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Readings from Primary Sources on Moreton Bay & Brisbane

These "Readings" from John Oxley's field books on the first settlement in Moreton Bay, September 1824, are reprinted from J.G. Steele, The Explorers of the Moreton Bay District 1770-1830, Brisbane, 1972.
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.
Governor Brisbane, in view of John Oxley's favourable report on the 1823 expedition, decided to establish a settlement in Moreton Bay. On 1 September 1824, 14 soldiers and about 30 convicts left Sydney in the brig "Amity". Oxley was placed in command of the ship and instructed to choose the location for settlement and chart the environment. Accompanying Oxley, were Allan Cunningham, the King's Botanist, and Robert Hoddle, the surveyor.
Immediately on arrival in Moreton Bay, Oxley located the castaway Richard Parsons on Bribie Island.
This extract covers the arrival and discovery of Parsons and navigation from Bribie island to anchorage off the point of Redcliffe.

Make sure to look at Our Indooroopilly's Historical and Contemporary BRISBANE RIVER MAP
EXTRACT FROM OXLEY'S FIELD BOOKS

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10th at 6 A.M. 1
The wind blowing fresh from the south, with a flood, tide, weighed from under Cape Moreton, and stood along the extensive shoal that runs off from the N.W. point of Moreton Island. The sea broke very heavily on this spit and we frequently had breakers in five fathoms. I think it extends farther to the N.W. than is laid down in the sketch by Captain Flinders. After rounding this reef we worked to windward between it and the main in a very excellent channel with a smooth sea, though outside the spit there was a very heavy swell from the east. At noon, falling calm with the ebb tide, we anchored in six and a-half fathoms, distance off the Main about a mile, and observed the latitude, 27° 00' 37" south.

After dinner the whale boat was lowered down, and I proceeded in her for our old station in Pumice Stone River for the purpose of seeing if the bottle which was left near the wooding place in my former voyage had been removed. It had been left for the purpose of informing Mr. Parsons,2 the remaining man of the unfortunate boat's crew wrecked here in 1823 (March),3 that a vessel had been here during his absence, and that his two companions had quitted the coast. I confess I was by no means sanguine that this man survived, it will be recollected he had quitted his companions and proceeded singly towards the north, labouring under the delusion that he was to the south of Sydney. He had taken a northward direction near 12 months ago, and, considering the nature of the population and the privations he must necessarily suffer from want of food, etc., the chances were that he no longer existed.

It was therefore with feelings of the most pleasing description that among the group on the beach on landing the first man was recognised as our long lost countryman, and close by him the venerable old man so often mentioned as the kind protector of Pamphlet, and Parsons appeared in very good condition, being a stout, powerful man. At first he expressed himself very imperfectly in his native language from long disuse. He was too much agitated and overcome by his deliverance to give very clear answers to the numerous questions put to him. I defer to moments of calmer recollection detailing the narration of his adventures after he quitted his companions on his northern trip.

When Parsons was about to get into the boat the old man, his kind protector, evinced the strongest marks of attachment towards him; and could not be persuaded he would ever see him again. After we left the beach he followed us for some time alone, and waved many an adieu. There might be perhaps from 30 to 40 natives collected at the wooding place. I recognised many I had seen in December last, and the recognition was mutual; they appeared as friendly and harmless as before experienced; in truth, their treatment of the shipwrecked seamen affords the best proof that their hearts at least are not very savage. Owing to a strong flood tide, it was nearly 11 o'clock before we returned on board. During the night the weather calm and clear.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12th
Light winds from the west and south-west; at 8, weighed with the flood tide, and worked to the southward in a good and wide channel, the deepest water 13 fathoms, and shoaling gradually to the sandbanks bounding the channel. Sent the sailing barge into Pumice Stone River for water.4 At noon, being calm, anchored in six fathoms, sandy bottom. Sent the whaleboat to sound the channel we were in. At half-past one the boat returned; found we were in the best channel; the boat sounded several times across the sand shoal laying between us and Moreton Island; the least water in crossing, 18 feet. Crossed in other places having not less than three fathoms; this, how ever, was at high water. The sand shoal is very narrow; on the eastern side the water deepens to nine fathoms. At noon, observed the lat. 27° 5' 15".

At half-past one, the wind springing up from the east, weighed and made sail. The ebb tide making strong against us, we were set into the bend of the sand shoal to the westward of us; we passed over the tail of this shoal in two fathoms, the breadth of the shoal being about the one-eighth of a mile, the sand laying in narrow ridges about the length of the vessel in breadth; on these ridges the water was two fathoms, and then deepened to three fathoms to the next ridge. We passed over four or five of these ridges before we got into the proper channel again, when the water deepened to five fathoms. Observing a sand shoal to the south-east of us, anchored and sent the boat to sound it. The boat returned, finding on the shoalest part about six feet, but it soon terminated, leaving us a clear and good four fathoms channel between it and the deep bight5 formed by Redcliff Point, and the entrance with Pumice Stone River, weighed and made sail for the anchorage off Redcliff Point carrying from four to six fathoms. At five, anchored in a good situation in four and-half fathoms, about half-mile from the land.

1. Actually 11 September 1824.
2. Allan Cunningham wrote about Parsons' experience of this: "On his return to this Bay, [Parsons] was shown by the natives the bottle that had mean while been left for him. From its enclosed letter he could derive no information, inasmuch as he was unable to read; and as he was also almost entirely ignorant of the language of the natives, he could gather no clear or certain information of what description of vessel had in his interval of absence arrived, that he felt satisfied had snatched his comrades from these forbidding shores. . . On the arrival of the Amity at this time, he had anxiously waited a month for the occasion of return to Port Jackson."
3. Actually they were wrecked in April 1823.
4. Cunningham went ashore at Bribie to collect botanical specimens.
5. Deception Bay.