In the late 1840s, colony of Moreton Bay and its surrounding districts had been open to free settlers for several years, but was struggling with the need for labour, institutions and infrastructure. The convict buildings left about the place had deteriorated, and there was little economic stimulus to create new facilities for the town. TheContinue reading “Incipient Signs of Rowdyism in the Streets.”
Category Archives: Convicts
The Convict Pirates of Norfolk Island Seize the Barque Lady Franklin.
A Piratical seizure, a journey to the south seas, a court martial and a decades-long international manhunt. In December 1853, the last of the Norfolk Island Pirates, already under sentence for their misdeeds in Moreton Bay, faced the Court at Hobart Town and pleaded guilty to stealing the launch at Norfolk Island. Property of HerContinue reading “The Convict Pirates of Norfolk Island Seize the Barque Lady Franklin.”
The Convict Pirates of Norfolk Island Visit Moreton Bay
The excitement in town on Wednesday and Thursday was such as has not been witnessed by the oldest inhabitant. It was actually possible to see four people in the streets together, and many and conflicting were the rumours and fears. Moreton Bay Free Press, 1853 A Strange Vessel at the Bay On 25 March 1853,Continue reading “The Convict Pirates of Norfolk Island Visit Moreton Bay”
Convict Insolence and Insubordination at Moreton Bay
By the end of the 1830s, the penal settlement of Moreton Bay was winding down operations, and those serving there knew this only too well. There was little chance of being sent to Norfolk Island – even notorious characters were finding themselves fairly respectable work. Constable George Brown, formerly the most flagrant of the Bay’s absconders,Continue reading “Convict Insolence and Insubordination at Moreton Bay”
November 1, 1849 – the arrival of the Mount Stuart Elphinstone.
The Mountstuart Elphinstone arrived in Moreton Bay on 01 November 1849, with transported convicts and convict exiles on board. The local burghers went out to meet the ship, and selected the best (or least worst) of those on board to work on stations and in businesses about South East Queensland. The convicts were then disembarked,Continue reading “November 1, 1849 – the arrival of the Mount Stuart Elphinstone.”
A Brief History of Bushranging in Queensland. Part 1.
1824-1842 Moreton Bay Convict Settlement “Bushranging” was a term invented around 1805 to describe the actions of escaped convicts who took to the bush, often leading violent outlaw lives to secure food and avoid capture. Absconding became an attractive option in the penal settlements of Sydney (est. 1788) and Van Diemen’s Land (est. 1803). Food was scarce, rations wereContinue reading “A Brief History of Bushranging in Queensland. Part 1.”
The Amity drops anchor at Redcliffe- September 12, 1824
On 12 September 1824, the brig Amity dropped anchor at Redcliffe, with a manifest of convicts and soldiers under the direction of Lt Miller (the first Commandant), John Oxley, Alan Cunningham and Lt Butler. They were twice (or thrice in some cases) convicted felons, and their task was to set up a new penal colonyContinue reading “The Amity drops anchor at Redcliffe- September 12, 1824”
All the news fit to print – September 5, 1850
A glance through the Moreton Bay Courier of September 5 1850 shows the reader the era in Brisbane Town in a nutshell. Rosewood was out in the never-never, and locals banded together to discourage (in their worldview) indigenous raiders. This was the time when relations between determined free settlers, and dispossessed indigenous people was at itsContinue reading “All the news fit to print – September 5, 1850”
Great Logan’s Ghost!
In the early 20th century, the ghost of Captain Patrick Logan, late – very late – Commandant of the Moreton Bay, began to appear in newspapers. Logan himself had died on October 17, 1830, murdered by indigenous people in the Somerset region of Queensland (official version), or by escaped convicts seizing an opportunity to getContinue reading “Great Logan’s Ghost!”
Jack Bushman’s Tale – Part 4
The final part of Jack Bushman’s story is about his life as a “free” man, and includes a shooting at Brisbane’s indigenous people known as the “York’s Hollow Shooting”, which occurred in December 1846. The murders of Mary Shannon and Andrew Gregor in October that year had made white settlers fearful of the local aborigines, and keenContinue reading “Jack Bushman’s Tale – Part 4”
Moreton Bay and More 