IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED ,f g the Author. Brisbane, 1895. This is a blank page PREFAC'1. ACAULAY has defined history as a compound of poetry and philosophy. It seems necessa rily to follow that a historian is either a poet or a philosopher. I do not claim to be either. I prefer they title of compiler, a.nd only as such do I enter upon the task of making ,)ast present and bringing the distant near. I am ctly well aware, however, of the responsibilities a settle themselves upon the shoulders of even a -der of events, for, apart from the merit of authenticity, ensland has not existed sufficiently long to place a iter outside the pale of criticism by those within whose emory much of her history has been made. In antici- ition of that criticism, hinting-with the suggestion of iperior knowledge invariably proffered-that accuracy in very detail has not been maintained, I simply plead that have done my best. And as somebody has said- Who does the best his circumstaiice allows Does well, acts nobly ; angels could no more. Vith all faults and imperfections, then, this small contribu- n to Future's historic feast is tendered, my only plea :ng a desire to acquaint the unacquainted with a few imbs rescued from an eventful past, and to recall to the w remaining pioneers memories of bye-gone days. How ng these may be spared is not a question to be dis- ,.ssed here ; but when Father Time shall have gathered them into the granary of the great Unknown their work&ill vi. be engraved in the hearts of the thousands-aye, tens of thousands-who have come upon the scene of their labours and profited by their early efforts and trials. Since this work was commenced, Death, who respects neither king nor commoner, has claimed the FRIEND to whom I am most largely indebted for assistance and advice. It is thus too late to address myself to him, but to those left to perpetuate his honoured name I accord my thanks. To the Hon. Horace Tozer (Colonial Secretary), through whose kindness I was enabled to search official documents, and to Mr. D. O'Donovan, C.M G. (Parliamentary Libra- rian), whose domain to a large extent filled the blank of a public library, I owe a debt of gratitude ; and I am not the less grateful to Mr. John A. Hayes, whose valuable reference library was placed at my disposal. My obligations are also due to Mr. John Sinclair, Mr. John Hardgrave, and other old residents who readily accorded me the benefit of their personal experiences. The dates have been largely drawn from official documents, files of the Courier and " Pugh's Almanac." J. J. KNIGHT. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Pages. CHAPTER I -How Moreton Bay was Discovered-Captain Flinders - The First of Redcli ffe- Our Parents and our Heritage-The Antecedents of the Pioneers- Days of Darkness and Despair-Oxle's Search for a Depot-The First Settlers-The Original Site-The Birth of Brisbane - A Peep at the Prisoners-Whip- ping Records ... ... ... ... ... ... 1-24 CHAPTER II -Dark and Desperate Days-Captain Logan's Rule-How men were punished -The Tyrant' s Fate- Governor Darling and the Cat-The Sudds and Thompson Case-Convict's Court Death-The Wor- kers and their Wages-At the Triangles-A Page from a Convict's Life ... ... ... ... ... 25-48 CHAPTER III.-The Penal Settlement-The Old Windmill -A Bird's Eye View-The Female Prisoners-The Quaker's Evidence - Visit of Backhouse and Walker- The First Steamer in Moreton Bay-Arrival of the Petries-Bushed - Andrew Petrie's Discoveries ... 49-66 CHAPTER IV.-The Windmill and its Surroundings- Survey of Moreton Bay - Murder at Mount Lindsay- Dunlop Left for Dead-Governmental Dilatoriness- The First Traders-Settlement on the Downs-The Earliest Squatters-Patrick Leslie-The Troubles of Pioneers - Road -making over the Range - The Com- mandant Out-witted-The Logan and West Moreton 67-8r CHAPTER V.-Glorious Uncertainty- Pioneers in Business -The First Execution -Runaway Convicts- Baker- Brisbane Town versus Cleveland-Visit of Governor Gipps-First Sale of Lands-Mr. Andrew Petrie's Great Trip-An Amateur Master Mariner - Finding of Bracefield and Duramboi - How the Blacks were 82-101 Viii. CONTENTS. Pages. CHAPTER VI. -An Interesting Relic-The Poisoning of Aborigines-Search on Frazer's Island-The Fate of the "Stirling Castle "-Murdered and Eaten by Blacks-Davis' Career-Habits of the Aborigines-A Cannabalistic Ceremony-Davis' Description - A New Era- Business at Brisbane Town-A Travel- ler's Troubles-Public Flagellation ... ... ... 10e-124 CHAPTER VII.-The Survey of Brisbane-"The Time Killer"-Boiling Down-Included in a Constituency -The First Representative-Sale of Ipswich Lands-. Squatters "in Town "-An Early Day Incident-An Apathetic Government-Caroline Chisholm-Leich- hardt-Indignant Pastoralists ... ... ... ... 125-139 CHAPTER VIII.-The Currency-The " Calabash " System -Peculiarities of Early Trading-A Community of Agitators - The Early Press - The Moreton Bay Courier - The Late J ames Swan - The Glasgow Printer Boy-A Romantic Career ... ... ... 140-157 CHAPTER IX -'The Head of Navigation "-Developing the T-ade-The "Experiment"- James Canning Pearce' s Misfortunes -The First General Census-An Early Electoral Roll-Races at New Farm -A Gentle- man Jockey' s Experience - Real Progression ... ... 158-16g CHAPTER X.-An Unpopular Governor-Governor Gipps' Departure-An Outspoken Farewell-In and About the Settlement-The Annual Prize Fight-Cleveland v. Brisbane Town-The Question of Labour-New Hebridean Immigration -Unreliable Labour ... ... 170-181 CHAPTER XI.-A Possible Way Out-Renewal of Trans- portation-The North Australian Fiasco-An III- matured Scheme-A Blow to Dignity-Troublesome Blacks-A Double Murder-A Notorious Villain-A Settlement Shindy ... ... ... ... ... 182-194 CHAPTER XII.-A promising New Year-The Magistracy -" Lucrative Investments "-A Relic of By-gone Days-The Failing of the Force -Labour still the Cry -The Wreck of the "Sovereign"-A Terrible Story -Who were to Blame P ... ... ... ... ... 195-206 CONTENTS. 1R. Pages. CHAPTER XIII .- Amusement for the Million-The Burnett and the Mary-A Road over the Range-The Ship that ne'er Returned - An Early Race -day Incident- History Repeats Itself-Brisbane Town Opponents- Obnoxious Banking Regulations ... ... ... 207-219 CHAPTER XIV.-Murder of Sawyers at North Pine-Hope- ful Signs-Wanted : Ships-A Short Life and a Merry One-Indian Labour-The Fate of the " Experiment " -The Foundation Regatta-Another Injustice-In and About ... ... ... ... ".. ... ... 220-236 CHAPTER XV.-An awful Crime-The Kangaroo Point Murder-Fife's Dying Words-Ever Growing-The Annual Races - Immigration - Immigrant Orphan Girls -A Long Felt Want-Matrimony Made Easy-The " Flying Pieman "-A Mystery Solved... ... ... 237-254 CHAPTER XVI.-Hope for the Squatters -- Ch;nese a Failure- Dr. Lang comes to the Rescue-His Immi- gration Crusade-Arrival of the " Artemisia "-The " Fortitude "-The Closing Year of the Forties-How it came to Brisbane-Exodus to California ... ... 255-265 CHAPTER XVIL-Dr. Lang and His Scheme-A Blow to Convictism-Wanted :'A Protestant Population-The Doctor and the Imperial Authorities-His Reticence and the Result-The " Fortitude "-Treatment of the Immigrants-The "Chasely "-The Results of the scheme-Signs of the Times ... ... ... ... 266-280 CHAPTER XVIII.-The Resumption of Transportation- Bitter Feeling-The " Hashemy "-Moreton Bay's Unique Position-The First Fruit of the Importation -The Mount Stuart Elphinstone-" Fortitude " and "Chasely" Influence-The Tables Turned-A Big Bid for Convict Labour-Kennedy's Ill-fated Expedi- tion-Arrival of Orphan Girls-The Windmill ... 281-292 CHAPTER XIX.-The First Circuit Court-Mr. Justice Therry-The jury-Sentenced to Deat}-A Remark- able Case-A Death Ship-The Second ',Newspaper- Conservative Ipswich - Anti-transportationists-The X. CONTENTS. Pages. Discovery of Gold at Bathurst-Its Effect on Moreton Bay-Black Marauders -Electoral Concessions-Dr. Lang's Visit ... ... ... ... ... ... 293-310 CHAPTER XX.-Daring Outrages-Make-i-Light-Native Feuds-Wreck of the " Thomas King "-The Fate of the Crew-Early Sandgate-An Early Election Incident-Ipswich and its Member-Immigrant Ships -What they were Like -Norfolk Island Pirates- Notorious Criminals-New Chums " Bushed " ... 311-328 CHAPTER XXI,-Restoration of Confidence-Misfortunes of Cleveland-Its Shipping Prospects Blighted-Police and their Prisoners-A Sensational Escape-Thomas Dowse-His Attempt to Civilise Sandgate-Visit of Governor Fitzroy- Dundalli-His Death - Church Troubles-Another Runaway Convict-" Gilbury " ... 329-339 CHAPTER XXII.-Arrival of the " Boomerang "-The Eureka Stockade-The Diggers and their Dictator- The Press- in Ipswich-The Explorers-Gregory- Landsborough-Railway Agitation-Signs of Separa- ation-Trade with New Caledonia-Constitutional Government-The New Constitution Act-The Elec- tions-Separation-The Birth of Queensland ... ... 340-352 TABLE OF EVENTS CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED ... 355-390 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Frontispiece-The Late John Petrie ... ... ... Captain Matthew Flinders... ... .... ... ... 5 Investigator Tree, relic of Flinder's visit to Sweer's Island 6 The Chain Gang, from a sketch made in 1836 ... ... 21 Allan Cuningham, discoverer of Darling Downs ... 39 Andrew Petrie ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 Patrick Leslie, first squatter on Darling Downs ... 72 James Davis (Duramboi), for many years with the blacks 100 Caroline Chisholm, the emigrant girls' friend ... ... 132 Johann Ludwig Leichhardt, the lost Explorer ... ... 136 Facsimile of the first page of the first issue of the Courier 144 Darra, first official Roman Catholic residence ... ... ... 168 Oldest house in Brisbane ... Queensland Aborigines ... ... 188 and 189 Friendly Blacks ... ... Copy of first Playbill ... 208 Settlement Blacks in Camp 222 Types of Settlement Blacks 223 Dr. John Dunsmore Lang 268 North B ri sbane from the South Side-186o 302 An Early Day Head Station 312 Queen Street-186o ... ... 325 Petrie's Bight-1858 (site of present Howard Smith & Co.'s 335 Rev. Edward Griffith, one of the first Congregational Ministers , and father of the present Chief Justice of Queensland ..