sˈɛvɹəl ɛskˈeɪpt kˈɑːnvɪkts fɹʌm mˈoːɹtən bˈeɪ pˈæst θɹuː ðɪ ˈɛɹiə ˌɔn ðɛɹ wˈeɪ sˈaʊθ ɪnðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti z ænd θˈɜːɾi z, wɪð wˈʌn kˈɑːnvɪkt ɹˈɪtʃɚd kɹˈeɪɡ ɹᵻpˈoːɹɾɪŋ ˈeɪ "bˈɪɡ ɹˈɪvɚ" ɔnðə wˈeɪ.
Several escaped convicts from Moreton Bay passed through the area on their way south in the 1820s and 30s, with one convict (Richard Craig) reporting a "big river" on the way.