In 1829 the colonial botanist, Charles Frazer, described the area to the north-west of Brisbane as a thinly wooded undulating plain with open grassland. This grassland developed through the Aboriginal practice of 'fire-stick' management, which involved periodic burnings to encourage fresh shoots that would attract game such as wallaby.

As the changes brought about by white settlement impacted on all aspects of traditional Aboriginal life some indigenous people began performing a wide range of jobs around the town for white masters. These ranged from domestic work to drawing water and running errands. In 1857 white settlers became concerned at the growing Aboriginal presence in the township and responded by banning them from entering the town boundary any day after 4.30 p.m. and on Sundays. In 1858 two Aborigines, Dalinkua and Dalpie, from the Breakfast Creek area wrote letters to the Moreton Bay Courier protesting about the treatment their people received at the hands of the white settlers.

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