1848 was a year of unrest and revolution in Europe. The world seemed to be in uproar. And uproar would find its way to Brisbane Town that year, not in the form of an uprising, but in the form of the Queen of the Artemisia. Before Dr Lang rounded up industrious protestants to populate “Cooksland,”Continue reading “The Queen of the Artemisia”
Category Archives: Newspaper stories
Young Patrick's life of crime.
He was born at sea in 1855, and grew up in the Irishtown district of Ipswich. By 15 he was called a hardened criminal by the newspapers. When Patrick Long boarded the Hulk Proserpina in 1871, his parents were no longer in the picture, and although the hulk was supposed to be a reformatory and industrial school, there wasContinue reading “Young Patrick's life of crime.”
The Scandalous Mrs Bailey.
The brief reign of an adventuress in Brisbane Town. Brisbane Town in 1847 was a rough and ready place. Free settlement had been permitted since 1842, but settlers faced an almost complete lack of amenities and commerce. Prior to the skilled immigration movement of Dr Lang, women fell into several distinct categories: wives of GovernmentContinue reading “The Scandalous Mrs Bailey.”
February 9, 1860 – Ipswich Courthouse
On 09 February 1860, the Circuit Court sat at Ipswich on a particularly hot sub-tropical summer’s day. Here’s how the Moreton Bay Courier recorded the day: THE court opened at 10 o’clock. There were seven prisoners for trial. The attendance of jurors was very good, two only of those summoned being absent, a good andContinue reading “February 9, 1860 – Ipswich Courthouse”
February 6, 1872 – the Peri tragedy.
On February 6 1872, a schooner was noticed lying waterlogged off Rockingham Bay near Cardwell in North Queensland. Crew from the H.M.S. Basilisk boarded her and found a terrible scene. Three dead bodies, and fourteen starving Pacific Islanders with no food or fresh water. The Police Magistrate from Cardwell, alerted to the horror found inContinue reading “February 6, 1872 – the Peri tragedy.”
February 5, 1867 – the hold up of the Banana Mail.
Was he a desperado who terrorised the country town of Gayndah with his mad highwayman antics, or just a nervous, hungry German chap who couldn’t get a job? And how did you spell his name? How desperate would you have to be to rob the mail at Banana? IT appears that another knight of the roadsContinue reading “February 5, 1867 – the hold up of the Banana Mail.”
Oddities from January 1860
Sometimes, research into other subjects sends you down a rabbit hole. My rabbit hole was January 1860 – every newspaper story from that month seemed to be trying to outdo the previous one for sheer absurdity. Good luck finding a sober copper in Ipswich: Tuesday, January 24.Before the Police Magistrate, Messrs Broughton, Lucas, H. Challinor,Continue reading “Oddities from January 1860”
Christmas at Moreton Bay: from the Convict Era to Separation
CHRISTMAS IN THE CONVICT ERA. Christmas 1828 occurred on a Thursday, and the indefatigable Peter Spicer did not record it in his diary (Return of Works Performed), however the entry for Friday 26 December 1828 records: Perhaps not feeling what little Christmas spirit was to be had in the settlement were the 131 patients inContinue reading “Christmas at Moreton Bay: from the Convict Era to Separation”
A snapshot of life in Brisbane in 1866.
You can learn a great deal about life in a particular time and place from the daily newspapers, particularly the classified advertising. Here is a snapshot of life in Brisbane on 27 June 1866, courtesy of the Brisbane Courier. A suitable residence. This advertisement is designed to appeal to those who require a des resContinue reading “A snapshot of life in Brisbane in 1866.”
A look back at bushranging from 1912.
Chronicles of Queensland in the early days: Some Early Bushrangers— Race Meeting on the Condamine— Knocking Down Big Cheques— A Hot Time— Sticking up the Mail— A Good Bit of Tracking — A Pigeon-toed Horse —Capture of the Criminals— Kirk and Grey— A “Green” Police Sergeant (BY “OLD CHUM”). No. 71 Many years ago, aContinue reading “A look back at bushranging from 1912.”
Moreton Bay and More 