ROBERT WATSON from Northumberland, was aged 20, from when he joined HMS Sirius on 20 December 1786 as an able seaman. The next we hear of Robert was in March 1790 when he and his fellow seamen were stranded on Norfolk Island after HMS Sirius was wrecked. He remained on the Island, returning to Sydney aboard HMS Supply in February 1791, then returning a month later in the March to become settler. He received a 60 acre grant at Cascade Run and was selling provisions to the Continue Reading »
First Fleet Scribes
How fortunate we are to have journals, diaries, letters, reports and logbooks written by officers who arrived with Captain Arthur Phillip in 1788. Without these scribes our knowledge of the voyage, the settlement, and its people would have passed into history unknown. David Blackburn (1753–1795) HMS Supply, Master A party of gentlemen with their servants and 4 soldiers were walking to Botany Bay … met with a body of 300 natives all armed with spears and targets. They did not seem too Continue Reading »
Seamen
Seamen were are tough bunch of men. They crewed the First Fleet ships, fathered children to convict women, settled in the new colony, while others died on the inward and outward voyages. Life at sea during the age of sail was filled with dangers, even though these men were familiar with the discomfort and hardship of ship life. Seamen were separated from their homes and families for long periods at sea. They were crowded below decks in skimpy and cramped living conditions, Continue Reading »
They Came From Many Lands
Amongst the peoples of the First Fleet were many nationalities. These people embarked as convicts, able seamen, cooks, marines, officers and children. They are collectively known as Non English First Fleeters. You might ask, who were they? BLACKS – There were twelve black Africans, Americans or West Indians that sailed on the First Fleet. Eleven were convicts with cook George Nelson, off the Prince of Wales, who drowned in the harbour at Port Jackson on 16 February 1788. CHANNEL Continue Reading »
Owen Cavanough : Margaret Darnell
Owen Cavenaugh (Cavanough) aged 25, arrived into Sydney Cove as an Able Seaman, aboard Sirius. After Sirius was wrecked on Norfolk Island in 1790, he was discharged to become a settler obtaining land at Cascade Stream, Phillipsburg. By 1794 Owen was living with Margaret Darnell who was indicated for stealing, on 30 March 1787, one dozen desert knives and forks, value 6s, being the property of James White. Sentenced at the Old Bailey on 18 April 1787, to seven years transportation, Margaret Continue Reading »
William Hambley : Mary Springham
Mary Springham was tried at the Old Bailey for feloniously stealing, on the 5 March 1786, two guineas, value 21. 2s. and nine shillings in monies numbered, and an iron japanned snuff box, value 1d being the property of William and Mary Reynolds. Found guilty, Mary received a sentence of 7 years transportation, and was delivered to Lady Penrhyn on 6 January 1787. In Sydney Cove on 15 January 1790 a child William, by convict Mary Springham and William Hambly was baptised. William Hambly was Continue Reading »
Norfolk Island Settlement
Some Facts about Norfolk Island Norfolk Island is an Australian Dependency, located at 28 deg. 58 min S., 168 deg. 03 min E. Consequently is about the same latitude as Lismore, NSW and several hundred kilometres east of the Australian coast, making it nearer to New Zealand than Australia by air. It sets its time 1 ½ hours ahead of East. Its area is 34 square kilometres and it is quite undulating with peaks 318 metres high. The population is mainly descendants of the 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 »