QSA Talk: Who chose the site of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement?
Date: Thursday 8 October 2026
Time: 11am–12pm
Location: Queensland State Archives, 435 Compton Road, Runcorn
Cost: Free
Description: Join researcher and filmmaker Robert Braiden as he explores a key question in Brisbane's early history: Who chose the site of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement on the Brisbane River?
Drawing on records from Queensland State Archives, historical sources and sites across south-east Queensland, Robert examines:
- why the settlement moved from Redcliffe
- what influenced the decision to relocate it
- what evidence remains today.
The talk also considers the area known to First Nations peoples as Meanjin and Binbilla, and explores questions that historians continue to investigate.
Learn more about the decisions, people and events that shaped the establishment of Brisbane.
A recording of the talk will be available on our YouTube channel after the event.
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