Introduction
Do you
know that snow once fell in the city streets; a whale was
caught off Sandgate; cobra riddled the hulls of river boats; and
a circus tiger roamed down George Street, presumably in search
of food!
Throughout the past - and not just in the natural world - fact
can be stranger than fiction.
Brisbane Timeline
From CaptainCook to CityCat is an electronic database which provides
a chronological and factual framework of the history of the Brisbane
region from the first record by Captain Cook in 1770 to the operation
of the CityCat ferry service in 1996. It is available either on this
Website or as a printed Workbook.
For the purpose
of this chronology, the Brisbane region comprises all of Greater Brisbane,
with the addition of peripheral or corridor areas where relevant, related
or comparable to Brisbane. Those areas include Moreton Bay, Caboolture,
Ipswich, Logan, Pine Rivers, Redcliffe and Redlands, and to a lesser
extent the Gold and Sunshine coasts.
To use the timeline
you will need to complete and mail the Order Form on this site and obtain
a Manual from the Brisbane History Group (BHG). The reference Manual
plus access to either the electronic or printed version (or both) is
made available by purchase from the Brisbane History Group. Once your
one-off payment is processed, you will be given a unique username and
password. Then you can access the database either from the home page
or from the top of this page by clicking on Login.
A personal or library
computer with sufficient memory, Internet connection and Web browser
is essential (Netscape or Explorer 4.0 and above recommended). Search,
report and print facilities are provided. While the database may be
searched by date and/or keyword, the index printed at the end of the
Manual should also be used for more complete results. For example, searching
for Captain Cook will not bring up 1770 as he was then Lieutenant Cook.
The Database
From the days of
sail to the electronic age, Brisbane Timeline takes you on a
journey of discovery over two centuries of history and more.You can
find out what happened, where, when and to whom, as well as which was
first, throughout the Brisbane region.There are thousands of events
in this chronological database, covering anything from monumental moments
to trivial titbits.
Though extensive,
this database is by no means complete or exact. It represents the best
effort with the time, money and information at hand. By all means forward
additions and amendments to the BHG.
Items are listed
by date. Items for which only the year is known are listed together,
in no particular order, at the start of the relevant year. Their actual
occurrence lies somewhere within the current year.
Entries are organised
into four simple categories: General, Social, Cultural and Environmental.
Click on the colour-coded symbols for explanation and see full detail
in the Manual.
The Manual
Both the electronic
and printed versions are supported by the Manual which includes introduction,
explanation, abbreviations, references, maps, illustrations and index
to the chronological database.
As this information
is not available elsewhere, it is necessary to use the Manual in conjunction
with this Website or the printed Workbook.
The Workbook
Anyone with or without
Internet access may purchase a printed copy of the electronic database
plus the Manual which includes an index. See the Credits
page and Order Form on this website,
and contact the BHG
for details.
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