Queensland, as part of New South Wales, was included in the original annexation of the eastern coast of Australia by Captain Cook on 22 August 1770. While still a part of New South Wales, a penal colony was established by Lieutenant John Oxley at Redcliffe in September 1824 and was known as the Moreton Bay Settlement. It was not a big convict settlement, reaching a peak in 1831 of 1,100 convicts.

It was to be a place of stern discipline and control. Under the control of its third commandant, Captain Patrick Logan (1826-30), it certainly was that - Logan earning a reputation as 'the tyrant of Brisbane Town'. Interest in the settlement by officials in Sydney and London soon waned and it was officially closed in 1839.

The first free settlers, German missionaries came to the district (at Nundah) in 1838. In 1840, Patrick Leslie led the first squatters and their thousands of sheep and cattle from New England and southern New South Wales to the Darling Downs.

On 6 June 1859, the northern squatting districts of Moreton, Darling Downs, Burnett, Wide Bay, Maranoa, Leichhardt, and Port Curtis, together with the reputed county of Stanley, were granted an independent administration and formed into a distinct colony under the name Queensland by letters patent, although separation from New South Wales was not completed until 10 December of the same year.

The new colony was smaller in area than the present. The southern boundary, bordering modern New South Wales, from the coast at Point Danger to the eastern border of the colony of South Australia is as now. The western boundary, however, continued north along the line of the South Australian border to the Gulf of Carpentaria, making a total area of 1,435,637 square kilometres.

By letters patent dated 13 March 1861, the western border north of lat.26 degrees south was shifted in a westerly direction from long.141 degrees E. to long.138 degrees E. to its present configuration. The new area was 1,736,595 square kilometres.

The first census of Queensland was conducted on 7 April 1861 when the population was 30,059. In 1867 the Queensland population exceeded that of Tasmania and in 1885 passed that of South Australia to become the third largest colony, a position it has since maintained. In 1996, the Queensland population was estimated at 3,339,100 representing 18.2% of the Australian total. The growth rate at that time was 2.32%, nearly double the Australian average.

Compulsory registration of births, deaths and marriages started on 1 March 1856. However, the colony of Queensland was still part of New South Wales and so the records from 1856 to 1859 come under the New South Wales system. Earlier parish records are not included in the birth, death and marriages indexes.

Details for obtaining certificates for births, deaths and marriages (full copies) can be found by contacting

http://www.ke.com.au/bdmaus/bdmqld/qld-app-info.html

The Registrar-General's Office (Births, Deaths and Marriages Certificates) is located at: