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birth of thomas
Thomas petrie was born on 1831 the 31st of January in Edinburgh 4th son of andrew petrie and brother of john -
1837
Petrie moved with his parents to Moreton Bay in 1837.
Educated by a convict clerk he mixed freely with the aboriginal children. He also learned to speak Turrabul which is the Brisbane Tribal dialect of the aboriginal people. He was encouraged to share in all their activities -
1851
Thomas Petrie spent 6 months trying to find gold on the Turon Goldfields and worked on gold mines mainly in Victoria.
He only found enough gold to make a ring -
1858
In Brisbane he married Elizabeth who was the sister of James Campbell who was a hardware merchant. In the Pine Creek District on the right side run he got ten square miles or 26 square kilometres which he called Murrumbah which means ‘Good Place’ -
1862
Petrie was the first man to hike Buderim Mountain.
He explored a stream that became known Petrie Creek. -
1868
He organised an aboriginal greeting or the Duke of Edinburgh. -
1877
Is when the Douglas Ministery opened Queensland’s first Aboriginal National Reserve on Bribie Island. Thomas Petrie became its chief advisor and overseer. -
1910
26th August. Petrie died at Murrumbah, survived by his wife who died aged 90 on 30th September, 1926.
The name of the North Pine District was changed to Petrie in his honour and the next year a freestone statue was erected in the town square and was unveiled by Sir William MacGregor.