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A Short History of Brisbane |
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Page 1 of 2
Before European settlement, Brisbane was originally home to the Jagera and Turrbal Aboriginal clans. The river's abundant supply of food included fish, shellfish, crabs and shrimps. The good fishing places became campsites and the focus of group activities. Then in May 1770 Captain James Cook sailed past Moreton Bay naming the Glass House Mountains. Although Captain Matthew Flinders anchored inside Cape Moreton in 1799, naming Red Cliff (now Redcliff) and Woody Point.
1823 - Brisbane River Named
It was not until 1823 that Lieutenant John Oxley, Surveyor-General of
New South Wales named the Brisbane river after following the directions
of two castaways that had 'discovered' it. From then it didn't take long for Brisbane to get started.
1824 - Morton Bay Penal Settlement established
In 1824, the
Moreton Bay penal settlement was established on the coast at Redcliffe.
After three months, a new site on the Brisbane River (now called North
Quay) with a reliable water supply was chosen.
1828 - First Colonial Stone Buildings built
In 1828, hundreds of convicts started to build the first stone
buildings: The Colonial Stores Building, and an Old Windmill (now known
as the Wickham Terrace Observatory Tower) were among the first to rise
from the bush.
1842 - Three Separate Free Settlements existed
In 1842, Brisbane began as three free separate settlements--North Brisbane, Kangaroo Point and South Brisbane. In 1846, there were less than a thousand people living in these three areas.
1859 - New Colony (Queensland) established
In 1859, another separate colony began. This was named Queensland in
honour of Queen Victoria, the Queen of England at the time. Brisbane
was now the capital with a population of six thousand people.
The main thoroughfare, Queen Street, was lined with some large
well-designed buildings, the facades of many are still here today. On
George Street you can still see Parliament House and the Queensland
Club, used by country politicians and public servants today as a city
base. The City Botanic Gardens is the site of the original gardens that
provided food for the convict settlement.
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