James Charles Burnett (1815—1854) a.k.a. "John" was a surveyor and explorer in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

(including

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

), Australia. He was the head of the first Survey Office established at Brisbane in 1844. Note, the

separation of Queensland The Separation of Queensland was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day State of Queensland in Australia was excised from the Colony of New South Wales and created as a separate Colony of Queensland. History European sett ...

from New South Wales did not occur until 1859 and so the name ''Queensland'' was not used in Burnett's lifetime.

Early life

James Charles Burnett was born in North Britain (possibly Scotland), the son of William Burnett. He emigrated as a young child with his family to

where his father established ''Burnettland'' near

Raymond Terrace Raymond Terrace is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road north of Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Established in 1837 it is situated at the confluence of the Hunter and Williams rivers. The town was named ...

in the

Hunter River Hunter River may refer to: *Hunter River (New South Wales), Australia *Hunter River (Western Australia) *Hunter River, New Zealand *Hunter River (Prince Edward Island), Canada **Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, community on Hunter River, Canada ...

district.

Surveying career

In 1834 he entered the service of the Survey department of New South Wales, spending a considerable period in the Illawarra district. Burnett was selected by Sir Thomas Mitchell to lead a survey to trace the Great Dividing Range from south of Hanging Rock northward towards Moreton Bay. Burnett set off in October 1841 with Roderick Mitchell (son of Thomas Mitchell) as second-in-command of the party. After many difficulties, the range was traced to about the 30°S and then the party headed for Brisbane arriving September 1842. In 1845, he was appointed a Commissioner of Crown Lands. Burnett subsequently undertook surveys of the Clarence River and Richmond River. In 1846, he was appointed in charge of the surveys in Moreton Bay and settled in Brisbane. In 1846 to 1847 he explored north of Moreton Bay in the area of the Mary River and Burnett River. His efforts in exploring Queensland (as it is now known) were recognised by

New South Wales Governor The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the A ...

Charles Augustus FitzRoy Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy, (10 June 179616 February 1858) was a British military officer, politician and member of the aristocracy, who held governorships in several British colonies during the 19th century. Family and peerage Charles was b ...

by naming the Burnett River and the surrounding area after Burnett.

Later life

Burnett died on 18 July 1854 aged 39 years at his home in Brisbane. For several months prior to his death, he had poor health, which was attributed to his ''"enthusiastic and almost reckless devotion to the trying duties of his profession"''. He had not left his home for several weeks prior to his death. He was buried in the Church of England section of the

North Brisbane burial ground The North Brisbane Burial Ground was a former cemetery in the Town of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was in the area now known as the suburbs of Milton and Paddington. It was also known as North Brisbane Cemetery, Paddington Cemetery and M ...

(now underneath the

Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

stadium).

Legacy

A few days before Burnett's death, he received word that he had been elected a Fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

. At the time of his death, it was proposed that a public subscription be established to create a lasting memorial to him, but this did not occur. However, in 1988, the Institution of Surveyors Australia erected a plaque honouring Burnett on the

Wide Bay Highway The Wide Bay Highway is a short state highway of Queensland, Australia running between Goomeri on the Burnett Highway and a junction on the Bruce Highway. From the junction it is 12 kilometres south to Gympie or 69 kilometres north to Maryboro ...

, Ban Ban Springs () through which Burnett had passed in March 1847 while exploring the Burnett River district. Also, visual artist Natalie Billing used the rear of a building in

Burnett Lane The Early Streets of Brisbane is a heritage-listed archaeological site at sections of Albert Street, George Street, William Street, North Quay, and Queen's Wharf Road in Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built ...

in Brisbane to create a tribute to Burnett (after whom the lane is named).

Named in his honour

Places names after Burnett include: ; New South Wales *

Burnett County, New South Wales Burnett County, New South Wales is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales For lands administrative purposes, New South Wales is divided into 141 counties, which are further divided into parishes. The counties were first set ...

; Queensland *

, Brisbane * Burnett River, which he discovered in 1847 * Mount Burnett

References

External links

* – Discovery of the Burnett River {{DEFAULTSORT:Burnett, James Charles Australian surveyors 1815 births 1854 deaths British emigrants to Australia Pre-Separation Queensland