History of Queensland borders before the proclamation

Before Queensland was proclaimed as a separate colony in 1859, its borders were part of the larger New South Wales colony. The area that would become Queensland was initially explored by Europeans from the late 18^th century onwards. This began with Captain James Cook’s arrival on the east coast of Australia in the 1770s. The loss of the American Colonies due to the War of Independence (1775–83) forced the British Government to find another place to send its convicted felons. Its most recent acquisition (1770), New Holland (Australia), was chosen. The first penal settlement was established at Port Jackson in 1788 by Captain Arthur Phillip. Other settlements soon followed: Norfolk Island, Van Diemen's Land, Port Macquarie and, in 1824, Moreton Bay.

The coastline of the Australian continent had been well defined by mariners such as James Cook, Matthew Flinders, and Phillip Parker King. As for the rest of Australia, little was known except for the area south of a line from Moreton Bay to what is now Victoria (i.e. the south-east of the continent). As settlements grew in the northern regions, the distance from Sydney became a challenge for local governance. There were many proposals for the subdivision of the Australian continent dating back to the 1830s.

1770s

Captain James Cook arrives on the east coast of Australia (formerly known as New Holland).

1788

Port Jackson was established as the first penal settlement by Captain Arthur Phillip. Other settlements soon followed, including Norfolk Island, Van Diemen's Land, Port Macquarie and, in 1824, Moreton Bay.

1838

Captain James Vetch proposed that Australia be divided equally into nine regions. He assigned each colony a tract of seacoast with possible harbour sites and aimed to make each colony as compact as possible. This proposal was published in the Journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London.

The boundaries of his proposed colonies were defined using lines of latitude and longitude. Colonial administrators generally used this approach when there were no clear natural features, such as rivers or mountain ranges, or when exploration had not advanced enough to identify such features. Present-day Queensland was split into Cooks Land and Torresia. The early Europeans did not take into consideration that many places had already been named by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

1840

The transportation of convicts to New South Wales ceased, although Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) continued to receive large numbers of convicts.

1845

William Ewart Gladstone became Secretary of State for the Colonies. Confronted with the many pardoned convicts roaming Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), he created a new colony in the northern part of New South Wales. He hoped that they could form the backbone of a new, free colony.

1846

Lieutenant Colonel George Barney of the Royal Engineers was chosen as the new colony administrative head. He was soon despatched to Sydney and instructed to find a suitable site to the north of Moreton Bay, but not too far north that the tropical climate would have an adverse effect on the health of the settlers, preventing them from hard work and industry. Port Curtis (Gladstone) was chosen. The official Letters Patent were issued by Queen Victoria forming a new colony to be called North Australia. The southern boundary of this new colony was to be 26 degrees South latitude.

In July 1846, Earl Grey became the British Government’s Secretary of State for the Colonies. The new government abandoned the new colony and advised the Queen to revoke the Letters Patent. The despatches were transmitted to Lieutenant Barney to abandon the North Australia colony and return to Sydney. No pardoned convict ever reached the new colony.

1847

Lieutenant Colonel George Barney was officially sworn in as Lieutenant Governor Barney.

1847-1848

John Dunmore Lang, a Presbyterian clergyman and politician, wrote a series of letters to Earl Grey recommending that a new colony called “Cooksland” be created out of New South Wales northward of 30 degrees south latitude, to be populated by Protestant farmers. His scheme failed due to opposition from the landed gentry of the New England district. Lang later travelled to Moreton Bay and persuaded about 270 immigrants to journey there in 1848.

1851

The British government passed an Imperial Act, the Australian Colonies Government Act, which contained a clause (Section 34) which allowed for territories lying northward of 30 degrees south latitude to be detached from New South Wales.

1856

The Earl Grey announced the government’s intention to create a new colony whose southern border line would run not far to the south of 30 degrees south latitude but would be accommodated to suit the natural features of the country.

1856-1857

Petitions from squatters and merchants in the proposed border area were sent to the Governor of New South Wales, Sir William Denison, and the Earl Grey in Britain.

1857

Denison made his recommendation to the British government for a border starting further north along the coastline at Point Danger (about 28 degrees south latitude). This landmark would be used for future modifications to the border.

1859

Queensland was officially proclaimed as a separate colony.

Last updated: 01 April 2026
Last reviewed: 01 April 2026