Outposts for convicts: a chronological précis of official thought and policy which led to the establishment of the Moreton Bay Settlement in 1824.

The article provides a historical overview of the establishment of the Moreton Bay Settlement in Queensland, Australia in 1824 as a place to relocate convicted criminals from Sydney. It traces the evolution of convict transportation from ancient Greece to England's transportation of convicted criminals to its colonies in the Americas. The motivations behind convict transportation, including punishment, labor, colonial claims, and the desire to remove felons from society, are discussed. The article highlights the role of influential figures in advocating for transportation and mentions the establishment of penal colonies in Botany Bay. The text briefly mentions the conflicting interests of Britain and the colonial administration in Sydney regarding convict transportation to Moreton Bay. The establishment of a remote settlement north of Sydney, initially at Newcastle and later moved to Port Macquarie, is discussed, which eventually became the foundation of the Colony of Queensland. It is important to acknowledge that while the settlement was considered remote to the colonial administration, it was not remote to the Gabi Gabi or Djindubarri People who had lived there for thousands of years. [Extracted from the article]