220 years and families are still friends I am the great great great grand daughter of Sarah Goodwin, Lydia Munro’s second daughter and the first born in Norfolk Island on December 1, 1791. I have lived on the island for over 40 years. I went to school briefly on the island, married on the island and had my son on the island at the age of 17. I am the land holder of lot 105, circa 1790’s and was owned by James Chamm. He grew maize and grain for the stores. The lot is now an historic Continue Reading »
Shortland Naval Family
members, of which served in Australasia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries John Shortland (1739 – 1803) was born near Plymouth, son of John Shortland, senior member of a Devonshire family, six members of whom were associated with colonisation of Australia and New Zealand. In 1755 he entered the Navy as Midshipman and served under Admiral Edward Boscawen off Newfoundland, under Admiral John Byng off Minorca and under Admiral Sir George Rodney in the West Indies, being Continue Reading »
David Collins
David Collins was born in London on 6 March 1756, the son of Arthur Tooker Collins, a senior Officer of Marines and Henrietta Caroline (nee Fraser), of King’s County Ireland. During his childhood his father was promoted to Major General and appointed Commandant of Marines at Plymouth. The family moved to Devon and David was educated at Exeter Grammar School. On 20 February 1771, just before he turned 15 he was gazetted a Second Lieutenant of Marines on his father’s station. David Continue Reading »
HMS Lady Nelson
The Lady Nelson story is one of courage and devotion, this small 60 ton brig carried out her duty, with all the vigour of a much larger sea faring vessel, in her twenty-five years of service in the colony, between 1800 and 1825 Two hundred years ago on 1 December 1811 the original Lady Nelson brig: (a two-masted square-rigged vessel) was again in Hobart Town, having undertaken a difficult voyage from Sydney bringing Governor Lachlan Macquarie and Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie for their first Continue Reading »
Sullivan Bay Sorrento
Port Phillip Settlement Planned Captain Collins in Charge The home government has approved the proposal for a new settlement to be set up in the Port Phillip District. Captain David Collins who served as Judge Advocate under Governor Phillip and departed the Colony for Home in 1796, has been appointed to lead an expedition from England to found the Port Phillip Settlement. His Excellency Governor King has urged settlement of Port Phillip since he received reports of Lieut. John Continue Reading »
Philip Gidley King
Governor King's Headstone 180 years Later The Kings have played an eminent part in Australian history since the very early days of the colony. Many of them became closely linked with the district around St May's. It is now wonder, therefore, that some of their most distinguished family members, who included the Lethbridges and the Goldfinches, are buried in the graveyard of St Mary Magdalen's Anglican Church. The Church itself owes its very existence to the Kings. Dating back to 1840, it Continue Reading »
James Bloodworth
The Heritage BehindThe James Bloodworth Awards Trade Tool Awards 1993-94 In Developing Building Industry Connection's Trade Tool Awards program, we decided to use the Awards as an acknowledgement to the Building Industry and the great people who are part of it. Obviously someone had to be the first settlement builder in Australia, and the history records tell us that Mr James Bloodworth was regarded as the Colony's first builder of note. Although not a volunteer passenger on board ship, James Continue Reading »
Broughton Family
Public servant and settler William Broughton arrived in the transport Charlotte accompanying Surgeon White as a servant. Son of Sarah and Henry Broughton, he was born in Chatham, Kent in the year 1768. On arrival in Sydney Cove, William became a storekeeper at Rose Hill (Parramatta) and in 1800 was appointed Acting Deputy Commissary of Norfolk Island and later Deputy Commissary of stores in Sydney Town. He worked diligently in these positions and was praised by Governor Macquarie. In Continue Reading »
Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip (1738 - 1814) Captain and Governor of New South Wales 11 October 1738, born London England Aged 15 years Apprenticed into Mercantile Service 1775, Midshipman, Royal Navy 1774, seconded as Captain, Portuguese Navy 1781, promoted to Captain, Royal Navy 24 October 1786 hoisted his flag as Commodore in HMS Sirius as Captain-General for the proposed expedition to New South Wales 18 January 1788 sailed into Botany Bay in HMS Supply 26 January 1788 landed and unfurled British Flag, Continue Reading »
HMAT Supply
HMAT Supply Armed Tender was designed by Benjamin Slade as a Deptford yard transport and built in 1759 by Bird at Rotherhithe and was to become known as the ship from which Australia was founded, and was honoured during the bicentennial year by featuring prominently on a commemorative ten-dollar note, issued by the Australian Reserve Bank. Supply, a small brig of 168 tons and already 28 years old, served as the naval tender and armed companion of the First Fleets flagship HMS Sirius. Continue Reading »









