Our Indooroopilly - Extracts re Oxley's Expedition 1823

Readings from Primary Sources on Moreton Bay & Brisbane

These "Readings" from John Oxley's, Report of an Expedition to survey Port Curtis, Moreton Bay and Port Bowen are reprinted from J.G. Steele, The Explorers of the Moreton Bay District 1770-1830, Brisbane, 1972. This report was submitted to Governor Brisbane, dated 10 January, 1824.
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 is from Oxley's 'REPORT OF AN EXPEDITION TO SURVEY PORT CURTIS, MORETON BAY, AND PORT BOWEN' and concentrates on the journey 50 miles up the river and on Oxley's speculations as to its source.

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

REPORT OF AN EXPEDITION TO SURVEY PORT CURTIS, MORETON BAY, AND PORT BOWEN

I therefore returned to the Southward and, entering Moreton Bay on the 29th November, anchored the cutter close to Point Skirmish at the entrance of Pumice Stone River.

Pumice Stone River had been so thoroughly examined and well described by Captain Flinders, that conceiving it would answer no useful purpose to go over the same ground, and aware that the West Shore of Moreton Bay had been but cursorily examined, I determined to trace it entirely round in the hope to find in such an extensive Inlet some opening which would render an apparently fine surrounding country of more utility and value than it would otherwise be, if the accounts of the scarcity of fresh water in this Bay were correct.

Our first day's Survey terminated a little above Red Cliff Point. The Shores were in general low and covered with Mangroves, off which extend considerable Mud Flats dry at low water; but to this remark the Shores in the vicinity of Red Cliff Point are an exception. The channel is here deep within a short distance of the Shore, and boats can land¹ at any time of tide. The Country is open forest land of inferior quality; a few miles to the west the country again becomes low and is apparently wet, but it soon rises into open forest hills of good appearance. There was no want of permanent fresh water, but not in Streams, and in one Inlet,² marked "B" ³navigable for Boats, is abundance of good timber of the Eucalyptus Species, and also great quantities of pine.⁴

Early on the Second day (Decr. 2nd), in pursuing our examination, we had the Satisfaction to find the tide sweeping us up a considerable Inlet, opening between the first Mangrove Island and the Mainland. The muddiness and taste of the water, together with the abundance of fresh water Mollusca, assured us we were entering a large River, and a few hours ended our anxiety on that point⁵ by the water becoming perfectly fresh, while no diminution had taken place in the Size of the River, after passing what I have called "Sea Reach."

Our progress up the river was necessarily retarded by the Necessity we were under of making a running Survey during our passage. At Sunset we had proceeded about 20 miles by the River; the Scenery was peculiarly beautiful; the country on the Banks alternately hilly and level, but not flooded; the Soil of the finest description of Brushwood land, on which grew Timber of great magnitude, and of various Species, some of which were unknown to us, among others a magnificent Species of Pine⁶ was in great abundance. The Timber on the hills was also good, and to the S.E. a little distance from the River were several brushes or forests of the Cupressus Australis⁷ of very large size.

Up to this Point,⁸ the River was navigable for vessels not drawing more than 16 feet water; the Tide rose about five feet, being the same as at the entrance. The next day, the examination was resumed and with increased satisfaction we proceeded about 30 miles further, no diminution having taken place either in the breadth or depth of the River, except in one place, for the extent of about 30 yards, a ridge of detached rocks⁹ extending across, having no more than 12 feet on them at high water. From this point to Termination Hill,¹⁰ the River continued of nearly uniform size, the country on either side of a Very Superior description and equally well adapted for cultivation or grazing, the timber abundant and fit for all the purposes of domestic use or exportation. The Pine trees, if they should prove of good quality, were of a Scantling¹¹ Sufficient for the topmasts of large Ships, some measured upwards of 30 inches in diameter, and from 50 to 80 feet without a branch.

The Boat's Crew were so exhausted by their continued exertions under a vertical sun, that I was reluctantly compelled to relinquish my intention of proceeding to the termination of Tidewater at this time. At this place, the tide rose about 4 feet 6 inches, the force of the Ebb tide and current united being little greater than the Flood tide, a proof of its flowing through a very level country. Having concluded upon terminating at this Point the examination of the River (being 70 miles from the Vessel and our Stock of provisions expended, not having anticipated such a discovery), I landed on the South Shore for the purpose of examining the surrounding Country. On ascending a low hill rising about 25 feet¹² above the level of the River, we saw a distant Mountain (which I conjectured to be the High Peak of Captain Flinders) bearing S. 1½ E., dis't from 25 to 30 miles.¹³ Round from this point; to the N.W. the Country declined considerably in elevation, and had much the appearance of an immense extended Plains, of low and undulating hills and Vales, well but not heavily wooded, the only elevations of magnitude were some Hills 700 or 800 feet high, which we had passed to the Northward.¹⁴ The appearance and formation of the Country, the slowness of the Current even at Ebb tide and depth of water, induce me to conclude that the River will be found navigable for vessels of Burden to a much greater distance, probably not less than 50 miles. There was no appearance of the River being even occasionally flooded, no mark being found more than 7 feet above the level which is little more than would be caused by the Flood Tide at High Water forcing back any unusual accumulation of waters in Rainy Seasons.

A consideration: of all the Circumstances connected with the Appearance of the River justify me in entertaining a Strong belief that the Sources of this River will not be found in a mountainous country, most probably from some large collection of Interior Waters, the reservoir of those Streams crossed by me during an expedition of discovery in 1818,¹⁵ and which had a northerly Course; whatever may be its origin, it is by far the largest fresh water River on the Eastern Coast of New South Wales, and promises to be of the utmost importance to the Colony, as, besides affording a water Communication with the Southern Countries bordering upon Liverpool Plains, it waters a vast extent of Country, a great portion of which appeared to me Capable of Supporting the Cultivation of the richest production of the Tropics. I afterwards proceeded a few miles to the S.E. from the River through a gently broken Country of good Soil, declining in elevation towards the South, the High Peak before mentioned being the only remarkable eminence from N.E., to South.

As the position of the entrance of the River was still to be fixed and the channel examined, I lost no time returning down the River with the Ebb Tide, and I stopped for the Night at the base of Green Hills, the highest of which was ascended the next morning and the view from it more extensive than I anticipated. The high coast range, of which Mt. Warning is the nucleus,¹⁶ appeared gradually to lose itself westward and with the exception of the Peak before mentioned, and which appears to be the termination of the North extreme of the Mt. Warning Range, there was scarcely an elevation above the ordinary level of the Country to be seen; if any such range of Hills had place within 50 or 60 miles, it could not have escaped observation.

So much time was spent in the examination of the Country about Sea Reach that it was quite dark when we got to the entrance of the River, which, out of respect to His Excellency the Governor under whose orders this Bay was examined, was now honoured with the name of Brisbane River. The whole of the next day was spent in Sounding the entrance and traversing the Country in the vicinity of Red Cliff Point; and we did not reach the Vessel until late in the night of the 5th Decr., amply gratified in the discovery of this important River, as we sanguinely anticipated the most beneficial consequences as likely to result to the Colony by the formation of a Settlement on its Banks.

1.	Oxley landed there on 5 December 1823, after exploring the Brisbane River (Report, 29 November - 6 December 1823).
2.	The Pine River.
3.	On the chart accompanying the report.
4.	Hoop pine.
5.	After being misled by Finnegan on the previous day, Oxley must have wondered if there really was a large river such as the castaways had described.
6.	Hoop pine.
7.	Bribie Island Pine.
8.	The end of the first day's journey up the river, i.e. St. Lucia.
9.	Seventeen Mile Rocks.
10.	At Wolston Park Hospital, Goodna.
11.	Size.
12.	In the field book, he has 120 feet; the hill is actually 160 feet above sea level. 25 feet is possibly an error for 125 feet.
13.	This mountain cannot be identified.
14.	The Taylor Range rises to 939 feet. On Oxley's map this range is called the Glenmorrison Range.
15.	In 1818 Oxley had discovered the Castlereagh River, and the tributaries of the Namoi River at Liverpool Plains; these flow northwards.
16.	Oxley began to look for Mt. Warning in the McPherson Range, and imagined it to be the highest mountain visible in that direction.