Queensland New South Wales border
The Queensland New South Wales border was to be made up of three components including the:
- watershed from Point Danger to the Dumaresq river
- Dumaresq to the Macintyre and Barwon rivers
- 29th parallel of south latitude.
The parallel of latitude and the watershed had to be surveyed. However, the river section did not require survey as it is a natural feature and readily identifiable.
- Watershed survey from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River
- Gregory's and Greaves' survey
- The official determination survey
Watershed survey from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River
In 1863 surveyors Francis Edward Roberts (pictured left) State Library of Queensland neg no. 49229) from Queensland and Isaiah Rowland (pictured below) Courtesy Mrs V Robison) from New South Wales were chosen to survey the boundary line. This was between the two colonies from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River.
Starting from Point Danger in June 1863, the surveyors marked a rock with their initials. The mark included a colony abbreviation and the last two digits of the year. However, the rock mark was lost at the turn of the century, probably due to quarrying.
For measuring distances, both Roberts and Rowland used a Gunter's chain. Comparisons between Robert's distances and later adjoining cadastral surveys revealed excess in Robert's distances.
Initially, both men used a circumferentor for measuring direction. However Roberts was later instructed by Surveyor General Gregory to use a theodolite to read angles for the total length of his traverse.
Although two separate surveys were carried out, in many instances both surveyors used the same tree to mark the corners. As a result of the two different surveys, Rowland and Roberts defined the border in different positions. It appears that Roberts deviated from the definable position of the watershed in order to maintain longer traverse lines. This was in order to increase the accuracy of the survey as directed by the Queensland Surveyor-General, Gregory.
The New South Wales and Queensland governments have since essentially adopted the survey of Roberts in preference to that by Rowland.
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Gregory's and Greaves' survey
The initial survey of latitude 29ºS was fixed in 1865 by the Queensland Surveyor General, Augustus Charles Gregory Courtesy Warwick Masonic Lodge(pictured left) and District Surveyor from Armidale, New South Wales, William Greaves (pictured below).
The purpose of the survey was to give landholders in the vicinity of the border an indication of the extent of their leases and rent payable in each colony.
W.D. Campbell reported in The Surveyor in 1895:
In 1865, an arrangement was made between New South Wales and Queensland for the fixing of the position of the intercolonial boundary line, the 29th parallel of latitude, at the intersections of the Rivers Barwon, Mooni, Bokhara, Narran, Biri and Culgoa, to enable the Governments of the respective colonies to adjust the rents of leases of the several pastoral runs affected, some of which were partly in both colonies ... Two representatives were appointed, viz., Messrs A.C. Gregory, Surveyor-General of Queensland, and W.A.B. Greaves of Armidale ... and in October 1865, these gentlemen met by appointment at Mungindi, on the Barwon. Each had a complete party and equipment ... The position of the Observatory was selected for its local suitability and the difference of latitude to the 29th parallel was determined and measured off. The marking of the border 
was done with steel [iron] pins (pictured) one inch in diameter and two feet long, driven a few inches below the surface ... This process was repeated at each of the above named rivers, and the work was completed in five or six weeks.
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The official determination survey
The official survey of the 29ºS parallel was conducted by John Cameron (NSW)Courtesy Mr N Haughton (pictured left), and George Watson (Qld) between 1879 and 1881.
Astronomical observations were taken at the Barringun telegraph station to determine the latitude and longitude. Following these observations, the zero obelisk was erected on the banks of the Warrego River, just north of the town.
From this mark, the first five mile chord was produced westerly and the mile posts offset from this chord to the arc. This continued until the survey intersected longitude 141º (now Cameron Corner), a distance of 285 miles 24.96 chains.
Watson withdrew from the survey and Cameron then returned to the zero obelisk at Barringun and marked the line to the east in a similar fashion. Cameron then erected a one-ton post on the west bank of the Barwon River to mark the end of the survey.
One-ton post near the Barwon River
Zero Obelisk near the town of Barringun
The original post at Cameron Corner was replaced by a commemorative concrete pillar on 6 June 1969.
B reference tree on the west bank of the Barwon River
A complete and detailed history, legal framework, boundary definitions and copies of original survey instructions and surveyor reports can be accessed in the free departmental publication 'Redefining the Queensland - New South Wales Border: Guidelines for Surveyors'.
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Last updated: 22 June 2009