Surveyors gave the name Tingalpa (place of the fat kangaroo) to the area bounded by Capalaba’s Tingalpa Creek , Waterloo Bay, the Brisbane River, Bulimba Creek, and the various creeks back to Rochedale, the same as today’s federal seat of Bonner.

Settlers came by sailing ship, mostly from England, Scotland and Ireland, some from Germany and other countries, braving the long and dangerous voyage down the east coast of South America to catch the trade winds across the Indian Ocean then past Tasmania and up to Moreton Bay.

Passengers spent three to four months at sea, in cramped quarters, often with no stops on the way.   Some died on the voyage, like Maria Weedon, who was buried at sea off Tasmania, and others were born, like James Indus Stanley, named for the ship the Indus that brought them to the new colony of Queensland.

Those who had paid their own fares received land, others had free passage, as labourers were sorely needed. The new colony had only seven pence (5 cents) in the till, and even this was stolen.   Land was surveyed and sold to raise funds to provide working capital for the new colony.  All services had to be provided, even defence against invasion in that time of the Crimean and Napoleonic wars when super powers fought for control of each other’s territory.

There were no roads or bridges, no houses, shops, schools or churches at Tingalpa, until the settlers built them.

Pioneers had to live rough, in tents and humpies until houses could be built.   They had to grow their own food, and with no medical services handy, endure the sorrow of burying many loved ones, especially babies.

The Tingalpa settlers built Christ Church in 1868, and before it was opened, two burials had taken place in the churchyard, pre-dating  most other cemeteries. Some families were lucky to have six of their twelve children survive, and the Daw family lost nine of their ten children.

There have been over 300 burials at Tingalpa, but only a few of the tombstones remain, scattered around the tree-studded grounds.   Rod Murphy’s well researched burial register and cemetery plan are on view at the cemetery, and David Horton’s Tombstone website http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/index.htm has the register with photographs of the graves.