Rockhampton & District History Timeline

1770-1915

1770 – Lieutenant James Cook – while cook did not make landing on Capricorn coast he named several landmarks; Cape Capricorn, the Keppel isles, Keppel Bay, Cape Many Fold (later renamed Cape Manifold) and Shoal Water bay (later renamed Shoalwater Bay).

1804 – Matthew Flinders explored Capricorn Coast. Flinders spent the best part of a month in the shallow bays making landing at Curtis Island, Port Clinton, Shoalwater Bay and Percy Island.

1844 – Sir Thomas Mitchell explored the region far West of Rockhampton.

1846 – Dr Ludwig Leichhardt discovered and named the Dawson, Mackenzie, Comet and Isaac River and noted that they flowed in almost opposite directions but somewhat easterly. He also suspected the existence of much lager river that flowed into the sea.

1853 – William and Charles Archer set out on a trek inspired by Leichhardt. They discovered that Dee River. They went into the Dee Range and once at the present day town of Mount Morgan that looked out at the panorama of green, native forest with the Pacific Ocean beyond and snaking through the landscape was the mighty river that Leichhardt predicted they would find.

They named it the Fitzroy River after the Governor of New South Wales. The archers encountered a lake which they decided would be a good location for settlement. They named it Gracemere. Grace being the name of their brother Thomas’ new wife and mere meaning lake. They stake claim to 70 kilometre of river frontage and its hinterland and they called it Gracemere Run which ran from Bajool Scrub to near Morinish.

1855 – Charles Archer was leader of party and H W Risier was second-in-charge. The party had 18 whites, 12 Burnett River Aboriginals and 4 black trackers (Murray River boys) and Aboriginal women. The party crossed the Dee Range between Westwood and Mount Morgan. They had between 6,000 and 7,000 sheep.

The cutter Elida bringing provisions was the first vessel to navigate the Fitzroy. The Elida had been built by Colin Archer.

10th August 1855 – Charles Archer returned to Gracemere with a number of men, mostly Germans.

1856 – the Elliott Brothers arrived and took up land holdings at Canoona.

Richard Palmer opened the first store up in Rockhampton on the other side of where the new bridge is today.

1857 – Mr R A Parker came here from Gayndah and built the Bush Inn which is the present day site of the Criterion Hotel.

1858 – The Canoona Gold Rush began approximately 60km North of Rockhampton.

A temporary hospital was erected on the site of the later Saint John’s Hospital.

Anthelme Thozet arrived in Rockhampton.

25th October 1858 the town of Rockhampton was officially proclaimed. The Rock from the rocks in the river and Hampton after a village Hampton in England. Land Commissioner Wiseman came from the village of Hampton in England.

1860 – 26th February 1860 Rockhampton got its first mayor Mr J Palmer. This was the town’s first town council and in 1930 it became a city council.

1861 – Rockhampton Botanic Gardens was founded.

The first resolution was passed by 6-man council that an application be made to the government to use the Yeppen Yeppen later know as the Yeppen Lagoon, as the town water supply. Water carts began a limited service charging six pence per load. The water contained weeds and was so dirty that ashes or charcoal had to be put in to settle the dirt. It has been reported that residents modified water from Yeppen Yeppen with dash of brandy, lemon juice or vinegar.

1864 – 29th March 1864 Rockhampton’s first jail; was opened making it the first jail outside of Brisbane to be opened in Queensland. It was a triangular piece of land bound by South and Murray Streets.

1865 – School of Arts was opened in Rockhampton.

A small exploration party led by Thomas Atherton set out from James Atherton’s set out from James Atherton’s property at Mount Hedlow and made its way through dense scrub to the coast, arrived at Spring Head. Later a settlement developed in this area known then as Bald Hills.

James Atherton and his family were the first white people to settle in Yeppoon. James Street was one long swamp. James Street was named after James Atherton, Mary Street after his wide and Arthur Street after their son.

1867 – Thozet planted the plum and fig trees along Quay Street. He started a second pub in Rocky called the Alliance which is where the old Supreme Court is today.

4th September 1867 a boat named the City of Melbourne brought the first boat of South Sea Islanders up the Fitzroy River. There were 26 males on the boat.

First length of rail line in the region was opened to Westwood thirty miles from Rockhampton. The line was extended form beyond the coastal ranges in 1872 reaching Emerald in 1879. The Central Western Railway was progressively extended further west reaching Longreach in 1892 and remained an isolated railway system with no connection to railways until 1903 when the north coastal railway line connected them.

1868 – A new public hospital was built on the crest of the Athelstane Range where today the Rockhampton Base Hospital is located on the same site.

30th April 1968 Bald Hills was proclaimed a town reserve and was later to be known as Yeppoon.

1871 – Lakes Creek Meat Works opened in Rockhampton and started production of tinned meats and then frozen meat in the 1880’s.

1873 – Catholic Education was introduced by Sisters of Mercy.

1875 – A reservoir was built on Governor Hill (Athelstane Range) into which water was pumped from Crescent Lagoon, Dunanweate, Murray and Yeppen Lagoons. The reservoir was used until 1896. This was Rockhampton’s first sophisticated water scheme which supplied to 1,400 houses and a population of approximately 6,400.

1881 – 1st January 1881 the first Fitzroy Bridge over the Fitzroy River was opened.

The Rockhampton Grammar School which was a boarding and a day school opened.

1882 – Mount Morgan was founded as a gold mining town. Mount Morgan Range was known as Ironstone Mountain and later changed to the Mount Morgan Range by the Morgan Brothers.

The three Morgan brothers (Fred, Tom and Edwin) together with three other Rockhampton businessmen, William Knox D’Arcy (Solicitor), Thomas Skarratt Hall (Bank Manager) and William Pattison (Grazier) formed a syndicate to mine and treat the ore body.

1883 – Saint Paul’s Anglican Cathedral was consecrated, and Saint Joseph’s Catholic was built in 1899. Both were constructed of local Stanwell sandstone. At the beginning of the 21st century there were 45 churches and worship centres listed in Rockhampton.

1884 – 16th September 1884 Rockhampton’s second prison was opened in North Street where Eventide nursing home today.

1885 – Yeppoon’s first state school opened.

1888 – December 1888 rail line from North Rockhampton Railway Station to Emu Park (Hewittville) was opened.

1892 – Rockhampton Girls’ Grammar School offered boarding facilities for country girls.

1898 – The railway line form Rockhampton to Mount Morgan was opened.

1899 – 6th November 1899 the Rockhampton Junction railway extension and the railway bridge were named after Alexandra, Princess of Wales. The bridge was designed by Chief Engineer Henry Charles Stanley.

1900 – Dr Vivian Voss established Hillcrest Hospital.

1908 – November Mount Chalmers rail line was opened

1909 – 20th December 1909 Yeppoon rail linen was opened.

1915 – Sisters of Mercy opened the Mater Private Hospital.