Category: Colonial History

Posts in this category place St Helena Island and its history in context with the world around it, including local Brisbane events, Qld and Australian colonial society, Indigenous communities and culture and other prison islands.

Colonial History, Moreton Bay history, St Helena Warders, St Helena Women and Children, Today's Community

Shooting, sailing and friendly competition – the St Helena Cup 2026

A tiny statue stared out over a room full of people celebrating their shared love of yachting. Yet this statue had never engaged in any type of boating. Instead, he had a rifle slung over his shoulders and he was kneeling, ready to shoot. Dressed in a Warders’ uniform, this was the statue that adorned the top of a silver trophy issued in 1890 for … Continue reading Shooting, sailing and friendly competition – the St Helena Cup 2026

Belinda Daly4 Comments
Colonial History, Moreton Bay history, Secondary Schools, St Helena Warders, St Helena Women and Children, Today's Community

Women? On St Helena Island? YES! There were a few….

For too long, women’s histories on St Helena Island, Moreton Bay, have remained hidden. Fascinating, original research by Belinda Daly has identified 47 families living at St Helena Penal Establishment from 1867 to 1932. Explore the issues faced by free women living under penal rule and discover their contributions to their warder community. Continue reading Women? On St Helena Island? YES! There were a few….

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Colonial History, St Helena Warders, St Helena Women and Children, Today's Community

Join Belinda for her presentation on the 25th June @ QSA!

If you are keen to know the answers, then Belinda Daly’s presentation at the Qld State Archives on the 25th June 2026 is for you! Over the last year, Belinda has been busy researching and writing a paper as part of her Visiting Fellowship for Griffith University. The focus of this paper? WOMEN. Too often, when we research the history of our ancestors, or want … Continue reading Join Belinda for her presentation on the 25th June @ QSA!

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silver ipad on stack of books
Colonial History, St Helena Warders, Today's Community

We’ve received a Harry Gentle Resource Centre Visiting Fellowship at Griffith University!

The St Helena Island Community is excited to announce that we have received from Griffith University, the Harry Gentle Research Centre’s Visiting Fellowship. We look forward to conducting in depth research into the wives and children of St Helena Island. Continue reading We’ve received a Harry Gentle Resource Centre Visiting Fellowship at Griffith University!

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Colonial History, Moreton Bay history

New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries – 1862 was a busy year.

SHIP: ‘Chatsworth.’ 1037 tons, departed Liverpool 5th April 1862, Arrived on the 6th August 1862 in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Deaths at Sea: 12. Deaths on St Helena Island: 7 Our last story ‘New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries – 1862’ gave us new insights into the burials on St Helena Island, Moreton Bay, Queensland when the ship ‘Erin-Go-Bragh was quarantined there in 1862. … Continue reading New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries – 1862 was a busy year.

Belinda Daly2 Comments
Colonial History, For Schools, Moreton Bay history, Primary Schools

New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries – 1862

10 years passed between the burial of Johanna Goodwin and her infant on St Helena Island and the next woman to die and be buried there also. My last blog post in this series ‘New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries in 1852’ detailed the arrival of the immigrant ship ‘Maria Soames’ and the first immigrant burials recorded on St Helena Island, Moreton Bay. Fast … Continue reading New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries – 1862

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Colonial History, Environmental History, Moreton Bay history, Secondary Schools, Today's Community

New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries in 1852

While our focus is often on the prison era of the St Helena Penal Establishment from 1867, the previous 15 years saw St Helena Island used as a quarantine site. Moreton Bay settlement was opened up to free immigrants in 1842 and in doing so it became exposed to outbreaks of disease the immigrants brought with them on the ships. The story of these immigrant … Continue reading New arrivals, new stories and old mysteries in 1852

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