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Nevertheless his visits to Queensland and his money difficulties may have encouraged him to accept a position in Brisbane in 1873, although his wife begged him to think well before giving up Berrima. It is understandable that she must have been apprehensive about the move because she had a pleasant home in a very attractive part of New South Wales and was very near many friends and relatives. When he left Berrima a number of citizens contributed to a purse as a farewell gift and showed some apprecitation of the work he had done.

He was appointed first to Sandgate and Caboolture districts from 1873 to 1876 and that period included the North Suburban Mission in 1874. In 1873 he had written an extensive report on the North Brisbane Mission which was a result of his work during his first six months in Queensland. This report covered an area of 500 square miles and a population of over 6000 people. In July 1874 he wrote to the Secretary of the Diocesan council saying that he felt he would resign from being in charge of the North Brisbane Mission. He had done the work for twelve months, found it very laborious and felt that the salary was inadequate - he could not operate successfully unless he had a clear salary of £300 per annum. The Mission included the chaplaincy of St. Helena Island, the administration of which he found contrary to his idea of the treatment of prisoners. He was instructed to speak to prisoners on matters of religion only and not on any other subject. When he wrote to protest about this rule he stated that he had been chaplain at Berrima Gaol for fourteen years and with his experience and understanding of prisoners, he could not consent to visit prisoners where he would be so restricted. James Hassall, finding that he could not continue with such a large area offered instead to concentrate on a circuit which included Durandur, Kilcoy, Collongton, Cressbrook, Esk and Mount Brisbane.

It is not clear where he and his family lived when they first came to Brisbane but in May 1874 he leased premises in Russell Street, South Brisbane from Henry O'Reilly of the Australasin Steam Navigation Company for £150 per annum for twelve months.

Disappointed by the failure of an application for a vacancy at Maryborough in 1875 he was appointed to a charge which included the Ipswich Mission and he visited Mount Brisbane Station, Wivenhoe, Pine Mountain, Harrisville, Normanby, Redbank, Rosewood, Eskdale and Cressbrook. His timetable for 1876 shows him visiting two of these stations each Sunday. By 1878 he was ministering in the Gatton, Laidley and Harrisville Districts and certainly entertained the Bishop at Gatton in March 1878.

A month later, in Aprip 1878, it appears that Hassall has been appointed to Sherwood because the Government Gazette announced his new address of Oxlet in its recognition of his