Philip Gidley King kept a number of journals during his service in the Southern Seas. His Official journal, kept on Sirius became the basis of the Norfolk Island Report in some early books concerning Australia. It was purchased in 1897 for the Sydney Public Library and is now in the Mitchell Library there. Another journal written by King and referred to as the private journal was purchased by the Mitchell Library from the P.G. King estate in 1933. It is considered a rough copy Continue Reading »
John Small and Mary Parker
The Reverend Richard Johnson, Chaplain to the colony married convicts John Parker and Mary Small on 12 October 1788. The witnesses were convict Thomas Akers and servant to the Reverend Johnson, Samuel Barnes. As chaplain’s clerk, his name appears numerous times as witness to Port Jackson weddings. Mary Parker’s sentence did not expire until April 1792. John Parker was not alone when he committed the crime that original carried the sentence Guilty. To be hanged. A Royal Continue Reading »
Early Australian Freemasonry
Freemasonry has been associated with the British discovery and settlement of Australia from the very beginning. Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), the naturalist who sailed into Botany Bay with James Cook in 1770 became a Freemason prior to 1768 and was a member of the Old Horn Lodge No. 4 in England.Thomas Lucas (1759-1815) a Private in the 23rd Company Marine Corps and a member of Lodge of temperance No 225 in England, arrived with the First Fleet.Captain Matthew Flinders (1774-1814) Continue Reading »
Elizabeth Cole
It is an amazing coincidence that there were two young women who came to Australia on the First Fleet and were named Elizabeth Cole.This was at first most confusing, but eventually we found proof of which one was ours and her whole story fitted together. We have been told that our Elizabeth Cole was baptised on 25 May 1762 in the Parish Church of the small Devon village of Lamerton, not far from the western edge of Dartmoor and her parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Continue Reading »
Robert Watson
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 »
Maria Nash (Haynes)
Her story, told by descendant Rosemary SMITHRosemary joined the First Fleet Fellowship in September 1987 and holds certificate number 181. When asked how and when she found out that she was a descendant of First Fleeters, she seemed a little surprised by the question and said “I guess it’s something we’ve always known.”Here is the story of her ancestor. "This is the story of my four times grandmother, as we, her descendants know it. A lot of Australian histories Continue Reading »
Andrew Goodwin : Lydia Munro
ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War, 100 years ago. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as ANZACS. Australia is commemorating this most important centenary period 2014 to 2018.The ANZAC centenary is a time for all present First Fleet descendants from Andrew Goodwin and Lydia Munro to honour their past descendants Continue Reading »
Henry Waterhouse
Midshipman Henry Waterhouse arrived with the First Fleet aboard HMS Sirius. He was the eldest son of William and Susanna (Brewer) Waterhouse, born 13 December 1770 and christened 28 December 1770 at St James Middlesex. William had be page to the Duke of Cumberland who was Henry’s god-father. He entered the navy at an early age (16) and on 20 November 1786 joined HMS Sirius as midshipman (having been recommended to Captain Phillip), raising to the rank of acting third lieutenant on 28 Continue Reading »
Laurence Richards and Family
Private Marine Laurence Richards from Tiverton Devon, and his pregnant wife Mary, boarded the Prince of Wales for their voyage to Sydney Cove. Son Samuel was born on 9 October 1787 five days out from the ship’s arrival at the Cape of Good Hope.At Port Jackson, Richards was amongst a number of Marines who served in the detachment of Captain John Shea. In 1791 he decided to become a settler, sailing to Norfolk Island by Atlantic in October 1791 with Mary, Samuel and a second son Continue Reading »