Scouting commenced in 1907 when Lord Robert Baden Powell ran an experimental camp for 20 boys at Brownsea Island in Dorset in the UK for 20. A year later he published the book ‘Scouting for Boys’ and in that same year Scouting commenced in Australia.
Scouting continues as a worldwide movement today providing fun and adventurous activities to youth members everywhere. Pamphlett Sea Scouts has its own long traditions being formed upon the joining of the 1st Tennyson Sea Scouts and the 1st Graceville Sea Scouts, both of whom had been around for quite some time.
Pamphlett Sea Scouts Group History
On 20th April 1975 that the 1st Tennyson Sea Scouts, a group previously formed in 1947, and the Graceville Sea Scouts, a group formed in 1961, came together as the Pamphlett Sea Scout Group.
How we got our name
Pamphlett Sea Scout Group in named after Thomas Pamphlett, along with John Finnegan and Richard Parsons, who were the first Europeans on the site of Brisbane.
It was in 1823 that these three ticket-of-leave men (that is, former convicts), were shipwrecked off Moreton Island while looking for timber. Pamphlett and Finnegan wound up on Bribie Island where surveyor-general John Oxley picked them up later in 1823 while searching for a site for a new colony.
They showed Oxley the Brisbane River. Duly impressed, Oxley returned to Moreton Bay in 1824 with Lt Henry Miller, 14 soldiers and 29 convicts, including Finnegan.
Tennyson
Did you know that Tennyson is the smallest suburb in Brisbane? Small it may be, but it is very big in local history and neighbourly spirit.
We have been fortunate enough to have had a Scouting presence in Tennyson since 1947, with the Group formed by parents, many of whom had only recently served in World War II.
We are extremely fortunate that Scouting has owned its site at 55 Vivian Street since at least 1947. Below are the current title deeds, dated 1961 after a subdivision.
Unfortuntely, a lot of Scouting history has been lost as volunteers frequently come and go. So below is more of our Tennyson Scouting history captured digitally for posterity.
A time capsule was buried at Tennyson in 1988 and remains in place today. Apparently, the intent was to have opened the capsule quite some time ago and we are still uncertain when should be an appropriate time to do so, however, with our plans for the site it may become necessary to at least relocate the capsule in the near futuer. Since being buried the capsule will have been submerged by at least two floods, 2011 and 2022.
