Cook & Flinders & the Discovery of the Moreton Bay Region

Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook, on his voyage around the world in H.M.S. Endeavour, named Point Lookout on Stradbroke Island, Cape Morton (now Moreton) and Morton (Moreton) Bay on 17 May 1770. Cook applied the latter name to the bight between the two capes (not the present Moreton Bay). From a position north-east of Cape Moreton, he also observed and named the Glass Houses (now the Glass House Mountains).

Lieutenant (later Captain) Matthew Flinders, on an exploring expedition in H.M. Sloop Norfolk, reached Cape Moreton on 14 July 1799. During the next two weeks, he explored the Moreton Bay region naming Point Skirmish, Pumice Stone River and Red Cliff Point (now South Point, Pumicestone Channel and Woody Point respectively). Although he examined Bramble Bay and Hays Inlet, he missed discovering the Pine River.

Flinders also walked to the Glass House Mountains where he climbed Mount Beerburrum to observe the surrounding countryside. He noted the existence of a range of mountains stretching far to the south (now the D'Aguilar Range).