An unkempt and hopeless-looking man stares warily at the Brisbane Gaol photographer. His jacket doesn’t quite fit, and his hair and beard seem to have been barbered using a kitchen knife. His eyes, set deep under faded brows, are pale. His mouth is slightly open, as if the photographer caught him just as he wasContinue reading “A Tale of the Hard Life – William Murray and the killing of Daniel Roberts”
Author Archives: Karen B
Amateur historian and writer.
The Convicts from Mauritius
In April 1840, the Colonial Secretary, by command of the Governor, did himself the honour to acquaint the Commandant at Moreton Bay that the schooner John had been engaged by the Commissariat to bring 15 prisoners to work for that department in Brisbane. The men had been transported earlier that year – 13 in theContinue reading “The Convicts from Mauritius”
The Station Where John Hayes was The Odd Man at the Shed
This article was published in the Western Star and Roma Advertiser in 1875, the year before John Hayes and Kaspar Hahn had their fatal confrontation. It was the story of the Lansdowne Station and the hardships endured by the people who set it up. THE BARCOO—LANSDOWN STATION “Lansdown is one of the principal stations inContinue reading “The Station Where John Hayes was The Odd Man at the Shed”
The Odd Man About The Shed
John Hayes was an Irish labourer who had arrived in Queensland in 1873 on the Landsborough. There might well be a fortune to be made by a man who would work hard. Perhaps after a few years he could own some land, have a family. Perhaps he could send some money home to Ireland. ItContinue reading “The Odd Man About The Shed”
The Cunnamulla Bank Job.
It started out as a bank hold-up in a small western Queensland town. There was a shot fired, and an injury sustained. The robber’s getaway attempt descended into farce as a racehorse and a sheepdog became involved in a chase that ended up with the fugitive surrendering in a tree. In just two months, theContinue reading “The Cunnamulla Bank Job.”
The Further Hazards of Old Brisbane
More threats to public safety and happiness from the early days of European settlement in Brisbane. Termagants The Victoria Hall seemed to be the only part of Brisbane that welcomed termagants, and that was for theatrical purposes only. The idea that women might get drunk and/or fight was simply too much for the Courier. InContinue reading “The Further Hazards of Old Brisbane”
18 June 1815 – the Battle of Waterloo
And the Veterans who helped create Brisbane “I say, Carruthers, don’t trip over that dead French chappie”. Waterloo. As any schoolchild knows, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo in 1815. Well, actually, if the curriculum they study today is anything like the one I passed through, largely unscathed, schoolchildren todayContinue reading “18 June 1815 – the Battle of Waterloo”
The Hazards of Life in Old Brisbane
It’s quite comforting to look back on old Brisbane and find that many of the hazards of life these days also troubled our forebears. The river still has its surprises for the unwary. Pet ownership attracts all manner of official scrutiny, not to mention revenue-raising. Traffic is still appalling and drunks still populate our watchhouses.Continue reading “The Hazards of Life in Old Brisbane”
The Health of the Colony – Free Settlement
FROM CONVICT HOSPITAL TO GENERAL HOSPITAL Sick people – please advise The years 1841and 1842 saw settlers, servants, merchants and labourers moving into or through the township. It seems to have escaped the notice of the Government that these people might need services and infrastructure in order to carve out their existence in Moreton Bay.Continue reading “The Health of the Colony – Free Settlement”
The Health of the Colony – the Convict Era
The Convict Hospital When the Moreton Bay penal colony closed for business in 1842 and became a town, the official records dispersed, mainly to Sydney. Many were lost, some fetched up in unusual places, but a remarkable number of documents survived the ensuing 200 years. The records of the Moreton Bay Hospital have largely survivedContinue reading “The Health of the Colony – the Convict Era”
Moreton Bay and More 