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Jan 1, 1500
Dutch, portugese and french mapped the coast of stradbrok island
The Dutch, Portuguese and French mapped the coastline around Stradbroke during the middle decades of the 16th century. -
The outside of Moreton Bay was charted
Lieutenant James Cook charted the outside of Moreton Bay and named several features, including Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island. -
Minjerribah people made contact with the Matthew Flinder's crew
A group of Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island) people helped Matthew Flinders’ crew find water when they came ashore near Cylinder Beach on their way back to Sydney. This was possibly the first black-white contact on the island. -
Three men shipwrecked on Moreton Island
Timber-getters Pamphlett, Finnegan and Parsons were shipwrecked on Moreton Island and spent the next eight months travelling around Moreton Bay. The Noonucals at Pulan (Amity Point) looked after them for nearly six weeks. They housed, fed and advised the trio on canoe making, and saw them off some months later in the craft they’d made on the island. During their time on Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), the three experienced bora gatherings and ceremonial, celebratory and gladatorial events. -
Pulan was named cypress point
Surveyor General John Oxley, botanist Allan Cunningham and surveyor Robert Hoddle visited Pulan and called it Cypress Point. It is now known as Amity Point after their ship. They met with the local residents and described the tracks, huts and other features they saw. -
Moreton's first pilot station
Amity Point was set up as Moreton Bay’s first pilot station. -
Minjerribah begining to change
In June, Minjerribah was renamed Stradbroke Island by Governor Darling in honour of the Honourable Captain JH Rous, son of the Earl of Stradbroke and also Viscount Dunwich. Rous was commander of HMS Rainbow, the first ship of war to enter Moreton Bay. Darling also named Dunwich, Rainbow Reach and Rous’ Channel.
Commandant Patrick Logan selected Dunwich as a possible site for the Moreton Bay settlement following concerns about Brisbane’s suitability due to obstructions on Brisbane River. Dunwic -
Clash between Aborigines and Europeans
November: The fourth Commandant of the Moreton Bay penal colony, Captain James Clunie, requested that the Dunwich settlement be closed. His request was granted. After it closed, it became a timber depot. January 1831-December 1832: 10 or more violent clashes occurred between Stradbroke Island Aborigines and Europeans stationed at Dunwich and Amity. -
No more convicts
From May, no more convicts were sent to Moreton Bay and the non-essential ones were withdrawn. This marked the end of the Moreton Bay penal settlement and moves began to open Moreton Bay to free settlers. -
Trying to convert the Aborigines
Four Passionist missionaries set up a mission at Dunwich to convert Aborigines. It broke up in 1846. The last priest, Raymund Vaccari, left on 20 July 1847. -
New passage
In March, the Sovereign sank in South Passage between Moreton and North Stradbroke Island, which was still the most used entry to Moreton Bay. A group of Moreton Island and Stradbroke Island Aborigines rescued 10 of the passengers and were rewarded for their efforts with a boat and breast plates. As a result of the accident, a pilot station was opened on northern Moreton Island and the North Passage became
the main entry. The entire Moreton Island Aboriginal population moved to Stradbroke Isla -
Immigrant ship arrived
On 16 July, Dunwich was proclaimed Moreton Bay’s quarantine station. Only weeks later, the immigrant ship Emigrant arrived with typhus on board. The passengers were put into quarantine at Dunwich. In all, 56 people died. Many are buried in the Dunwich cemetery. -
Dugong oil plant
Dr Hobbs established a dugong oil plant at Dunwich. -
New jobs for Aborigines
Fernandez Gonzales began employing Aborigines to net dugong. -
More job allocations
Paid employment as cleaners and builders’ labourers became available to Aborigines at Dunwich. The employees became known as the Aboriginal Gang the following year and were considered indispensible. They also worked at the piggery, bakery and dairy. Women worked as nursing assistants and domestics. -
Moreton Bay Oyster Co
The Moreton Bay Oyster Co was established by Thomas McIlwraith and Arthur Palmer. The company owned beds off Stradbroke Island as well as the Bay Islands. -
Land for sale
Land in the township of Amity went on sale at the end of 1886. A total of 124 allotments were offered and 89 fell under the auctioneer's hammer. The purchasers were mainly bay folk and yachting men like Tom Welsby. -
First school
The Island’s first school, the Dunwich Provisional School for Aboriginal Children, opened for business on 7 January. William Balliston was the teacher. It is not known exactly where this school was located. It moved two years later to Bribie Island. -
demandment of a new school
The Bribie Island Aboriginal Mission was established in February mainly for resettled Stradbroke Aborigines. The main purpose of the Mission was a school. Stradbroke Island’s first school, the Dunwich Provisional School for Aboriginal Children, was moved to the Bribie Island Aboriginal Mission where it was known as the Bribie Island Provisional School. It opened for business on 16 February 1891. It moved to Peel Island in November 1892 and to a new mission at Myora/Moongalba on North Stradbroke -
New school opened
The Myora Special Provisional School opened on 29 May. It closed in January 1941.