Colonial Settlement, Published 6 April 2026
Lieutenant Henry Miller isn’t just a name on a park sign - he was the military officer who effectively "founded" Brisbane. As the first Commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, Miller oversaw…
Lieutenant Henry Miller isn’t just a name on a park sign - he was the military officer who effectively "founded" Brisbane. As the first Commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, Miller oversaw the historically significant, though short-lived, original settlement at Redcliffe in September 1824.
That first camp at "Red Cliff Point" didn’t last long - swarms of mosquitoes and a lack of reliable fresh water saw to that. Within eight months, Miller and his men from the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot packed up and moved. The local Indigenous people later referred to the abandoned huts at Redcliffe as "Humpybong" (meaning "dead houses"), a name that still echoes through the peninsula’s history today.
In May 1825, Miller officially established the new settlement on the banks of the Brisbane River. Henry Miller Park now stands in a quiet, elevated corner of the city, perfectly positioned near the original Queen’s Wharf landing area where those first huts and stores were erected.
Fittingly, the park was dedicated during Brisbane's 150th anniversary in 1974 to ensure we don't forget the rugged frontier days. Next time you’re exploring the glitzy new Queen’s Wharf precinct, take a moment at this spot. It’s a powerful reminder of the 40th Regiment and the very first foundations of the city we know today.
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