The Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) people are the traditional custodians of Deception Bay and its surroundings, but who was the first to coin the name, ‘Deception Bay?’ Was it Cook, John Oxley, or an early settler? Determining the origin of this unusual name proves as deceptive as the name itself, adding a layer of intrigue to the story of its history.
In 1770, Captain Cook sailed past the area we now call Deception Bay, naming it ‘Glass House Bay’ after the distant mountains. At that time, speculation was rife on board his ship, Endeavour, regarding the possible existence of a river, indicated by differences in the seawater’s colour. Matthew Flinders also landed at Woody Point in 1800 but it wasn’t until 1823 that John Oxley, the Surveyor General for New South Wales, arrived and Moreton Bay was explored in further detail.
Oxley was searching for a suitable site for a new penal settlement. When he reached Bribie Island, he encountered and rescued two shipwrecked ex-convicts, Pamphlett and Finnegan. Finnegan spoke of a large river (the Brisbane) that might fit Oxley’s requirements. By mistake, Finnegan actually led Oxley to the Pine River. The party then travelled upstream, landing at Oxley’s inlet and continuing to Sweeney’s Reserve in Petrie. Sources suggest Oxley called this waterway the ‘Deception River’ because of Finnegan’s mistake.
Confusion over naming
However, Britannica.com states that the river John Oxley named the ‘Deception River’ was, in fact, the Caboolture River and it was called so because of “the numerous shoals at its mouth.” This led to the Deception Bay area being so named after the river that flowed into it. When settlers arrived in 1861, the community adopted the name – Deception Bay.
To complicate matters further, library records and Blake and Osborne’s book, Deception Bay – The History of a Seaside Community, attribute the suburb’s naming to early settler Andrew Petrie. An 1841 journal written by a German missionary, Christopher Eipper, states:
“We went to the sea-coast, to the place where the natives gather oysters and catch fish; it was part of the bay, apparently quite enclosed with land, but we afterwards ascertained that it has an outlet into the sea to the northward – Mr Petrie calls it Deception Bay.”
So, who really named Deception Bay? Only history knows for sure.
Oxley’s landing site is commemorated at the John Oxley Reserve in Ogg Road, Murrumba Downs and the Heritage Trail plaque in Deception Bay.
This story appeared in the June 2024 issue of the North Lakes Guide.
