Rare first Brisbane River map. John Oxley (c1823).

by Oxley, John

Large hand-coloured Brisbane River map with depth soundings, by John Oxley.
Plan de la Riviére Brisbane (Nouvelle Hollande) Découverte par M. OXLEY, Ingenieur Géographe au Port Jackson ( Décembre 1823.) Chart of the Brisbane River (New Holland) Discovered by John Oxley, Surveyor at Port Jackson, December 1823.

Heritage Vintage Print from a Limited Edition series of 750, reproduced from a copperplate engraving by Ambroise Tardieu, drawn by Hacq, for Louis Duperrey’s Voyage autour du Monde… Atlas Hydrographie published in Paris in 1824 with Duperrey’s voyages and with charts of newly surveyed regions of the world. This was the first publication of Oxley’s map of the Brisbane River - complete with depth soundings.

In 1823 Lieutenant John Oxley was sent north from Sydney in search of a suitable site for the extension of the settlement of Port Jackson. He was commissioned to explore Moreton Bay, Port Curtis and Port Bowen, which were discovered in 1799 by Matthew Flinders. Oxley carried out expeditions along the Pine River and Brisbane River and the adjacent country. On his return to Sydney in December 1823, Oxley lodged his report, recording that “a fine river of major proportions has been discovered in northern New South Wales, New Holland” and that “the river is navigable a full 40 miles upstream and looks certain to be opened up for development".

Soon after charting the Brisbane River, John Oxley was appointed Surveyor-General of the Australian colony then known as New South Wales, and the Moreton Bay penal colony was proposed for the following year. This chart by Oxley was highly regarded for its accuracy and information.

Each map is accompanied by a small legend showing present day Brisbane River suburbs.
(This map, without hand-colour, is listed under Heritage Editions.)
To the map border measures 500 x 740mm (19.75 x 29 inches). Paper size is 570 x 815mm (22.5 x 32 inches).