1824 to 1926/27 The first European settlement in
Queensland was a penal colony established at
Redcliffe in 1824, which moved to
Brisbane the following year. Free settlers first arrived in 1842. The earliest evidence of cricket being played in Queensland is in 1857, two years prior to separation from
New South Wales and
statehood. A match between Brisbane and
Ipswich was held in 1859 while in 1860 a
Toowoomba team played
Dalby. By 1862, there were also teams in
Warwick,
Maryborough,
Gayndah,
Gympie,
Rockhampton and the
Lockyer Valley. Queensland's first inter-colonial (i.e. representative) match was in 1864 when their XXII was beaten by a New South Wales XI. In 1875, Queensland recorded their first victory when their XVIII beat the NSW XI. That victory was a catalyst for the formation of the
Queensland Cricket Association in 1876. Queensland rarely played more than two
inter-colonial matches per season from 1892 to 1893, with generally one match (and often both) against
New South Wales. The tyranny of distance and non-professional status of the players severely limited opportunities for more first-class competition during this period. The
Sheffield Shield competition started in 1892/93 but Queensland's initial applications for admission were refused. (it was also the first ball of the Test). He also scored Queensland's initial first-class century, 151 against NSW. 1910/11 was a very successful season as Queensland recorded three first-class wins for the first time, beating NSW home and away and Victoria in Melbourne in their only three games of the summer.
1926/27 to 1963/64 Queensland was finally admitted to the Sheffield Shield in 1926/27 and had a successful debut year, defeating NSW in their first-ever Shield match and also eventual winners South Australia in their only meeting. Like most new teams, the side struggled to maintain that level of performance and finished last in the (then) four-team competition 15 times in its first 19 seasons. However, the decision to include Queensland quickly paid off with the emergence of regular
Test players such as
Bill Brown,
Don Tallon,
Percy Hornibrook and
Ron Oxenham. Brisbane hosted its first Test match in 1928/29 when Australia met England at the
Exhibition Ground. By the early 1950s, Queensland had a very competitive side and was regularly finishing in the top three of the (now) five-team Shield following
Western Australia's admission in 1946/47. In 1956/57, they finished an agonising one point behind winners NSW. More
Australian players were produced, including
Ron Archer,
Wally Grout,
Ken 'Slasher' Mackay and
Peter Burge. Another highlight of this period was the dramatic
Tied Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Gabba in 1960/61.
1964/65 to 1972/73 This period was undoubtedly Queensland's worst era, finishing last eight times in nine Shield seasons. Rock bottom was reached in 1967–68 when the side failed to win a single game. The Queensland Cricket Association (QCA) decided to recruit high-profile interstate players to revive the team's fortunes.
Greg Chappell was vice-captain of
South Australia under brother
Ian and was lured north for the 1973/74 season with the promise of the Queensland captaincy. Emerging pace bowler
Jeff Thomson followed the next year.
1973/74 to 1993/94 The addition of Chappell and Thomson to a side containing players such as
Sam Trimble,
Martin Kent,
Tony Dell and
Geoff Dymock had an immediate impact. Queensland gained four seconds and a third over the next five seasons, as well as winning the
domestic one day cup in 1975/76, Queensland's first piece of silverware. The Queensland teams of the 1980s were even stronger, featuring many outstanding cricketers, both "home-grown" like
Craig McDermott,
Carl Rackemann and
Ian Healy and others attracted from interstate or overseas such as
Vivian Richards,
Allan Border,
Kepler Wessels and
Ian Botham. Queensland were runners up five times in seven seasons in the 1980s (including a heartbreaking one wicket loss to NSW in 1984/85), and won the one-day trophy three more times in this period, but their first Shield win still proved elusive.
1994/95 to date The 68-year wait finally came to an end in the 1994/95 season when
Stuart Law led Queensland to their inaugural
Sheffield Shield win after finishing last the previous year. Since their breakthrough win, Queensland has enjoyed a golden era, winning the competition a further eight times (including three consecutive seasons from 1999/2000 to 2001/02) and also finishing as runners-up seven times. Since Tasmania were admitted in 1977/78, the Bulls have finished in sixth (i.e. last) place just twice. ==Colours and mascot==