Education from the convict era to Separation The Convict Era The first European school in Queensland was free, open to all, and had a very low student-to-teacher ratio – just what parents would hope for in a State School today. It was the Moreton Bay penal settlement free school, which opened in 1826. It cateredContinue reading “A Polite, English Education”
Category Archives: Moreton Bay
The Soldier Convicts of Moreton Bay
The military detachments who served at Moreton Bay had some interesting prisoners to manage. As well as the twice-convicted felons, there were men who might have served alongside them at one time, had it not been for war or arduous remote postings. Veterans of the Napoleonic Wars Among the soldier convicts at Moreton Bay inContinue reading “The Soldier Convicts of Moreton Bay”
The British Military Presence in Brisbane
The Commandants, Soldiers, and their Families. In 1824, Moreton Bay was designated by the British Government as a place of secondary punishment. It was not quite as isolated as the Norfolk Island Penal Colony, but seemed that way, because there were no roads open from Sydney. It may as well have been a remote island.Continue reading “The British Military Presence in Brisbane”
A Tragic Mystery
In early September 1889, wealthy publican and landowner William Goodwin Geddes discovered that his son, who had disappeared (presumed drowned) at Toorbul near Caboolture in 1877, was still alive. That was the good news. The bad news was that his son resided in a Lunatic Asylum in Adelaide. The worse news was that the AMPContinue reading “A Tragic Mystery”
“Old Trafalgar” Dies at Dunwich.
On June 4, 1878, a very old man passed away at Dunwich Benevolent Asylum at Stradbroke Island. He’d been there since 1869, when, aged 91, he could no longer take care of himself. That was a hard blow for a very independent man. Abraham Brown had been a mariner since the turn of the 19thContinue reading ““Old Trafalgar” Dies at Dunwich.”
Stories Behind the Corner
Memorable Characters from Old Tom’s Story of the Old Times Some of Old Tom’s friends and acquaintances – Tom O’Neil and Johnny Hamilton – passed through the Colony without making much impact on the news of the day. No doubt they were great friends and unique characters, but their activities did not incur much publicContinue reading “Stories Behind the Corner”
Mapping Out Our Past
From Convict Settlement to Separation Map of the World (published 1500s, New Guinea 1600s, and globe 1720s. We’re in there somewhere. Beyond Here Be Dragons For centuries, New Holland existed as only a vague concept. The Dutch had been to the west and south, leaving – for reasons best known to themselves – plates nailedContinue reading “Mapping Out Our Past”
“What? Beer makes you drunk?”
A surprising discovery in Brisbane in the late 1840s. The great Australian tradition of drinking one’s wages arrived at Moreton Bay with the Europeans in 1824. Soldiers and public servants at the settlement had cellars, and enterprising convicts could sometimes lay their hands on some of their contents. Free settlement meant liquor licenses, public drinkingContinue reading ““What? Beer makes you drunk?””
Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 3.
The Sketch Map of Brisbane Town in 1844, and the stories behind it. 31. Taylor Shappart There was no Taylor Shappart in Brisbane in 1844. There was a tailor, John Sheppard, who lived and worked at Brisbane at the time, and later moved to Ipswich. I suspect that between the Gerler’s understanding of English namesContinue reading “Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 3.”
Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 1.
The Sketch Map of Brisbane Town in 1844, and the stories behind it. A rough, sketched map of Brisbane town in 1844 reposes in the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. It is attributed to Carl Friedrich Gerler, who arrived in Brisbane as a missionary to the Zion Hill establishment in 1844. The buildingsContinue reading “Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 1.”
Moreton Bay and More 