John Oxley
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Image:JohnOxley.jpg John Oxley (January 1, 1785 - May 26, 1828) was an early Australian explorer. He was born in Kirkham Abbey, Yorkshire, England. Oxley joined the navy and travelled to Australia on the Buffalo. For a short time he was ordered to Van Diemen's Land, which is today known as Tasmania. After this assignment he returned toDubbo on June 12, 1818. He wrote that he had passed that day 'over a very beautiful country, thinly wooded and apparently safe from the highest floods...'
In 1819 Oxley sailed to Jervis Bay but found it unsuitable for settlement.
In 1823 John Oxley set out northwards along the coastline, in the cutter Mermaid to explore Port Curtis and Moreton Bay. He continued to explore the region, which is now known as South East Queensland.
In 1824 Oxley, accompanied by Cunningham, discovered the Brisbane River and [[Bremer River, Queensland|on Moreton Bay, which has since developed into the city of Brisbane.
The Oxley Highway in New South Wales is named after John Oxley, as is the Federal electorate of Oxley and the suburbs of Oxley in Brisbane and Canberra. The John Oxley Library, part of the State Library of Queensland, is dedicated to preserving and making available Queensland's documentary history.