THOMAS KIDNER was committed to Newgate prison for feloniously stealing four pieces of Irish Linen valued at £6, the property of Mr Wm Overend, in the parish of St John, Bristol. Sentenced to seven years transportation on 30 October 1782, he spent time on the Censor hulk before being transferred to the Alexander on 6 January 1787. Thomas was sent to Norfolk Island by Supply and at 11 July 1791 he was subsisting himself on a Sydney Town lot and was sharing a sow, which produced a litter of four. In 1792 he was settled on 15 acres and by October 1793 had four of his seven ploughable acres cultivated. Jane Willing (Whiting, Lady Juliana, aged 14 in 1789) married Thomas in 1795, by they Rev Samuel Marsden. They had Ann baptised 1798 and Thomas 1795. The family departed Norfolk Island by HMS Buffalo on 15 October 1805, disembarking at Port Jackson. Two years later, Thomas, with one child went to VDL by Lady Nelson. There he held land at Brown’s River, Queensborough and Sussex. Jane Kidner (Willing) seems to have gone separately to VDL as her buried was recorded at St David’s Hobart on 14 September 1826. Thomas Kidner’s death has been untraced (though his wife stated that she was widow in 1826). It has been suggested that Thomas died in a whaling accident in Tasmania in 1813. Their two children Ann and Thomas survived.
Honouring his WW1 descendants
Albert Chalmers Borella VC MM MID
275 Private 26th Australian Infantry Battalion
8 September 1915 promoted Corporal
6 January 1917 promoted Sergeant
7 April 1917 promoted 2nd Lieutenant
11 May 1917 awarded Military Medal
1 June 1917 Mentioned in Despatches
28 August 1917 promoted Lieutenant
16 September 1918 awarded the Victoria Cross (VC)
Born 7 August 1881 Borung Victoria to Louis and Annie (Chalmers) Borella
Occupation Farmer and Grazier
Enlisted 15 March 1915 Townsville Queensland (from Darwin NT by foot, horseback, horse-drawn mail coach and train) aged 31
Next of kin father Lewis Borella, Thyra New South Wales
Embarked 24 May 1915 Brisbane Queensland aboard HMAT Ascanius A11
Service Egypt, France, Gallipoli and the Western Front
Awarded the Military Medal
Sergeant Albert Borella For conspicuous bravery in action. This Sergeant in the attack on Malt Trench North of Warlencourt on the night of the 1/2nd March did splendid work. After taking a leading part in the furious fighting on the Right of the Battalion objective he assisted Lieut. Ward in reorganising the men and consolidating the line. Throughout he displayed the greatest coolness and devotion to duty.
London Gazette, second supplement No.30064: dated 11 May 1917
Commonwealth Gazette No. 140: 27 August 1917
Mentioned in Despatches
Sergeant Albert Borella – For devotion to duty and general good work in the trenches since the Battalion has been in Gallipoli and France.
London Gazette second Supplement No.30107: 1 June 1917
Commonwealth Gazette No 169: 4 October 1917
Awarded the Victoria Cross
For most conspicuous bravery in attack. Whilst leading his platoon with the first wave, Lieutenant Borella marked an enemy machine gun firing through our barrage, shot two German machine gunners with his revolver, and captured the gun. He then led his party, now reduced to ten men and two Lewis guns, against a very strongly held trench, using his revolver, and later a rifle, with great effect, causing many enemy casualties. His leading and splendid example resulted in the garrison being quickly shot or captured. Two large dug outs were also bombed, and thirty prisoners taken. Subsequently the enemy twice counter attacked in strong force, on the second occasion outnumbering Lieutenant Borella’s platoon by ten to one, but his cool determination inspired his men to resist heroically, and the enemy were repulsed, with very heavy losses.
London Gazette, 5th supplement No 30903: dated 16 September 1918
Commonwealth Gazette No 23: 12 February 1919
Lieutenant Borella received his Victoria Cross at Sandringham UK from King George V
Returned to Australia 6 November 1918 per HT Marathon
Discharged 23 February 1919
WW11 V181550 Lieutenant
Enlisted 15 October 1939 Broadmeadows Victoria, aged 58 1 September 1942
Captain Served with the 12th, 24th and 51st Garrison Battalions, Victoria
Termination of appointment 8 May 1945 Died 7 February 1968 Albury New South Wales
A statue of Albert Chalmers Borella VC MM MID sculpted by Paul Smith, was unveiled by his son Rowan Chambers-Borella and Keith Payne VC in a ceremony outside Peard’s nursery, Borella Road Albury New South Wales on Thursday 6 November 2014
Lieutenant Borella’s half-brothers (not First Fleeters) enlisted in WW1
6224 Charles Borella 7th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement
Enlisted 3 October 1915: Embarked 11 September 1916: Service: Western Front: Returned to Australia 3 July 1919
6226 James Borella 7th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement
Enlisted 24 May 1916: Embarked 11 September 1916: Service Western Front: Returned to Australia 3 July 1919
1949 Rex Thomas Borella 8th Light Horse Regiment, 14th Reinforcement
Enlisted 2 August 1915: Embarked 27 January 1916: Service Egypt: Returned to Australia 7 August 1919
1093 George Lewis (Louis George) Grant
Private 7th Infantry Brigade, 26th Battalion ‘D’ Company
Born 11 January 1895 St Mary’s Tasmania to James Edwin and Mary Elizabeth (Hayes) Grant
Occupation Labourer Enlisted 26th March 1915 Claremont Tasmania aged 20
Next of kin Mother Mrs Mary Elizabeth Grant, 40 Elizabeth Street Launceston Tasmania
Embarked 29 June 1915 Brisbane Queensland aboard HMAT Aeneas A60
Service France
Killed in Action 29 July 1916 Pozieres France; previously reported missing
Buried Plot 2, Row J, Grave 8
Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery, Thiepval, Picardie, France
Frank Clifford Green MC
Lieutenant 10th Infantry Brigade, 40th Infantry Battalion (July 1916) ‘D’ Company
Promoted Captain 14 May 1917
Born 26 June 1890 Mole Creek Tasmania to Joseph Richard and Kate Elizabeth (Reardon) Green
Occupation Civil Servant – Parliamentary Clerk House of Assembly Tasmania
Enlisted 2 September 1915 Claremont Tasmania, aged 25
Next of kin Wife Florence Agnes Green, Brown’s River Hobart Tasmania
Embarked 1 July 1916 Hobart Tasmania aboard HMAT Berrima A35
Service at the Western Front
For his work, especially in the offensive at Messines, Belgium, in June, he was awarded the
Military Cross for continuous service with his Battalion since its arrival in France in November 1916. During the past six months this officer has rendered splendid services in the capacity of – Bombing Officer, Assistant Adjutant, and Adjutant. He had the preparation of orders for the Messines Offensive, and did excellent work during that operation as Acting Adjutant.
London Gazette 28 December 1917
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.57, 18 April 1918
Returned to Australia 4 July 1919 per SS Wiltshire
After his AIF appointment terminated on 7 October 1917, his commander Sir John Gellibrand arranged for him to write The Fortieth: A Record of the 40th Battalion, AIF (1922)
Appointed CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 1959
Died on 12 September 1974 New Town Tasmania
Unknown Newspaper article 13 September 1974
– Hobart: – A former clerk of Representatives, Mr Frank Green died yesterday. He was 84. Mr Green was an officer of the Tasmania House of Assembly from 1911 to 1921. In 1921 he became Clerk of Papers in the House of Representatives in Melbourne and in 1927 was made clerk assistant when the Parliament moved to Canberra. Mr Green was clerk of the House from 1927 until his retirement in 1955. He served in the 40th Battalion in World War 1 and later wrote a history of the unit. In his younger days he represented Tasmania in cricket and football. The Prime Minster, Mr Whitlam, said last night Mr Green was one of the outstanding public servants since federation. He was an observer and recorder of some of the greatest events in the nation’s history, Mr Whitlam said.