The Tower Mill, Wickham Terrace submitted by Olivia Keliher
Aboriginal culture before 1824
Brisbane was home to the Jagera and Turrbal Aboriginal clans. Before European settlement, the land, the river and its tributaries were the source and support of life in all its dimensions. The river's abundant supply of food included fish, shellfish, crabs and shrimps. The good fishing places became campsites and the focus of group activities.
BRISbites has an overview of Brisbane's Aboriginal history, as well as historical information about Brisbane's environment, urban development, cultural diversity and suburbs.
Moreton Bay Penal Settlement from 1824 until 1842
The selection of Brisbane as a gaol site was actually an afterthought. Redcliffe, north of the city, was the original preference when Surveyor General John Oxley, aboard the cutter 'Mermaid', first surveyed the region late in 1823.
The boat was anchored off Bribie Island when the crew saw a group of Aborigines and "one who appeared larger than the rest" on the shore. This was an ex-convict called Thomas Pamphlett, one of four men who had left Sydney earlier that year on an ill-fated journey to sail south to buy cedar.
Pamphlett and a fellow survivor of the journey, Finnegan, had been living with the Aborigines for several months when Oxley spotted Pamphlett on a beach in Moreton Bay. Pamphlett and Finnegan told Oxley of a large river they had seen in the area. Intrigued, Oxley set off in a whaleboat with a small crew and Finnegan as their guide.
Oxley found the river the next day and named it in honour of the then Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane. It was the red cliffs north of the river that impressed him as the most suitable site for the new penal settlement.
In 1825, less than a year after the convicts arrived, the Redcliffe site was abandoned mainly because Brisbane had a more reliable water supply. It was also surrounded by a bend in the river, which meant that escape was more difficult.
With a government decree forbidding unauthorised people coming within fifty miles, the walled gaol operated for the next seventeen years, taking only the toughest prisoners from Sydney. However, mounting pressure on decision makers in England to stop sending convicts to Australia finally led to Moreton Bay district being opened to free settlers in 1842.
Free settlement 1842-1900
Brisbane was free to grow as a city. Grand homes like Palma Rosa at Hamilton and Brisbane's oldest surviving residence, Newstead House, sprang up among the slab huts and shanties.
The population grew from 829 in 1846 to almost 6,000 by 1859 when Brisbane became capital of the self-governing colony of Queensland. By 1888, most evidence of convict occupation in the central business district was gone. In its place stood imposing buildings like Old Government House and Customs House. The grandeur of these buildings highlighted the strength of Brisbane's growing economy.
A new century 1901-2000
By the time of Federation in 1901, Queensland was the fastest growing state in the new nation and Brisbane was its economic hub. Despite the drought, floods and depression of the 1890s, trade and industry were booming. The Brisbane River was a hive of maritime activity.
Post World War I and the Great Depression
After World War I, Brisbane became the largest local authority in Australia. The 1924 City of Brisbane Act abolished two cities, six towns and ten shires to create a single council governing 1,220 square kilometres.
Ironically, landmark buildings like City Hall and the Masonic Temple were built in 1930 just as the Great Depression took hold. For Brisbane, as well as for other cities, the early thirties brought high unemployment and desperate poverty. Construction of the Story Bridge was the city's biggest Depression-time project. 'Tent cities' sprang up around Brisbane to house the homeless.
World War II
World War II and the threat of Japanese attack transformed many parts of Brisbane into military camps. In 1942, the AMP building became headquarters for the United States General Douglas MacArthur, the Commander in Chief of the South-West Pacific Campaign.
Thousands of United States servicemen were stationed in Brisbane, boosting the population to over 750,000. As city services strained to meet the needs of the extra populaton, tensions mounted between American and Australian servicemen. On 26 and 27 November 1942, those tensions erupted into the infamous streetfight that is now remembered as the 'Battle of Brisbane'.
The boom years
After World War II came the boom years, a period marked by increased industrial activity and population levels boosted by immigration. In Brisbane, suburbs began to flourish. There was a major focus on sealing roads and providing the city with sewerage services.
Floods and fame
In 1974 floods devastated Brisbane. Sixteen people lost their lives and an estimated $300 million damage was caused. Brisbane soon recovered to host two major world events - the 1982 Commonwealth Games and World Expo 1988. These events brought new sports and cultural facilities to Brisbane, as well as a renewed identity. The media coverage of the Games was the biggest broadcasting operation ever undertaken in Australia at that time and in 1988 World Expo was hailed as another major international success for Australia.
Further information
Brisbane’s Living Heritage website has suggested heritage tours, transport information and a heritage events calendar, as well as location details, opening hours and admission prices for dozens of heritage sites throughout Brisbane, including Boggo Road Gaol, Brisbane Tramway Museum, Fort Lytton, Newstead House, the Naval Stores and Musgrave Park Culture Centre.
Information on these and other heritage listed sites, including the historic Beenleigh Rum Distillery, “Yungaba” Immigration Depot, Boothville Hospital and Customs House, can be viewed at the Queensland Heritage Council’s Heritage Register.
The Brisbane City Council vision document, Living in Brisbane 2026, has some good historical data and timelines. It puts our future aspirations into context.
If you’re interested in hearing others’ experiences of living in Brisbane, Brisbane Stories has an excellent selection of local people’s stories. In some sections, you can send in your own story, and become a part of Brisbane’s living history.
Brisbane’s Heritage Trails are a great way to discover the rich heritage of some of Brisbane’s oldest areas. There are thirteen self-guided trails around Brisbane, including two ‘armchair’ trails and two Aboriginal Trails.
