Label design for “Captain Moreton” spiced rum, produced by Queensland Distillery Co., from Brisbane, Australia.

“Captain Moreton” label design tells a fascinating story about the early history of Brisben, Australia. It’s about unfortunate events, some luck, an unexpected discovery, and irony to connect all of them. The central figure of this story is Thomas Pamphlett, an unforgettable character from Brisben’s history. Convict, survivor of a shipwreck, living with Aboriginal tribes, and an unexpected pathfinder, Pamphlett’s story is as flavorful as this rum!

The detailed drawing, which takes up most of the space on the front label, illustrates the true events described here: In March 1823 with three other ticket-of-leave men, John Finnegan, Richard Parsons and John Thompson, he set out for the Five Islands (Illawarra) to cut cedar. Blown north by a storm, the boat was wrecked on the outer shore of Moreton Island. After some hardships, mitigated by help from Aboriginals, they crossed to the mainland. Believing themselves south of Sydney they sought a northward route homewards. In September 1823 Pamphlett and the Aboriginals attracted the attention of John Oxley, who was then exploring in the Mermaid for the site of a new penal settlement at Moreton Bay. Oxley was interested to hear of the large river and explored it as far as the point reached by the castaways. Oxley then took Thomas Pamphlett with him to Sydney. On 11 October 1826 Pamphlett was found guilty of larceny and sent for seven years to Moreton Bay, which had been set up after a favourable report on the area by Oxley, thanks to Pamphlett himself. The Moreton Bay settlement became Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia.