Laftanar James Cook ya zama dan Turai na farko da ya lura da yankin lokacin da ya yi tafiya a bakin tekun a ranar 16 ga Mayu 1770 a cikin HMS Endeavour. Kyaftin Matthew Flinders, mai binciken da ke taswirar nahiyar arewa daga mulkin mallaka na New South Wales, ya yi tafiya a 1802. 'Yan fursunoni da suka tsere daga mazaunin hukuma na Moreton Bay a yankin. Yankin ya kasance ba shi da mazauna a Turai har zuwa 1823 lokacin da mai binciken John Oxley ya sauka a bakin tekun Mermaid, wanda aka sa masa suna bayan ganin wani mai yankewa mai suna Merma.
'Yar ruwan teku