John Oxley and the Bremer River 200 Years on

During the 1820s the British Government, with its jails still full to overflowing despite years of transporting convicts to other parts of the world, was constantly searching for ways to establish new penal colonies in Australia. By October 21, 1823 John Oxley had received his orders from Governor Brisbane at Port Jackson:  travel north to explore and expand the colony’s hold on the land that Mother England had claimed as her own, with the intent to form penal settlements to house the worst of the convicts transported to Australia.

Oxley set sail in the schooner HMS Mermaid, his mission to explore the northern parts of the Colony of New South Wales. Oxley first surveyed Port Bowen (Bowen) and then Port Curtis (Gladstone). 

During his return journey to Sydney, Oxley discovered Moreton on November 29 1823, surveying what was then known as Red Cliff Point.   Quite by chance, Oxley discovered two former convicts who had survived being shipwrecked six months earlier and had been cared for by indigenous people on Bribie Island, namely Thomas Pamphlett and John Finnegan. A third survivor, Richard Parsons, had set off on foot for Sydney and miraculously arrived there some 9 months later.  The fourth convict, John Thompson, did not survive the shipwreck.

Finnegan assisted Oxley to explore what is now known as the Brisbane River (known as Maiwar to local indigenous peoples) by first confirming that the river existed and then showing Oxley where it lay. 

This greatly sped up Oxley’s exploration, helping him to enter the Brisbane River by December 2, 1823. After taking a few wrong turns and stealing an aboriginal canoe, he named that section of the river Canoe Creek. It was later renamed Oxley’s creek (the Graceville area).  By December 4, Oxley’s expedition was running low on supplies. Making his way to what he called Termination Plains (the Wacol/Goodna area), the shortage of supplies plus the misery of mosquito infested banks of the Brisbane River were elements Oxley considered before deciding to turn around and camp the night at Green Hill - now known as Mount Ommaney.

Although there was not much time to study land past the river due to the need to constantly check the depth and keep an eye out for any local hostile peoples, Oxley did find some time to make note of the immediate resources. He was quite impressed at the vast and seemingly endless supply of lumber and extensive, quality farmland. 

Oxley noted in his log: “The scenery here exceeded anything I have previously seen in Australia”. 

Looking further to the north and the west from Termination Hill (the Wacol area), he could scarcely see a hill or mountain. This he duly noted in his report to Governor Brisbane, who liked the report so much that Oxley was then ordered to survey the remainder of the Brisbane River, to discover its source. 

Oxley, in company with Lieutenant Henry Miller, departed Sydney on August 29 1824 on board the Amity, arriving in Moreton Bay on September 10. Oxley was joined on his exploration of the Brisbane River by Allan Cunningham, an experienced botanist and explorer, and Lieutenant Butler of the 40th Regiment, who replaced Lt Miller.

Approximately 9 km from the mouth of the Brisbane River, they came across a group of friendly Indigenous peoples. After resolving a minor conflict when one of the overexcited indigenous party grabbed Oxley’s hat, they set off again on their mission, first naming that area Breakfast Creek in remembrance of the incident. 

The exploration party continued on past Termination Hill and made camp on the banks of the Brisbane River at a tributary (Barellan Point) which was named Bremer’s Creek (later the Bremer River) after Captain James Gordon Bremer of HMS Tamar, NSW. The decision was made not to explore the creek. 

Oxley and Cunningham left Moreton Bay on October 17 1824 on board the Amity, arriving back in Sydney with a stack of lumber called hoop pines, which the local indigenous people called kumbartcho. 

It was not until several years later on June 7, 1827 that Captain Patrick Logan arrived at the area named Limestone Station and much later, Ipswich.

Researched by Graham Armstrong.