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.
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.