Brisbane History
The
Brisbane region, including the larger islands of Moreton Bay, has been
the domain of Aboriginal people for as long as 40,000 years before European
settlement. Tribes followed seasonal pathways, determined by the fruits
and foods available in different areas at different times of year. Many
of Brisbane's suburbs draw on the names by the original inhabitants such
as Toowong, Indooroopilly and Mt Coot-tha. (Coot-tha derives from "kuta" meaning "place
of native honey").
European exploration of the region began with John Oxley in 1832. The first settlement was located at Redcliffe but was later transferred upstream to the site of today's city of Brisbane, named after the Governor of NSW. The new colony was initially a penal settlement, notorious for its harsh treatment of convicts under the command of Captain Logan.
In
1837 free settlers, led by Andrew Petrie, pushed for the end of the convict
settlement and the
opening up of the area. Gold rushes in Queensland led to the growth
of the region with Queensland becoming a separate colony in 1859 with
Brisbane
as its capital.
