14-05-2025
$20,000 discovery on Aussie island linked to brutal event 200 years ago
An Aussie man has been busted trying to sell $20,000 worth of historical items he found inside a national park. Authorities believe the avid metal detectorist collected 25 artefacts over 10 years, including musket balls that could date back to the 18th century.
Queensland's department of environment (DETSI) was alerted to the illegal sale by a member of the public after the items were listed online. They had been collected on Moreton Bay's Bribie Island, which was the location of a skirmish between Indigenous people and the British in 1799.
There was 'excitement' in the room when archaeologists and government officials examined the items this month to discuss new evidence the musket balls may once have been owned by British explorer Captain Matthew Flinders, who navigated his sea-faring ship HM Sloop Norfolk to Moreton Bay in 1799.
State environment minister Andrew Powell described the revelation as 'kind of unreal'.
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'[Flinders] encountered First Nations people at Skirmish Point on Bribie Island and although initial interactions were peaceful, there was believed to be a misunderstanding over his hat that led to a spear being thrown and muskets being fired, though there were no fatalities,' Powell said.
'According to his notes, Flinders interacted with First Nations people on July 23 at White Patch and gave them his shot belt, and the musket balls may have been left in the area.'
Because the balls were found close to a midden, a cultural site where food and waste were discarded, it's believed they may have been placed there by a First Nations person.
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The items were seized in October, 2023 and then assessed by the state's cultural heritage branch. The appearance of the objects indicates all were forged between 1799 and the mid-1800s.
They included a hand-wrought nail used in the construction and repair of boats, a rusted plumb bob weight used for surveying, and a decahedron metal ball which could have been used as ballast in a ship.
Details of the haul were revealed in May this year, as the state government announced they would be considered for display at the Queensland Museum.
Rather than prosecute the man responsible, authorities took the unusual step of using the matter to educate Aussies about the importance of safeguarding historical items.
Under the Queensland Environment Act, there is a requirement to notify authorities about finds that could have significance to the state.
Cultural heritage coordinator Dr Anthony Simmons explained it's important the excavation of historical items is overseen by experts from the department.
'If you don't have a very structured recovery of the artefacts, you lose a lot of information. And that information is important in terms of the context of the artefacts,' he said.
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