By Desmond (Des) Café First Government House Foundation Plate. The piece of copper plate that telegraph line worker Robert McCann uncovered in 1899 had been placed between the two sandstone blocks, 111 years earlier by Governor Arthur Phillip. On the 15th May 1788, Governor Phillip laid the foundation plate to mark the start of the building of Government House in Sydney Cove. Continue reading Gov. House Sydney Continue Reading »
THE WONDERFUL KANGAROO
In 1791, a live Kangaroo, advertised on a Broadside Handbill, as The wonderful Kanguroo from Botany Bay, was exhibited for the first time in the Hay Market district of London. For an admittance fee of a shilling, the crowds could delight at what one reporter described as the most amazing, beautiful and tame animal from the Southern Hemisphere that almost surpasses belief. The Kangaroo was removed from the Hay Market, and was exhibited at the Lyceum in the Strand and advertised on a Continue Reading »
Letter from Governor Arthur Phillip
Contributor - Nicholas James Drogo Hodgkinson – Montagu.Letter from Governor Arthur Phillip to The Marquess of Lansdown, July 1788,Manuscript MLMSS 7241 Arthur Phillip was appointed first Governor of the colony of New South Wales on 12 October 1786. He was commander of the First Fleet which sailed from Spithead on 31 May 1787 and disembarked at Port Jackson, New South Wales, on 26 January 1788. In December 1792, Phillip returned to England, resigning his post as Governor on 23 Continue Reading »
THE ORIGINS OF GROG and the NAVY RUM RATION
By Anne Gibson. Grog had its beginning in the Royal Navy, perhaps specifically on 21 August 1740. Water carried onboard Navy vessels became stagnant during long voyages, beer was added to overcome the taste and make the water more palatable. After the conquest of Jamaica in 1655 rum became popular and replaced beer as the sailors’ daily ration. Their ration was twice daily, and the men were often times drunk due to stockpiling their rations. Admiral Edward Vernon, Continue Reading »
Colonial Vessel ‘Francis’
By Anne Gibson Tuesday 14 February 1792 … The signal was made for a sail, and shortly after the ‘Pitt’ Captain Edward Manning, anchored in the cove from England …, She had on board Francis Grose Esq the Lieutenant-Governor of the settlements, and Major-Commandant of the New South Wales corps, one company of which, together with the adjutant and surgeon’s mate, came out with him. She bought out three hundred and nineteen male and forty-nine female convicts, five children, and seven Continue Reading »
Sullivan Bay to Port Dalrymple
Article written by member Geoffrey Humphries.Ref; ‘Narrative of a Voyage to Port Phillip and Van Diemen’s Land with Lieutenant Governor Collins.’ by AW Humphrey (1984) In late 1803 Lt. Governor David Collins decided to abandon the camp at Sullivan Bay (near present day Sorrento) and proceed to Van Diemen’s Land. Before leaving he dispatched a party under William Collins to explore and report back on the Port Dalrymple area of Northern Van Diemen’s Land. The only ship available Continue Reading »
1788 EARTHQUAKE, SYDNEY COVE
The shock of an earthquake on Sunday 22 June 1788 was mentioned by several diarists. The day was recorded as Clear with south-west winds. Temperature 54° David Blackburn, Master of HMAT Supplyat 20 minutes after 4 in the afternoon, a shock of an earthquake was felt through the camp. The surgeon of ‘Supply’ and myself were then in the woods about a mile and a half from the camp & were both at the time standing still and silent examining some gum issuing from a large Continue Reading »
The Wreck of ‘Sirius’ at Norfolk Island
By Anne Gibson. On the 19th March 2020 it will be 230 years since HMS Sirius, flagship of the First Fleet was ship-wrecked at Norfolk Island. Many of our descendants, who had embarked the ship at Sydney Cove and were previously landed on the island before the disaster, would have stood on the shore with their babies and scant belongings and watched the events unfolding. Read an exact from the Historical Journal of John Hunter, Captain HMS Sirius THE WRECK OF THE HMS SIRIUS AT NORFOLK Continue Reading »
Discovery of the Nepean River
From 6 June to 16 June 1789, John White, John Hunter and David Collins were amongst a large party that accompanied Governor Phillip on a second expedition to Broken Bay, in the course of which an extensive river was discovered. Phillip named it the Hawkesbury River. At the end of the month the same party traced the course of the river upstream to the present Richmond area. Watkin Tench, Captain of Marines, was unable to be part of either expeditions: At this period, I was Continue Reading »
George Bouchier Worgan
THE EMUThe curiosity of the camp was excited and gratified for a day or two by the sight of an emu, which was shot by the Governor’s game-killer. It was remarkable by every stem having two feathers proceeding from it. It’s height was 7 feet 2 inches, and the flesh was very well flavoured. David Collins, Extract from An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales According to Bowes and White, the emu was bought to the camp on 30 January 1788. The skin was given to Phillip Continue Reading »
