William Hann

In Brisbane in early 1872, Hann presented geological specimens and attended a meeting with Premier Arthur Hunter Palmer and the colonial secretary about the proposal.

In February 1872 the Queensland government approved the proposal for an expedition with the aim of: 'ascertaining, as far north as the 14th parallel of latitude, the character of the country and its mineral resources, with the view to future settlement and occupation.'

The expedition members consisted of: On 26 June 1872, their journey began with fifteen packhorses, ten spare horses, twenty sheep and five months' supplies of flour, tea, sugar, rice, potatoes and dried apples.

[3] The expedition found numerous marine cephalopod fossils including Peratobelus, and several ammonites (Aconeceras Toxoceratoides and Tropaeum) various bivalve and scaphopod molluscs and a crustacean Enoploclytia.

Hann's expedition enabled James Venture Mulligan to conduct a gold-prospecting journey to the Palmer River in the following year which resulted in the unearthing of 102 ounces of gold.

[5] "A Townsville telegram dated 5 April states that William Hann of Maryvale Station, one of the oldest of the northern pioneers, committed suicide by drowning, in the bay in front of the Queen's Hotel during Thursday night.