First Free Settlers Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Free Settlers Monument |
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First Free Settlers Monument, 2007
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| Location | Sandgate Road, Nundah, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1938 |
| Official name: First Free Settlers Monument, First Free Settlers of Queensland Memorial Cairn | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 26 June 1998 |
| Reference no. | 601926 |
| Significant period | 1930s (fabric) |
| Significant components | memorial - cairn, garden edging/balustrades/planter boxes, trees/plantings, plaque, drinking fountain, seating, flagpole/flagstaff |
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The First Free Settlers Monument is a special memorial located on Sandgate Road in Nundah, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1938. This monument is also known as the First Free Settlers of Queensland Memorial Cairn. It is a very important historical site and was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 26 June 1998.
Contents
The Story of the Monument
The First Free Settlers Monument in Nundah is a stone pillar that celebrates a big event. It marks 100 years since the first free settlers arrived in the Moreton Bay area. This area later became part of Queensland. The monument was officially revealed on Easter Saturday, 23 April 1938. This was part of Nundah's celebration of Queensland's free settlement centenary.
Who Were the First Free Settlers?
The first group of settlers was brought to Australia by a minister named Rev. John Dunmore Lang. He wanted to encourage good, hardworking people to move to Australia. He heard about Pastor Johannes Evangelista Gossner in Germany. Gossner had a community where he trained people for missionary work. These people were perfect for what Lang was looking for.
In 1837, ten men volunteered to travel to Moreton Bay. At that time, Moreton Bay was a convict settlement near Brisbane. The men wanted to start a mission for the Aboriginal people living there. Several men brought their wives and families. Two clergymen also joined them to help guide the mission.
The laymen (people who were not clergy) had many useful skills. They were shoemakers, farmers, brickmakers, tailors, blacksmiths, and even a medical student. These skills would help them build their new community. Sadly, the medical student, Schneider, died from typhus in Sydney when they arrived. Later, four more men came in 1844 to help the mission. Even though the local Aboriginal people accepted them, the settlers were not able to convert them to Christianity.
Where Did They Settle?
The first settlement was called Zion. It was located on a hill behind where the Toombul Shopping Centre is today. A creek called Kedron Brook provided water. Even though the mission didn't convert the Aboriginal people, many settlers chose to stay. In 1848, the government surveyed the land into blocks. Many original settlers and their families bought land for themselves. Because of their presence, the area became known as German Station. Later, it was renamed Nundah, which is what the suburb is called now. Many of these first free settlers are buried in the Nundah Cemetery, which started in the 1840s.
How the Monument Came to Be
The idea for the monument came from George Joy Walker. He was born in 1852 and traveled to the Zion settlement as a baby. His father was a tutor for the first settlers' families. George Joy Walker died in 1933, so he never saw the monument. However, he knew about the First Free Settlers Committee, which took on his idea.
The monument was placed where the old and new Sandgate Roads meet. Early photos show it in a wide grassy area. Today, it's in a clearly defined park. The monument was designed to "rise from the turf without step or platform." This was meant to show how European civilization in Queensland grew from the land of Nundah. His Excellency the Governor, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, officially unveiled it. The ceremony was even broadcast on radio station 4QG, and a celebration ball was held that evening.
Every year in October, a special ceremony is held at the monument. It remembers the arrival of the first free settlers. Representatives from the Queensland and local governments, diplomats, and local residents attend. Many people who are descendants of the first missionary settlers also come.
What the Monument Looks Like
The First Free Settlers Monument is at the corner of Sandgate Road and Bage Street in Nundah. It stands in a small park dedicated to the first free settlement in Queensland.
The Monument Itself
The monument is a simple, blunt octagonal cairn. A cairn is a pile of stones built as a memorial. This one tapers (gets narrower) towards the top. It rises directly from the grass without any steps or platforms. It is made from rusticated sandstone blocks. "Rusticated" means the stone blocks have a rough, textured surface.
On four sides of the monument, there are bronze plaques. These plaques explain why the monument was built and what it celebrates.
- The southern plaque lists the names of the original male settlers.
- The eastern plaque says that the people of Queensland dedicated the memorial. It marks 100 years of free European settlement in Queensland.
- The northern plaque talks about the work of John Dunmore Lang and Goszner.
- The western plaque mentions the British rulers from the past and present.
Near the top, a smooth stone section has gilded (gold-colored) letters. They read "Queensland's First Free Settlers." The word "free" is placed above the plaque that names the settlers.
The Surrounding Park
The park around the monument is well-kept. Sandgate Road runs along one side, and Bage Street is on the other. A small, unnamed road also borders the park. The park has a curved shape and is surrounded by a low, trimmed plumbago hedge. A low, curved concrete edge with small stones is around the hedge.
Two poinciana trees stand next to the memorial. A bench is located under one of these trees. A cast iron drinking fountain is in front of the bench. You can enter the park through two breaks in the hedge. To the left of one entrance, there is a low stone tablet from 1988. This tablet marks 150 years of free settlement and celebrates German-Australian friendship.
Three flagpoles are placed along one side of the park. A wooden sign helps traffic on Sandgate Road easily see and identify the monument.
The Plaques' Text
Here is what the different plaques say:
- Tablet 1: Pastor Eipper, Pastor W Schmidt, Lay Missionaries, L Doege, F T Franz, A T W Hartenstein, G Hauszmann, P Niquet, A Olbrecht, A Rode. G Wagner, J L Zillmann.
- Tablet 2: These missionaries with their families, settled at Zion's Hill near this spot in the year 1838. This monument was erected by the People of Queensland, The Hon W Forgan-Smith LL.D. M.L.A Premier, Ald. The Hon. A J Jones, Lord Mayor, Brisbane.
- Tablet 3: This settlement was inspired by John Dunmore Lang and Johannes Goszner.
- Tablet 4: 1838 H.M. Queen Victoria, H.E. Sir George Gipps Governor of New South Wales. 1938 H.M. King George VI, H.E. Colonel the Right Honourable Sir Leslie Orme Wilson GCS GCMG GCIE, DSO LL.D Governor of Queensland.
The German-Australian Friendship Plaque was unveiled on 15 October 1988. It was part of German Australian Pioneer Week. The Hon. W. A. (Bill) Gunn, who was the Deputy Premier, helped unveil it. Dr Karl-Heinz Berninger, the Consul-General for Germany, was also there. This plaque remembers 150 years since German Missionaries settled in Nundah in 1838.
Why This Place is Important
The First Free Settlers Monument is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's officially recognized as a very important historical site. It meets several special requirements:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed: This monument was built in 1938 to remember the first free settlers in the Moreton Bay area. These settlers were German Protestant families brought by Rev. John Dunmore Lang. The monument is important because it celebrates a key part of Queensland's early history. There isn't much physical evidence left from that time, so the monument helps us remember.
- It shows what a memorial should look like: The monument uses materials and shapes that are common for memorials. The way the park is set up also shows the typical design of a memorial site.
- It has aesthetic significance: This means it's important because of its design and how it looks. It stands out in the streetscape and is a landmark.
- It has a strong connection to the community: The monument is very important to the people of Nundah and the German communities. Many people attend the annual ceremony to remember the first settlers. These settlers built a community based on their religious faith and hard work.
- It is linked to important people in Queensland's history: The monument has a special connection to John Dunmore Lang. It remembers his efforts to bring people with strong religious beliefs and a pioneer spirit to Australia.
Images for kids
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Monument in 2015
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Plaque, 2015
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Eastern plaque
