P000689 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn updated 2025-05-15 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000689b.htm person Oxley John Joseph William Molesworth AACR2 1784 26 May 1828 Place of Birth Kirkham Abbey, Yorkshire, England Place of Death Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Surveyor Explorer John Oxley was Surveyor General in New South Wales from 1812 to 1828. He had joined the Royal Navy in 1798 as midshipman. His service for the next 13 years included several voyages to the Australian colonies, sometimes engaged on coastal surveys and in Tasmania, and promotion to First Lieutenant. Oxley made the first of his extensive explorations into the unknown parts of New South Wales in 1817 when he followed the upper reaches of the Lachlan River. He was accompanied by surveyor George Evans. The following year Oxley explored the Liverpool Plains and Macquarie River: members of the party included Evans and Charles Frazer. These explorations led him to believe the westward-flowing rivers disgorged into an inland sea. In 1819 Oxley and Deputy Surveyor General James Meehan were in the Shoalhaven and Jervis Bay region. Later explorations were to Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River. Oxley had a number of business interests which extended to being a founder and director of the Bank of Australia in 1826. His agricultural activities included raising cattle and sheep. He won a number of prizes at the shows of the Agricultural Society of New South Wales, of which he was a founding member in 1822. At its second meeting in July 1821 Oxley joined the Philosophical Society of Australasia, the first scientific society established in the colonies. Between 1824 and 1825 he was one of five members of the New South Wales Legislative Council, but not reappointed after the Council was reconstituted. 1799 1799 Career event - Joined H.M.S. Venerable as midshipman 1812 1828 Career position - Surveyor General, New South Wales 1817 1817 Career event - Lachlan River expedition: accompanied by George Evans 1818 1818 Career event - Macquarie River and Liverpool Plains expedition: accompanied by Evans and Charles Frazer 1819 1819 Career event - Shoalhaven and Jervis Bay expedition: accompanied by James Meehan July 1821 1822 Career position - Member, Philosophical Society of Australasia 1822 1828 Career position - Founding Member, Agricultural Society of New South Wales 1823 1823 Career event - Exploring Moreton Bay and Brisbane River 1824 1824 Career event - Exploring Brisbane River 1824 1825 Career position - Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council 1826 1826 Career position - Founder and Director, Bank of Australia Cunningham, Allan (1791 - 1839)

Accompanied Oxley exploring the Liverpool Plains

 New South Wales Surveyor General [I], Colony of New South Wales (1788 - 1887)

Surveyor General 1812 - 1828

 Evans, George William (1780 - 1852)

Second-in-charge on Oxley's expeditions along the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers 1817-1818

 Meehan, James (1774 - 1826)

Accompanied Oxley on Shoalhaven and Jervis Bay expedition 1819

 Philosophical Society of Australasia (1821 - 1822)

Member 1821 - 1822

 Agricultural Society of New South Wales (1822 - 1891)

Foundation Member 1822 - 1828

 Frazer, Charles (1788? - 1831)

Accompanied Oxley on Macquarie River and Liverpool Plains expedition 1818

 H.M.S. Mermaid (1816 - 1829)

Commanded an exploration south of Port Curtis 1823

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Oxley, John (1785-1828)

Trove

 'Oxley, John Joseph William Molesworth', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Oxley, John Joseph William Molesworth Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: A wet and cold El Niño: the Tambora volcano's impact in the Australian colonies Garden, Don A wet and cold El Niño: the Tambora volcano's impact in the Australian colonies 2021 Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society 107 2 178-201 Book: John Oxley Dunlop, E. W. John Oxley Melbourne Oxford University Press 1960 Journal Article: Life and Work of Lieutenant John Oxley Rowland, E. Life and Work of Lieutenant John Oxley 1942 Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society 28 4 193-272 Book Section: Oxley, John Joseph William Molesworth (1785?-1828), surveyor-general and explorer Dunlop, E. W. Oxley, John Joseph William Molesworth (1785?-1828), surveyor-general and explorer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1967 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z Douglas Pike 305-307 Book: The Search for the Inland Sea: John Oxley, Explorer, 1783-1828 Johnson, Richard The Search for the Inland Sea: John Oxley, Explorer, 1783-1828 Carlton Melbourne University Press 2001 Book: Journal of two expeditions into the interior of New South Wales, undertaken by order of the British government in the years 1817-18 Oxley, John Journal of two expeditions into the interior of New South Wales, undertaken by order of the British government in the years 1817-18 London John Murray 1820 Book Section: Report of an expedition to survey Port Curtis, Moreton Bay, and Port Bowen Oxley, John Report of an expedition to survey Port Curtis, Moreton Bay, and Port Bowen London John Murray 1825 Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Barron Field 1-26 Book: Tracking and Mapping the Explorers, vol. 1: the Lachlan River exploration, 1817, Oxley - Evans - Cunningham Whitehead, John Tracking and Mapping the Explorers, vol. 1: the Lachlan River exploration, 1817, Oxley - Evans - Cunningham Coonabarabran (N.S.W.) John Whitehead 2003 Book: Tracking and Mapping the Explorers, vol. 2: the Macquarie River, Warrumbungle Mts, Pilliga Scrub, Liverpool Plains, Apsley Falls, Hastings River, Port Macquarie 1818, Oxley and Evans Whitehead, John Tracking and Mapping the Explorers, vol. 2: the Macquarie River, Warrumbungle Mts, Pilliga Scrub, Liverpool Plains, Apsley Falls, Hastings River, Port Macquarie 1818, Oxley and Evans Coonabarabran (N.S.W.) John Whitehead 2004 Book: The Australian botanical journals of Allan Cunningham: the Oxley and early King expeditions October 1816 - February 1819 Orchard, A. E.; and Orchard, T. A. The Australian botanical journals of Allan Cunningham: the Oxley and early King expeditions October 1816 - February 1819 Weston Creek, A.C.T. A. E. Orchard 2018 Review: Historical Records of Australian Science Haynes, Roslynn 2002 Historical Records of Australian Science 14 2 217-219 Journal Article: A mystery resolved: John Oxley's field books of the Brisbane River in 1823 and 1824 Jempson, Ian A mystery resolved: John Oxley's field books of the Brisbane River in 1823 and 1824 2019 Queensland history journal 24 3 284-98 Book: Sails to Satelites: the Surveyors General of NSW (1786-2007) Kass, Terry Sails to Satelites: the Surveyors General of NSW (1786-2007) Bathurst, N.S.W. New South Wales Department of Lands 2008 Resource Section: Agency AGY-1773: Surveyor General [I] 20 Jan 1788 to 29 Mar 1887 State Records Authority of New South Wales Agency AGY-1773: Surveyor General [I] 20 Jan 1788 to 29 Mar 1887 Sydney State Records Authority New South Wales Journal Article: Wayilwan women caring for Country: dynamic knowledges, decolonising historical methodologies, and colonial explorer journals Flakelar, Danielle Carney; and O'Gorman, Emily Wayilwan women caring for Country: dynamic knowledges, decolonising historical methodologies, and colonial explorer journals 2023 Journal of Australian studies 47 1 160-80 Book: An investigation of John Oxley's journey in the Coonabarabran district, 1818 Whitehead, J.. R. An investigation of John Oxley's journey in the Coonabarabran district, 1818 [Coonabarabran, N.S.W.] Warrumbungle Historical Society 1970 Book: John Oxley: a new perspective Tickle, Robert John Oxley: a new perspective Wauchope, N.S.W. Veritas Archaeology and History Service 2018 Book: Dictionary of Australian biography Serle, Percival Dictionary of Australian biography Sydney Angus & Robertson 1949 Book Section: Evans, George William (1780-1852), surveyor and explorer Weatherburn, A. K. Evans, George William (1780-1852), surveyor and explorer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1966 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 1: 1788 - 1850 A-H Douglas Pike 359-360 Journal Article: Science for Gentlemen: the Royal Society of New South Wales in the Nineteenth Century Tyler, Peter J. Science for Gentlemen: the Royal Society of New South Wales in the Nineteenth Century 2010 Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 143 1/2 29-43 Journal Article: Biographical Sketches of Some of the Members of the Philosophical Society of Australasia Cambage, R.H. Biographical Sketches of Some of the Members of the Philosophical Society of Australasia 1921 Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales lv xxxiii-xlii Journal Article: History of the Institution of Surveyors, Tasmania Anon History of the Institution of Surveyors, Tasmania 1967 Australian Surveyor 21 7 205-212 John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records A5322 1799 - 1866 Documents regarding land grants to the Oxley family 1810-66; personal and family records 1799-1854 including wills, account books and catalogues of Oxley's library and effects 1828; correspondence, instructions and other documents 1805-1852 including instructions from Governor Macquarie regarding the expeditions of 1817 and 1818. 2 boxes John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records OM81-3 c. 1925 Photocopy of letters, notes and other material concerning family history c1925. 1 folder John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records OM79-17/36 1818 Photocopy of a letter to Barron Field written on the banks of the Macquarie River and describing his explorations since he left Bathurst 1818. 2 pages John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley - Records ML MSS 589 1815 - 1888 An illustrated notebook 1815-23 with related records including accounts of tours by Macquarie 1815, Oxley's first expedition 1817 and a letter by G.W. Evans to Macquarie 13 May - 12 June 1815 being a journal of his expedition to the Lachlan River, and other correspondence with A.C. Geike, K.F. Suttor and J.R. Tyrrell c1888 regarding the notebook. 1 box