ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Little bit of information I stumbled over the other day which I thought the North Queenslanders may care to know (if they don't already know:)
North Australia, above the 26th parallel from the 17th December 1846 to the 5th August 1847 was actually declared and gazetted as a separate crown colony. Governor in Chief was Sir Charles Fitzroy of New South Wales and governor elect was Colonel Barney. The capital was to be Gladstone.
Colonel Barney did in fact take possession of the area at Gladstone in February 1847 but with the fall of the Peel Government in England shortly thereafter, the plan was abandoned.

Vic Jefferies

That's quite a co-incidence, Vic, because the Fitzroy Football Club merged with the Brisbane Bears, which were also in Queensland. The coach who took them to three premierships, Leith Matthews, had the nickname of 'Barney', after Barney Rubble of the Flintstones - not the Gladstones; distant relatives, perhaps?

... nahh, I think they came from the Gallstones side of the family