Our Indooroopilly - Oxley and Cunningham explore in 1824

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.
This extract covers the return downriver to the vessel anchored at the mouth with considerable detail on an encounter with natives at Toowong.

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

EXTRACT FROM OXLEY'S FIELD BOOKS

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH
The weather continues very hot and sultry; the dews of the night almost equal small rain, and no doubt cause that appearance of freshness in the vegetation which a long-continued drought would in this climate otherwise entirely destroy. In the early part of the morning Mr. C. employed himself in examining the productions of the pine brushes, and procured many new plants, of genera hitherto believed to exist only within the tropics. We returned to the boats by a somewhat different, but better, route, through a country well clothed with grass, and adapted for grazing, more particularly sheep. The day was remarkably clear, and on reascending Belle Vue Mt. on our return, we had a distinct view of the Coast Range, Mt. Warning ¹ bearing N. 144°, distant about 55 miles.
Fatigue and extreme heat had almost exhausted us, and a good night's repose was a welcome relief.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH
Clear and sultry. Proceeded down the river, and stopped at 5 o'clock on the left bank opposite Bremer River, for the night. This place will be desirable and convenient for an establishment whenever the settlement is so far extended as to render it an object to procure the pine in large quantities, the river being navigable for very large craft and quite fresh. The country on both sides the river fit for cultivation. The tide rises about three feet. Passed a family of natives, who, on seeing us, ran into the country, leaving their "valuables" behind them. They had been feeding on long worms, which are found in wood that has been long in a state of decay under water. If we had nothing to add to their store, we left everything as we found it.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH
Hot, sultry. We continued our course down the river. Obtained several fine plants and specimens of wood. Halted for the night on the L. bank of the river, below Termination Island. ² During the evening we had a severe storm of thunder, lightning, and rain.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH
Sultry as usual, proceeded down the river. It may be remarked here that when I first visited it in December, 1823, the water was found fresh about sixteen miles lower down than we at present experienced it. The tide having been against us the greater part of the day, we did not get lower down the river than Crescent Reach,³ where we intended stopping for the night, as I expected to find fresh water. We saw at the commencement of the reach on the left bank a very large assemblage of natives in the same spot we saw them last year. It was evidently a favourite place with them, most probably on account of water being convenient, as among the company was a full proportion of women and children. We landed about half-mile below this encampment on the same side of the river, there being a small creek ⁴ between us, which I hoped would prevent them visiting us, as I had no desire to hold communication with them, having had full proof of their desire to possess everything they see and making off with what they can secure without the ceremony of asking leave.

Whilst the tent was pitching and the things getting out of the boats, Mr. B. and myself went in search of water, while Mr. C. superintended getting the things on shore. We had not been long about, and were returning unsuccessful to the tent, which was by this time pitched, when we found that a large party of the natives had found their way to it. They had been very troublesome, and Mr. C. had some difficulty in preventing them taking what they chose, particularly one man, who was recognised as the one who stole my hat on the morning of the 17th. He was a fine, athletic man, as indeed they all were. On my seeing him, I made signs that I knew him, and was angry with him, and that, he must bring back the hat. He seemed well to understand my meaning, but only laughed and jumped about. At length, seeing we would not suffer him to come near the tent, he made signs as if he and another would go and bring the hat, and went off, leaving five or six about us on a hill a little above the tent. He shortly returned, but as I might have expected, without the hat. On the contrary, he had brought with him a number of other natives, making now in the whole about 14 - about the strongest and best-made muscular men I have seen in any country.

We determined that this fellow should not come near us, and Mr. Cunningham endeavoured to explain to a fine, stout young man the reason, which he seemed well enough to understand. Mr. Butler was holding some of the others in conversation, when the savage before mentioned, who had for some time appeared working himself into a transport of passion, as is usual before they attempt anything violent, seized a piece of wood and hurled it at me. Fortunately, some dead branches on the ground intervening, it fell short, being thrown in the same manner as is the boomerang. The other natives had before begun to fall back, and Mr. Butler, having seen him throw the stick, and observing him about to renew the attack on Mr. C. with a stone, fired at him, and struck him on the left arm and side. He immediately made off, running towards the creek, the others slowly going - off different ways, but in no manner interfering to assist their companion. We observed him drop on the edge of the creek, about 200 yards from us. After a little time, observing no one come to assist him, though the greater part of them were within a few yards of him, we went to him, and found him laying on his side, being apparently severely though not dangerously wounded with the small shot with which the barrel was loaded. He bled, but very little, and I was not sorry that he had suffered for his boldness.

The other natives seemed to consider him as having sought his fate, for on our making signs that they should come and take him away they immediately crossed the creek, and, first motioning for us to withdraw a little, two of them approached him and, first blowing on his face several times, they shouted as for more assistance, which, being immediately afforded by the others, he was taken to their camp on their shoulders. The camp was not distant more than 500 yards from us, but out of sight. We soon discovered his arrival there by the most dismal howlings and wailings I ever heard set up by the women and children, and this noise was continued with little intermission through the night, and the men occasionally joined in loud but measured shouts. We thought at different times we heard dancing, as if a corroboree had been held round him, but the cries of women and children in seeming distress prevailed, and from the singular noises that continued we conjectured that various ceremonies were performing, and that the wounded man was probably of some consideration among them, as indeed his numerous curious tattooed and raised marks, together with his whole conduct and deportment, had before seemed to indicate.

It had been repeatedly necessary before firing to point the piece at one or other, more particularily at the wounded man, in order to deter them from plunder; they, however, seemed to think very little of it, which I attribute to their having seen Mr. Butler fire at a duck in the river, which he unluckily missed, as also that the man who had been fired at on the 17th, whilst making off with the instruments had been so very slightly wounded as to give them a contemptible opinion of our means of defence against their depredations, and though I deeply regretted the necessity that had now occasioned our firing, yet I was glad that the shot had taken effect on the right person, and the serious pain he must doubtless suffer would operate in some degree as a warning and proof that we were not utterly defenceless. I also hoped it might have its good effects among the tribes in the vicinity of the new settlement, as, though the distance is considerable, probably 25 or 30 miles, yet events of this nature are sure to be communicated from tribe to tribe, and the knowledge of the powerful effect of our weapons operate in deterring them from attempting the little petty thefts which their ardent desire to possess whatever they behold would otherwise doubtless tempt them to commit.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH
A calm, still night. The howlings at the camp of the natives ceased an hour or two before sunrise, and were resumed with redoubled violence on the rising of that luminary,⁵ and shortly after almost entirely ceased. We had intended to visit their camp, but considering that we might disturb them, and certainly fright away their women and children, the intention was given up, and we proceeded down the river, landing⁶ about three-quarters of a mile from our sleeping place, to look for water, which we found in abundance and of excellent quality, being at this season a chain of ponds watering a fine valley. The soil good, with timber and a few Pines, by no means an ineligible station for a first settlement up the river. At 4 o'clock, after a fatiguing row, we gained the entrance of the river, and stopped an hour to dine before we proceeded to the vessel. I took several bearings from the north point of the river to determine its position, and returned to the vessel about 10 o'clock the same night, after an absence of 13 days, spent in most interesting and, I hope, useful investigations.

The examination of the lower part of the Bay had been executed and a good channel sounded. The vessel, having been moored on the bank of sand to close to Redcliff Point for the convenience of unloading, had drifted in a strong gale from the S.E., having broken one of the flukes of the best-bower.⁷ The vessel was moved further out and again moored, the anchor laying in a bottom of stiff mud. No vessel should anchor for any considerable time in less than five fathoms off the Point, as the holding ground within the three fm. bank is bad, being hard sand. Small vessels of light draft may lay close to the shore, but when unloaded, should haul out into deeper water, as the extreme openness and want of shelter cause a very heavy sea to rise in a short time; it subsides, however, as suddenly as it rises. The winds causing the greatest sea are from north round by the east to S.S.E., the land laying at such a distance between those points as to afford little or no shelter. The master had proceeded in the barge, accompanied by Mr. Hoddle,⁸ to sound the south entrances⁹ into the Bay, as I had previously directed. The settlement was getting on but slowly.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH
Warm, sultry W. Preparing boats and tools in order to procure some of the pine spars from Deception River.¹⁰ At noon obsd. the sun's meridian altitude, 64 degrees 56' 10".

1.	Oxley now saw the McPherson Range, and realized his error in identifying Wilson's Peak with Mt. Warning. However he could not have seen Mt. Warning, as it was hidden behind Mt. Merino. He evidently took the bearing towards what seemed to be the highest point of the McPherson Range. Coincidentally, it happens to be almost the correct bearing for Mt. Warning.
2.	Cockatoo Island, near Goodna.
3.	Toowong, Auchenflower, and Milton.
4.	Probably at Moorlands Park, Toowong.
5.	The "Cry for the dead" happened every morning among the natives.
6.	Probably at Frew Park, Milton.
7.	The best-bower was an anchor carried at the starboard bow of a vessel; the small-bower was on the port side. The flukes were the triangular holding-plates at the ends of the arms of an anchor.
8.	Robert Hoddle, the surveyor who later laid out the streets of Melbourne.
9.	The South Passage, through which the "Amity" sailed on her return voyage to Sydney, thereby becoming the first ship to use that passage.
10.	The Pine River, where Oxley had seen pine trees in 1823. It was called Deception River because Finnegan had deceived Oxley there, claiming it was the Brisbane.