Development of the colony By swillis4 Jan 1, 1823 John Oxley sent to look for new penal sites Period: Jan 1, 1823 to Dec 31, 1900 Qeensland 1800s Jan 1, 1825 The Morton Bay convict settlement Jan 1, 1838 German Missinaries established Zion Hill Mission which is now Nundah to bring christianity to the aborignals Jan 1, 1842 Morton Bay District is opened to free settlement Jan 1, 1846 Qeenslands first newspaper is published Jun 6, 1859 Qeen Victoria signs the letter patent aproving Qeensland becoming a seperate colony to New South Whales Jan 1, 1876 Aborignal first land rights claim results by a Scottish Roman Catholic Priest