly in favour of its deriving its source in an interior lake. Whichever turns out to be the case, it is by far the largest river in New South Wales and promises to be of the utmost importance to the colony from the very fertile country it passes through, affording the means of water communication with the sea to a vast extent of country, the greater portion of which is capable of producing the richest productions of the tropics.

Examined the country to the south-east,⁴ a gently undulating forest country of good soil and timber, declining in low valleys towards the south, the peak⁵ of a mountain being the only elevated land in the direction from north-east to south. I had not contemplated such a discovery, and was therefore totally unprovided with the present means of ascertaining how much further the river was navigable. We were about 70 miles from the vessel and our provisions were only calculated for the present day. The entrance of the river was also to be sounded and its positions fixed, as also a large island (near the entrance which from a cursory view, I was induced to think might prove eligible as a primary place of settlement) required to be examined.⁶

I therefore determined to return down the river as far as the Green Hill,⁷ and afterwards to proceed to determine such points as are mentioned above, the great object of a large navigable river, having its source in the interior, being ascertained.

Other points seemed of minor consequence, besides, its extent of course westerly could be ascertained very readily at a period when more time could be devoted to an object of such importance.⁸

THURSDAY 4 DECEMBER 1823⁹

Peak of Flinders,¹⁰ 193°
Apparent course of river, 258° or 246°.
Distance, 25 miles.
Murdoch's Peak,¹¹ 200°.
Another lower peak,¹² 196°.

Of these bearings Mt. Warning¹³ rose like a huge atlas over the surrounding country, the range of which it is the nucleus gradually losing itself to the west. From south to north-west we scarcely saw a hill, and we could have seen any within 50 or 60 miles.

Descended the river. Examined the right bank near the end of Sea Reach.¹⁴ Fresh water and tolerable land, passed through between the island¹⁵ having two fathoms at low water shortly deep to three and a-half. This channel, though narrow, seems the best. Other channels may be found however, as the river is very wide.

It was dark when we got to the entrance of the river. We could not land on any part of the mainland for mangroves and mud banks. We were forced to take up our residence on a mangrove island, covered by the tide at spring tides.¹⁶ We had scarce pitched the tents on this bank before we had a very heavy storm of wind and rain, with thunder and lightning, which lasted about two hours, wetting us and added to the comforts of innumerable hosts of mosquitoes.

1.	Actually it turns northerly.
2.	In his report (29 November - 6 December 1823), Oxley revised his opinion and suggested that this mountain may be the "High Peak" of Flinders; however Flinders Peak bears 193° at 15 miles, and at 178½° the horizon is only 8 miles distant.
3.	The hill is 160 feet above sea level.
4.	In his report (29 November - 6 December 1823), Oxley states that he went a few miles to the south-east.
5.	In his report (29 November - 6 December 1823), he identifies this with the mountain there taken to be the "High Peak" of Flinders.
6.	Gibson Island.
7.	Mt. Ommaney. According to the report (29 November-6 December 1823) they camped there.
8.	On his return to Moreton Bay in September 1824, Oxley's first desire was to continue his exploration of the Brisbane River.
9.	According to the report (29 November -6 December 1823) the following bearings were taken from the top of Mt. Ommaney.
10.	Originally this read "Mt. Warning", but the mountain was indeed Flinders Peak, and Oxley corrected his field book later.
11.	Mt. Goolman, 1490 feet. Probably named after Peter Murdoch (1795?-1871), Superintendent of the Government Agricultural Establishment at Emu Plains, 1822-25.
12.	Mt. Blame, 1498 feet.
13.	Actually Flinders Peak.
14.	See also Oxley's report, and his field book for 16 September 1824. The name also appeared on Barron Field's version. It is now known as Hamilton Reach and Quarries Reach.
15.	Gibson Island.
16.	A spit extending south-west from Fisherman Island (the larger of the Fisherman Islands).