In 1830, a Sydney newspaper named The Monitor published a series of articles alleging that the Commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement was a bloodthirsty tyrant, and possibly a murderer. That Commandant, Captain Patrick Logan of the 57th Regiment, had prepared to sue Hall for libel, when his own murder intervened. What led toContinue reading “Captain Logan and Mr Hall”
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”
Jack Bushman’s Tale Part 3
RETAKEN. -THE PUNISHMENT-OTHER ADVENTURES-LIBERTY. GUIDED by the sound I went to the old hut, and asked, – ” are you there, Charley?” “Oh dear! I shall die,” was the response. The gleam from the fire gave me light. I saw Charley was care-worn and beaten. His breathing was short and difficult. I stripped, the coveringContinue reading “Jack Bushman’s Tale Part 3”
Jack Bushman’s Tale Part 2 – Moreton Bay
ANOTHER TASTE OF THE CAT-O-NINE TAILS – LIFE IN MISERY – DEATH IN PREFERENCE. As soon as I had been ” told off” properly, I was put into the “chain gang.” I was ironed very heavily; the weight I should fancy of my Moreton Bay ornaments being about 16 lbs. I was sent to workContinue reading “Jack Bushman’s Tale Part 2 – Moreton Bay”
Jack Bushman’s Tale Part 1
In 1859, the Moreton Bay Courier published a series of chapters of convict-era reminiscences by “Jack Bushman”. They are quite a tale, but some background research shows that the reminiscences are quite true. The first section deals with his transportation to Australia in 1818, and the beginnings of a longing for freedom, which brought him to MoretonContinue reading “Jack Bushman’s Tale Part 1”
Henry Cowper, Moreton Bay’s First Doctor.
Henry Cowper was 25 when he came to Brisbane to take up the role of Assistant Colonial Surgeon at Moreton Bay. (Assistant was just part of the title – he was the only medical officer at the settlement.) He arrived at the same time as Captain Patrick Logan became Commandant, to a couple of hutsContinue reading “Henry Cowper, Moreton Bay’s First Doctor.”
A Review of Gentlemen’s Hair Styles 1875
For men in the late 19th Century, beards were the order of the day. If a man couldn’t grow a healthy, bristling beard, a moustache of distinction was an alternative. The very few fresh-faced individuals found in Brisbane Gaol’s description book are invariable quite young. The Fresh-Faced Look David W Barr was a 22Continue reading “A Review of Gentlemen’s Hair Styles 1875”
Mug Shots: what shall we do with a drunken sailor?
Irish sailor John McConnell had a very big night ashore in Brisbane in August 1875. His Brisbane Gaol photo has him dishevelled, sporting a bristling moustache and an unkempt, towering coiffure. It’s unlikely that anyone was game to come near him with a comb, given the circumstances of his arrival. The contemporaneous report is priceless,Continue reading “Mug Shots: what shall we do with a drunken sailor?”
Mug Shots: The Miner from New Orleans
William Warren was born in New Orleans in 1830 and arrived in Australia in 1853 aboard a ship (also) called the New Orleans. While his family and past friends experienced the war between the States, William was in Northern Queensland, eking out a living as a miner, occasionally coming to the attention of theContinue reading “Mug Shots: The Miner from New Orleans”
Mug Shots: Two larcenous lads.
Another sailor on shore in Brisbane in August 1875 was John E. Fincham, aged 20. He was however without a ship and working at a city club as a boot-black. Given that his offence was stealing a coat, it seems appropriate that the unhappy young man is virtually swallowed by the prison jacket. Stealing aContinue reading “Mug Shots: Two larcenous lads.”
Moreton Bay and More 