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National Trust of Australia
The National Trusts are the only conservation organisations in Australia concerned with all aspects of heritage, natural and cultural, tangible and intangible We are the pre eminent independent community bodies that promote conservation of and access to Australia’s unique natural, cultural and Indigenous heritage. We rely heavily on community support generated through membership subscriptions, sponsorship, donations and bequests, property admissions and retail sales. Of the collective total operational revenue generated by the organisation less than 10% is sourced from government. We rely heavily on community support generated through membership subscriptions, sponsorship, donations and bequests, property admissions and retail sales. Of the collective total operational revenue generated by the organisation less than 10% is sourced from government We actively protect and conserve places of heritage significance for future generations to enjoy The National Trusts are Australia’s leading conservation organisations Our mission, which started with the conservation of historic Sydney architecture, has grown to include natural, Indigenous and cultural heritage in every state and territory Explore our beautiful places around Australia and join us as we celebrate our built, natural and cultural heritage. We actively protect and conserve places of heritage significance for future generations to enjoy. Explore our beautiful places around Australia and join us as we celebrate our built , natural and cultural heritage.
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The Australian National Trust movement was established in New South Wales in 1945 by Annie Wyatt who, along with a group of other citizens, raised community consciousness of widespread destruction of the built and natural heritage in Sydney
The National Trust movement quickly spread across Australia with the other States establishing National Trust offices throughout the 1950’s and 60’s. The Northern and Australian Capital Territories were the last to establish a National Trust in 1976. Each State and Territory National Trust is a fully autonomous entity in its own right responsible for managing its own affairs.
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CULTURALSENSITIVITYMESSAGE
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Maureen Watson Beautyisalight intheheart. Beauty is not in the face; Dawson River Murri
www.jwtpublishing.com.au COVER IMAGE - Stores Ship - 'Bellona' The Bellona was built on the Thames in 1782 and registered to London merchants William Boyd, William Hamilton, Michael Tonnay and John Brickwood. There were three decks and she was 113ft 5 1/2 inches in length, 30ft 10 1/2inches in breadth. P A G E 0 4 M A G A Z I N E AUSTRALIAN SETTLERS DETAILS, AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION EMAIL JWT@JWTPUBLISHING COM AU Black Caesar LIBERTY PLAINS A HISTORY OF AUBURN N.S.W. www.australiansettlers.com Motto ''Liberty, With Steady Zeal''
Our past footprints Our past shapes us, teaches us, and affects our character development and growth, but it shall not define us. 3 R D E D I T I O N JOHN TOZELAND FIND US AT CLICK HERE This historical time period of 1793 was an fascinating year in Australia's history. I hope you enjoy this edition as much as I have enjoyed looking back to bring you these stories of our past Circulating by e magazine directly to your email inbox every issue as you subscribe for free. I hope you enjoy our storytelling and the journey in this edition we take you on looking back. SUBSCRIBE FREE P A G E 0 5 editor's note w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAN SETTLERS Sydney Cove australian settlers WhenPhillipleftthecolonyinDecember,1792, hispleadingtoEnglandhadattractedfifteen freemigrants,whoarrivedinSydneyonthe 'Bellona'amonthlater(January,1793). TheofferoffreepassageandalandgrantinNew SouthWaleswasmadeinEnglandin1792to "fifteenfamiliesofQuakers."Quakersgotthe offerbecauseQuakerswouldn'tenlist.They declinedtheovertures,andstayedinEngland. Stores Ship The 'Bellona'
The history of Auburn and its district, displaying as it does most stirring and romantic incidents in the lives of some of the first free settlers of Australia
The Oakes Family Francis, Rebecca, and Their Descendants These pioneer families of Parramatta intermarried, and their influence comes down to the present day
The first instructions, issued on the 25th April, 1787, authorised the Governor to make grants only to liberated prisoners, but by further instructions issued by the Secretary of State in 1789
Early GFarming rants 12 - 31 08 - 10 50 - 59 50 - 59 68 - 82
inside the issue P A G E 0 6 www.australiansettlers.com I S S U E 0 3
Liberty Plains
A
Phillip
John 'Black' Caesar John Caesar (c 1763 1796), convict of West Indian descent he was born in Madagascar and living as a servant in the parish of St. Paul, Deptford, England, in 1786.
With high hopes, they set sail for Australia land containing millions of acres of fertile soil offering opportunities to men and women accustomed to living within the narrow confines of the small farm or croft. Arthur
WILLIAM DAWES CAPTAINS HUNTER, COLLINS AND JOHNSTON, WITH GOVERNOR PHILLIP, SURGEON WHITE. VISITING A DISTRESSED FEMALE NATIVE OF NEW SOUTH WALES AT A HUT NEAR PORT JACKSON. THE FIRST FREE SETTLERS ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA IN 1793. PAGE 33 - 34 P A G E 2 3 ELINOR MAGEE PAGE 40 - 41 THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THE AUBURN AND HOMEBUSH BAY REGIONS ARE RECOGNISED AS THE WANGAL (OR ‘WANN-GAL’) AND WATEGORO PEOPLE OF THE EORA/DHARAWAL LANGUAGE GROUP. AUSTRALIAN SETTLERS CMAGAZINE ONTENTS w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 0 7 EXPERIMENT FARM PAGE 36 - 37 PAGE 46 'A NEW ROYAL SYSTEM OF UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY''
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Theirmethodswerecomparativelyprimitive, and in many ways unsuited to the subjugation of nature as they found here. However, the speed with which they adapted to the strange conditions, and the ingenuity they displayed in overcoming problems of every description, became the solidbaseonwhichtraditionswerefounded.
Withhighhopes,theysetsailfor Australia.Alandcontainingmillions ofacresoffertilesoiloffering opportunitiestomenandwomen
accustomedtolivingwithinthe narrowconfinesofthesmallfarm orcroft. The latent spirit of adventure was easily stirred in them, and although some of the early reports regarding the new colony were not exactly glowing, they were prepared to face risks of any and every kind in the hope of being able to carve homes for themselves out of the rich unknown lands of the south. They were accustomed to hard work and frugal living, yet they had no idea of the difficulties they would have to face in the new land, difficulties of pioneering that no man can ever realise until he has been throughthem.
Arthur Phillip (1738 1814), Naval commander and founder of New South Wales. In addition to fulfilling his administrative and judicial duties, Governor Phillip led exploratory expeditions by land and water in Hesearchoffertilefarmingcountry.walkedformanymilesthrough rough country and rowed along the coast to Broken Bay. He discovered and named Pitt Water and the Hawkesbury River and on the upper reaches of the Parramatta River, found a fertile farming region, which he named Rose Hill, known today as SuitableParramatta.clay was discovered at Haymarket, then a convict come forward with necessary knowledge,andthemakingofbricksbegan.
Foureventfulyears
G o v e r n o r P h i l l i p Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld.). Friday 14 January 1938.
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Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld.). Friday 14 January 1938.
Theofferoffreepassagesandaland grantinNewSouthWaleswasmadein Englandin1792to"fifteenfamiliesof Quakers."Quakersgottheofferbecause Quakerswouldn'tenlist.TheQuakers declinedtheovertures,andstayedin England. Phillippreviouslybroughtninefree settlers,"Phillipwasthefirstmanto believeinthefutureofAustraliaas awhitenation. u r c o
FreePassages
Thefirstactual"settler"forGovernorPhillip wasJamesRuse,buthewasaconvictoutof English hulks, finishing his sentence in Sydney(Eldershaw,p256) Britishpolicywasdeadsetagainstmigration, onthegroundthatBritainmustkeepher ownpeopleforhelpInEuropeanwar Andwhereaninvitationtomigratetothe criminal colony was made in England, it broughtscarcelyanyresponse Governor Phillip"pleadedinvainforfreesettlers"
Freesettlement,evensuccessful settlementfromthegaol population,didnottakeplace.The bestthathappened,underGovernor Phillip'seyes,wasthathesaw alwaysthenecessityofafarming population,andbelievedinits surety;yetwascompelledto declareitfutiletomakethis attemptwithviciousandbattered ex-convicts,andtheloafersdrawn fromtime-expiredsoldiers,sailors, andmarines.
Hedeclaredthattheconvictsweremostly worthless, and the soldiersettlers were unreliable;butEnglandgavehimnothing savemoreprisonerstobeguardedand flogged
HispleadingtoEnglandhadattracted fifteenfreemigrants,whoarrivedin Sydneyamonthlater(January,1793) the first-fruitsoffiveyearssinceJanuary, 1788(Madgwlck,pp.11-12).
InNovember1791,inNewSouthWalesand Norfolk Island, only 87 settlers can be proved being 44 exconvicts, 31 ex marines,11exsailors,andonesolitaryfree civilian(thesedetailsfromMadgwick).The restofthepeople,over3400,wereconvicts undersentence,orinhouseholdservice, andtheirmilitaryandcivilgaolers,women eitherindomesticserviceorinauthorised prostitution,orboth Thatwasvirtuallytheconditionwhen PhillipleftthecolonyinDecember,1792.
s t
Inpassing,wenearlyhadaPennsylvania!
m P A G E 0 9 Foureventfulyears G o v e r n o r P h i l l i p
ThesolitaryunitallowedbyDrMadgwickis probably Philip Schaffer, a German who couldspeaknoEnglish,whoonApril,1791, becamethe"superintendentofconvicts" Hewassettocultivateland,andtoteach othershowtodoit
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When Captain Arthur Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove on January 26, 1788, he laid the foundation of a memorial that will never perish Such an honour as the founding of a new European State, now risen to the rank of nation, is the lot of very few Phillip, coloniser, explorer, man among men, was a splendid choice for Australia's first Governor. His aim was a small peasantry, and his action, prudence, and courage initiated a wonderful work from very poor material His early troubles, lack of skilled labour, and prolonged famine, revealed the humanity and cool judgment of the man He subsisted on the same rations as his men Norfolk Island was settled, and the founding of Rosehill and Parramatta undertaken to alleviate distress in the settlement.
G o v e r n o r P h i l l i p
Troublewithhissoldiersledtothe introductionofthenotorious N.S.W.Corps.Heestablishedcriminal andcivilcourts,wherethe administrationwasroughbutfair Onethousandandfortysoulsonarrival; 4000onleaving,seventeenhundred acresundercultivation
Fountain with statue of Governor Captain Arthur Phillip, at entrance to Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
Collections of the State Library of New South Wales.
Coloniser, explorer, man among men Truth (Sydney, NSW). Sunday 23 January 1938,. Convicts to Phillip were the material for a newcolony,notsomanysocialoutcasts His opening speech: "There shall be no slavery inafreeland,andconsequentlynoslaves I doubt but that this country will prove the mostvaluableacquisitionGreatBritainever made. Time will remove all difficulties", has nowcometrue. Hiswiseandhumanetreatmentofthe Aboriginesisoneofthebrightestpagesin ourhistory.
CALL FOR ARTICLES AUSTRALIAN SETTLERS MAGAZINE We're looking for interesting stories to publish for the upcoming Editions DETAILS, AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION EMAIL JWT@JWTPUBLISHING.COM.AU W W W . A U S T R A L I A N S E T T L E R S . C O M weWeinviteyoutoshareyourstoryoffamilyhistoryassharewithyouanintimateconnectionthroughthewordsofrelativesfromthepast.We’reinterestedininterpretingwhattheseeventsmean,andconnectingthedotstodiscovertheuniquestoriesthatexplainourplaceintheworld.Inaconvergenceofcultures,Australiahasauniqueanddiversepast,withHeritagethatincludesplaces,values,traditions,eventsandexperiencesthatcapturewherewe'vecomefrom.WedocumenttheFirstAustraliansandexplorethehistoryofAustraliafromanIndigenousperspective.WeexploreAustralianhistoryincludingIndigenousAustralians,theFirstFleet,earlysettlementandtheexpansionofthecolony. P A G E 1 1 Alice May Johnstone
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to
Intheearlydaysof Australiancolonisation,land wasdistributedbygrants andordersfromtheCrown. Thefirstinstructions,issuedonthe25th April, 1787, authorised the Governor to make grants only to liberated prisoners, butbyfurtherinstructionsissuedbythe SecretaryofStatein1789,theprivilegeof obtaining grants was extended to free immigrants and to such of the men belonging to the detachment of marines servinginNewSouthWales whichthen includedthewholeoftheeasternpartof Australia-asweredesirousofsettlingin thecolony;themaximumgrantwasnot toexceed100acres(1hectareisequalto 2.5acres),andwassubjecttoaquitrentof one shilling per annum for every fifty acres,tobepaidwithinfiveyearsofthe dateofissue.Inmanycases,thesegrants were made conditional upon a certain proportionofthelandbeingcultivated,or upon certain services being regularly performed, but these conditions do not seemtohavebeenenforced bush farms
to suburbs Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW). Saturday 7 September 1878,.
Early GFarming rants from
Early GFarming rants from bush to farms to suburbs
Theastoprovisionsthan1000convicts.authoritiesarrangedfor50
David Collins noted that Rose was ''the most respectable of these people, and apparently the best calculated for a bona-fide settler''. Why they settled there is uncertain, for the soil was poor, and without manure was quickly exhausted, but possibly LieutenantGovernor FrancisGrose wanted to establish settlement between Sydney and Parramatta for the safety and convenience of the Rosetravellingpublic.soondecided that they had made 'a hasty and bad choice of situation' and according to family records he soon afterwards moved to Prospect, where he was made an overseer in charge of the government farm and stock, and where his Heseconddaughter,Sarah,wasborn.appearstohavestayedatProspect for some twelve years. He and his family then moved to more fertile lands along the Hawkesbury River where they purchased the 30-acre (12 ha) grant of William Mackay near the later-named Wilberforce, which Grosebegantosettlein1794.
Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW). 27 January 1928
On January 15th, 1793 the first free immigrants arrived on the Bellona, the outcome of strongly worded despatches written earlier by Governor Phillip, urging that if 50 farmers were sent with their families they would do more in a year toward rendering the country independent
Englishfromgoing,andintheirplacecamethefirstEleven. Topp)ThomasRoseandhiswifeJaneRose(neeandtheirchildrenEdwardRoseandThomasRoseJunior;ElizabethFish,alassof18years;JosephWells;ThomasWelsh;FredMeredith,abaker;J.Thorpe;andWalterBrodie.TherewasalsoathirdRosechild,whohadspentnearlyathirdofitswholelifegettingoutfromEngland.
To induce these good people to come the Government gave them free passages, tools and implements out of the public store, two years of provisions, free convict labour for two years (with free convict clothing and rations for one year) and — to cap it all— most of Auburn, Strathfield and Homebush in60to120acreblocks.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 1 3 AUSTRALIA'SFIRSTFREEIMMIGRANTS into1793,FewpeoplerealisetheanniversaryofAustralia'sbeginningasafreeman'scountry.UptillJanuary16,thesettlershadbeendividedtwoclasses—convictsandtheofficials.
Quaker families, but at the last moment the reputation of the colony deterred these
Friday
Early GFarming rants from bush to farms to suburbs
The Johnston's Creek settlement comprised of 13 wattle and daub convict huts, stockyards and other outbuildings A brick threshing barn was located at the northern settlement while the sites of the other documented buildings, such as the church anddairy,areunknown By April 1791, the settlement with 500 convicts had cleared 259ha The convicts were worked so hard, it developed a reputation as a place to be avoided at all costs Within 5 years, soil quality had declinedandbetterlandhadbeenfoundin
ThefirstsuburbanareasofSydneywerethe inner suburbs of Ultimo, Pyrmont, Glebe, Camperdown, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, WoolloomoollooandPottsPoint.AsSydney grew,thesesuburbswereextendedfurther intothebushlandaroundSydney
Needing to find land more arable than that around Sydney Cove, the Government established farms at Rose Hill (present day Parramatta)in1789.
The Government also established a third settlement in 1791 known as Toongabbie ConvictFarm
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During1791smallgrantswere giventomainlyemancipated convictsatParramattaandthe areasurroundingincluding ProspectHill,ThePondsandthe NorthernBoundary(North Parramatta). Severalyearslaterlargergrantswere madetoex-military,civilservantsandto asmallerextent,freesettlers.
the Hawkesbury region. Government stock was then grazed here until 1807 when the farm was abandoned and the land sold off toprivatefarmers
Convict labour was used to grow crops of barley, maize and wheat There were two mainareasofsettlement,oneatJohnston's Creek, the other 3km further north along Old Windsor Road until it closed down around1807
The Hawkesbury district was settled in 1794 and the fertile floodplain produced much needed crops for the colony. The settlers, mostly emancipated convicts, were granted thirty acre lots and were very pleasedwiththeirfarmsastheircropswere extremelyproductive Unfortunatelyregular flooding meant that the Hawkesbury could not always be relied on as the main food supply.
The first areas outside of Sydney to be developed were the Parramatta, Liberty Plains, Hawkesbury, Castle Hill, Emu Plains, LiverpoolandMacarthurdistrictsinamixof government and privately run farms established for the express purpose of growingcropstofeedtheyoungcolony
Althoughcropsweregrowninthisareathe land was not particularly fertile Some of theseearlysettlerssoldtheirlandandtook up new grants when the Hawkesbury was establishedin1794 Convictswereassigned to persons holding 100 acres of land or more, who were then responsible for feedingandclothingtheconvict.
The Ingleburn region was originally known as Soldier's Flat because four of the early grants were to William Hall, Joshua Alliott, Timothy Loughlin and William Neale, membersoftheNSWCorps.DavidNoonan purchasedNeale's80acresin1826andthis grant became the site of the Ingleburn RailwayStationandtheTownCentre.
ThefirstgrantsintheLiverpooldistrict Grantswereissuedfrom1798mainlyalong the George's River on the alluvial river flats. The town itself was established as a refuge for the settlers already living along the banks of the Georges River Around 1800, several families settled without official permission, at Bird's Eye Corner, just north ofPenrith Officialgrantsoflandweremade in1803alongtheNepeanRiver
liberated,ThefirstgranteewastheconvictJamesRuse,who,havingbeenenteredontohisfarmofthirtyacresatParramattaonthe25thFebruary,1789.
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ThefirstgrantsintheBaulkhamHillsdistrict commenced in the first decade of the nineteenth century. The land varied in suitability for agriculture, wheat and oats plusfruitgrowingaswellasgrazinglands
The fertile land was quickly taken up in the Nepean and Hawkesbury districts and becauseofthebanonlandaroundtheCow Pastures (now Camden) settlers were then established in the vicinity of South Creek (now St Marys) In 1801 the Government FarmwasestablishedatCastleHill
Between 1810 and 1830 Governors MacquarieandDarlingmadegrantsofland in the Macarthur district occupied by the indigenousDharawal. Emancipated convicts were granted 60 acres, military personnel 80 acres and free settlers were granted parcels of land according to their ability to farm and develop. The disastrous Hawkesbury floods of 1809 had destroyed crops, creating a food shortage in the fledgling Colony of New South Wales The Government urgently sought new farming land which was not flood prone The area selected was the District of Minto because the fertile land wasinreasonableproximitytoSydney
Thefirstfreesettlersarrivedonthe Bellonaonthe15thJanuary,1793, andtookuplandatLibertyPlains, abouteightmilesfromSydneyin theAuburndistrictin1793.
Most small grants were along the Bow Bowing and Bunbury Curran Creeks while thelargerestatesweresituatedonthehigh ridges and slopes with corridors providing accesstowater
Early GFarming rants from bush to farms to suburbs
Ruse was among the first to realise the richness of the Hawkesbury district for 'Experiment1793,tofarming,anddidnotneedmuchpersuasionsellhisParramattafarmtoDr.Harrisinfor£40.Onthisland.Dr.HarrisbuiltCottage.'
Whenthingswentamisshecheeredhimself
He reaped eight bushels of wheat to the acre. With his wife and child he occupied a comfortable brick house and had four breedingsowsand30fowlsinMarch,1791 In May, 1791, the Governor ordered the storekeeper to furnish him with 20 pounds ofsaltprovisions,ashewasreportedtobe starving RuseassuredtheGovernorhehad no need of his bounty, as he had a bag of flour, a quantity of Indian corn, and some stores. Owing to the failure of his crop in 1793, Rusesoldhis"ExperimentFarm"toDr John Harris, who built a cottage on it, which he called"ExperimentCottage"
J a m e s R u s e 1789Convictsettler
On25thFebruary,1791,JamesRuse notifiedtheGovernorthathewas abletomaintainhimself,without anysupportfromthestore. AccordingtoaconfessionbyRuse,he wascastforsevenyearsatBodmin Assizesonthe29thJuly,1782.
Helayfiveyearsinprisonandonboardthe Dunkirk hulk at Plymouth, and then was sent to this country, when his term of punishment expired in July, 1789 He then claimed his freedom, and on 21st November, 1789, was granted 30 acres in theheartofourtown.
His first acre was sown on the margin of ClayCliffCreekwithbeardedwheat,andhe also had halfanacre in maize and a vegetablegarden.
CreekreceiveduponHefromF.sailingWhenlandandwhich,onIn1794Rusewasgrantedathirty-acrefarmtheeastsideoftheHawkesburyRiver,aftermanyyears'cultivationhesoldfinally,inthetwenties,settledonsomeintheLiverpooldistrict.ill-luckonlandprevailed,RusewentbytheAurora,underCommanderO.Smith,inSeptember,1810andreturnedMacquarieIslandInJune,1811.thenlabouredhisprecariousfortune,hislandgrantof100acreshefromMacquariein1810atSaltPaninBankstown. c
(SeePage84&85)
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bysaying''Lifeislikeanolddipcandle—it shinesthebrighterbyalittlesnuffing."
According to the Sydney " Gazette" of June 26,1827, in a case before the Supreme Court he claimed the distinction of having been the first white man who landed at Sydney Cove Although Major Johnston sought the honour, it was James Ruse who carried the Major ashore, ''Pick a Back'', and therefore he was first to leave a footprint upon the vanished sandsofaplacewenowcallCircularQuay.
THELAWOFTHELAND ANDTHEPEOPLES.
Creation/Mother1.Thefouroutercirclesrepresent:Law;2.Ceremony;3.Family;4.theNature.ThecentralcirclerepresentsCountry/Land.
J a m e s R u s e 1789 Ancestry w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 1 7
www.nationalunitygovernment.org Ruse died on 5 September 1837 in Campbelltown, and was buried in St. John's, Parramatta. He lived a long life of 78 years. My mother reread me tenderly, With me she took much paines, And when I arrived in this colony, I sowed the first grain and now, With my heavenly Father, I hope for ever to remain.
The connecting lines represent our continuing practice of our Law through the four elements which create cultural obligations. These acts contribute to our connection, not just to the elements identified but to the whole of the universe through our ancient Stories, Songlines and Story places of the preThisexistingworldandthehereafter.makesus,theearthand the universe an indissoluble One. Our Law, which is the Law of the Land is the Law which gives us our absolute authority to assert our Unilateral Declarations of Independence (UDI) as pre-existing and continuing sovereign independent NationsandPeople
The Sovereign Union flag depicts the Law of the Land and the Peoples, and also the Union meeting structure.
When James Ruse (Convict - 1st Fleeter) was born on 7 August 1759 in Lawhitton, Cornwall, his father, Richard, was 29 and his mother, Elizabeth, was 26. He married Susanna Norcott and they had two children together. He later married Elizabeth Perry aka Parry was born c1766 Elizabeth was convicted of feloniously stealing and sentenced to 7 years transportation She arrived in Sydney Cove on 6/6/1790 on "Lady Julianna" (2nd Fleet) Parry is famous for being the first liberated convict. They had seven children together
Meetingstructureinrelationtotheflag:Thefourwaysofthe Law(outercircles)withtheNationsineachofthese 'Laws'/Loredelegatingrepresentatives(lines)tomeetata location(centrecircle)tomakedemocraticdecisionson nationalandinternationalrepresentation(seegraphbelow) and/orothermatters,asdecidedbythememberNations.
Thiswasthe theNSW(Rum) Corpsinthe convictwomen's factoryatParramatta littlepaperback, receivedwifeTherewasthatItpossible"Wethenamed,The"ComicHistoryofAustralia,"saysthatthiswashowAnnandalegotitsname.Thefinalchorusruns:—authoress,tohavebeenafterastheoriginofcelebratedLilyDale.havenotsubjectasnearasfrommemory,seeingsomestraypapersfromthemajor'sprivatemanuscripts."isatitillatingarequitesureAnnandaleLieut.Col.Johnstonborn,in1764,inDumfriesshire,Scotland.weremen.Johnston'scamewithGovernorPhillipandhis100-acregrantatAnnandalein1793.SomuchforAnnieDale. JamesRuse,ex-convictandsettler,whoplantedthefirstgrain,gaveevidenceinacaseintheSupremeCourtin1827:-ColonelJohnstonclaimstobethefirstmantoland,butIcarriedhimashore"onmyback."JohnstonwasalieutenantintheMarineCorps(whichwassenthomein1791).Johnstonremained,andwascommissionedascaptainofthelocalSydneycompanyraisedforthe In1800,Johnston inflatedprice. Allegingpersecution referreditbackto rebelszealousAboutdiedJohnstonThreeposedCaptainmutiny)TheSydney.Thereweren'tenoughseniorofficersinSydneytoformacourt;sothecasewasdropped.RumCorps(oftheBountytriedfrombehindbyJohn1808andde-Bligh.yearsandcashiered.returnedAnnandale.Hein1823.accountsays:200CrownCunningham,whenaofficerCorpskilled67andhangedanother10onthespot.Johnstonreceived2000acresforthataction.w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 1 8 Sun (Sydney, NSW). Tuesday 27 January 1948.
PhilipSchaffer(d.1828),farmer, wasborninHesse,Germany,and
1791Freesettler P h i l i p S c h a f f e r
His later achievements did not match his early promise InDecemberPhillipgrantedhimoccupancy ofa100foot(30m)allotmentinSydney
In August 1797 Captain Henry Waterhouse bought the Vineyard for £140, and, though in 1806 Schaffer heldsixtyacres(24ha)grantedattheFieldofMarsin 1794 and sixty acres (24 ha) of purchased land at Redbank, he had only eighteen acres (7 ha) under graincrops
By October Schaffer had twentyseven acres (11 ha) under maize, two acres (08 ha) under wheat, one acre(0.4)ofgarden,oneundervinesandeightacres (32 ha) cleared for planting The only other vines then recorded were on three acres (12 ha) in the governor'sgardenatParramatta
SchafferwasaHessian,a lieutenantinaforceofYughars whohadfoughtismercenaries forGreatBritainintheWarof AmericanIndependence.
In November 1825 he and his wife were granted a hundred acres (40 ha) 'for their natural lives'; however, Lang wrote that 'old age, poverty and intemperance' caused Schaffer to sell his land piecemeal He died about 1828 in the Benevolent Asylum,wherehiswidowwasalsoaninmate
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On14October1811hemarriedMargaretMcKinnon, according to John Dunmore Lang, a former convict from Skye, who had arrived in the Royal Admiral in 1791 In 1814 Schaffer was still farming at Parramatta He wasarecipientofgovernmentcattleandin1816was grantedfiftyacres(20ha)atNarrabeen
In1789,atGovernorArthurPhillip's suggestion,theBritishgovernmentrecruited ninefarmersandotherstobe superintendentsofconvicts.Oneofthesewas Schaffer,thenawidowerwithadaughter Elizabeth,aged10;hewasdescribedas 'accustomedtofarming'. They sailed in HMS Guardian in September After shewaswreckedofftheCapeofGoodHope,Schaffer and four other superintendents were taken aboard the Lady Juliana at the Cape and reached Sydney in June1790 SchaffercouldnotspeakEnglishwelland, instead of remaining a superintendent, was established on 30 March 1791 as a farmer on 140 acres (57 ha) at Parramatta which he named the Vineyard Hewasprovidedwithahut,tools,seedgrainandtwo sows,andtwoacres(08ha)wereclearedforhim He and his daughter and four male convicts allotted to himwererationedfromthepublicstoreforeighteen months Thus, with William Reid and Robert Webb, seamen fromtheSirius,hewasoneofthefirstthreemenwho came free to New South Wales and were granted land. The deeds for grants to these three and to James Ruse were each signed on 22 February 1792, althoughthegrantshadbeenmadeearlier
servedasalieutenantina GermanriflecorpsunderBritish commandinNorthAmerica.
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The history of the first free immigrant to Australia forms a chapter of stirring romance. Dr. Lang tells us "The first free immigrant, and indeed the first person of any class in society who obtained a grant of land in the colony of New South Wales, was a German of the name of Philip Schaffer. He had been sent out in the "First Fleet" as an agricultural superintendent, chiefly with the view to attempt the cultivation of tobacco. Schaffer's grant was the largest, comprising an extent of 140 acres. The grant was formalised on 22 February 1792, together with grants to James Ruse and Edward Varndell He afterwards obtained a grant of fifty acres, in what constituted an exceedingly valuable locality in the town of Sydney, but was induced to surrender it to the colonial government for public purposes about the year 1807, receiving as compensation twenty gallons of rum, which was then worth £3 a gallon, and a grant of similar extent at Pittwater, beyond Manly.
HeinducedbuthisSchafferfithavingbeentheaTherehadbeenafemaleinthe'FirstFleet'—nativeoftheIsleofSkyeinScotland—ofnameofMargaretMcKinnon,whohadtransportedforthecrimeofarson,setfiretoherneighbour'shouseinaofjealousy.marriedthiswoman,andsettledonPittwaterfarm,wherehelivedforyears;oldage,poverty,andintemperancehimatlengthtosellitpiecemeal.diedattheBenevolentAsylum.
1791Freesettler P h i l i p S c h a f f e
privateWithanacreundervines,wasthefirstvigneroninNewSouthWales.Atthisstagetheonlyothervinesrecordedwereonthreeacresinthegovernor'sgardenatParramatta.
Deed of grant of 140 acres of land near Parramatta 'to be known by the name of The Vineyard'. Signed by Governor Arthur Phillip, with signatures of witnesses George Johnston, John Palmer and John White, and signature of David Collins, Secretary 'No 2' on verso, the second land grant in Australia
The grant is accompanied by a typed statement by W M Butler giving a brief history of land transfers up to 1927 when Subiaco Convent occupied part of the land
Words fail to depict the loneliness, the wild, vast, desolateness and monotony of Rose Hill, now Parramatta, when settlers first tilled its soil; only a patch of wild flowers, a clump of golden wattle, or the waratah gave colour to a forest which held Australia's nightingale, the beaky kookaburra, the merriest songbird in the world, chuckling through the namedcuttingsFrompleasurelong,ThetemporarybrickPendingaGovernmentproducing-landcontaininggrantOnbytempterbeakNocuriosity.FrauleinandpipesofPan;heisourchampionsnake-killerweather-prophet:heisaclock-bird,andSchafferlovedhimasafeatheredonecouldtellherwhythislittlelumpofandtailvengedforwarupontheofEve,orwhyheiscalledajackassfoolsorakingfisherbyscientists.March30,1791,Schafferreceivedaofportion163,parishofFieldofMars,140acresofadmirablysituatedsuitableforfarmingandgrape-growinghissuccesstwomonthsearlierintworipebunchesofgrapesatHouseassistedhisclaimtobeviniculturist.theerectionbyGovernmentofabuilding,heputupafairlysubstantialhome.permanentbuilding,wasdescribedasalow,whitewashedcottage,whichitisatostateisstillstanding.variousquartersheobtained900vinetotillonhisriver-hauntedfarm'TheVineyard'.
The Catholic Press (Sydney, NSW) Thursday 13 November 1924
He quickly built a roomy, barkcovered hut to protect his motherless daughter, then about 15 years of age, from harsh surroundings
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 2 1 1791Freesettler P h i l i p S c h a f f e r coolingGovernorPhillipintroducedtheparentvinetoNewHolland;itspreciousfruitwasthentooscantforfermentation.ButwhonursedthevineuntilitspreaditshandsomeleafandberryovertheredlandsofNewSouthWales? absenceToanswerthisquestionwenecessarilygobacktoapicturesquespotonParramattaRiver,andwatchahard-workingGermannamedPhilipSchaffer,aHessianLieutenant,whohadfoughtonEngland'ssideagainstAmerica,toilingwithaheavybillhook,hoeandshovel,settinganexampleofindustrywhileopposingnatureinhermoodsandfreeingtheimprisonedumbrafromanoverhangingwealthofprimalgrowthbeforedrivinghomehisvinesticks.Hetransmutedgumtreesintograpestakesandshortspikes,tobeusedintheofnailsforthefasteningofslabs.
suggestiveoldthick,andMacarthurTwentytransferredonWaterhouseelse.Weallhaveourfaults;someofushavelittleSchafferwithdrawsasWilliamandJohnhadtakenamortgagee'sgriphisland.OnJune13,1813,thethreetheirclaimtoMr.MacArthur.yearslaterMr.HannibalHectorbuiltforhimselfamansionettetwostories,withwalls2.5ft.and2ft.standinginproudcontrasttotheplaincottage.Hegaveagreathouse-warming,ofthetoast; thenandO.myfriends,whenIamsped,appointameeting,whenthecup-bearerholdsinherhandaflagonofoldwine,thinkuponoldKhayam,anddrinktohismemory.
Those were glorious days, indicated by scratchings on the north-east window of Excellency.atFitzroyingreatUnderGregoryBungarribee,theThethemuchMr.visitorsmenboxing,asailingboat,andthenamesofoncepronouncedwithawe.In1843Macarthurbenttocircumstances—toowineinthecellar,toolittlewateronland.AustralianTrustCompanydisposedofpropertytoThomasIecely,ofnearParramatta,theRev.Hy.andtheRev.JohnBedeFolding.escrowthelateowneroccupiedthehouseuntil1845;hehadthehonourNovember,1840ofentertainingGovernorandapartyofdistinguishedfriends'TheVineyard'.Trythegrapes,your
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languagetoexistedscholarship,wereFortunatelyneededtheourIncorrigiblethecorpseLadysympatheticforSisters'MiscreaturEvennowfromthatcradlemaybeheardthevestri'oftheirsuccessors,theofMercy,originallyfromIreland.ButthecourtesiesreceivedfrompersonslikeSirGeorgeandGipps,therewasnothingtoshroudtheofdespairtheydisenterredwithinwallsthatstankofeverycrime.womenwerehardsubjectsforblack-robednuns,althoughtheypouredwineofpityonmanyaheartthatit.forCatholicchildren,thenunsblessedwithahighdegreeofandunfortunately,noprovisiontocultivatetheyoungmindseekingspeakinmusicorinacontinentalwithinsuitablesurroundings. h l i p S c h a f f e
1791Freesettler P
conventtheirtypifiedconversation;culturedoftheydenial,ofItisfittingjustheretointroducetheSistersCharity,clothedinhumilityandself-thesupplicantsforoutcasthumanity;camefromtheOldLandonthewingspity;theyspokewithoutgestureinavoice,yetlevelwiththesubjectoftheirgentlepersonalitypurityenshrinedinwomanhood;wordsofgoodomenvibratedlikeabellringingforanAngelus.
i
ThoseladieswereatfirstdomiciledinasmallrentedcottageatParramatta,pendingalterationstoatwo-storeyedbrickbuilding,whichthatlittlebutgreatIrishman,WilliamDavis,hadpresentedtotheminperpetuityasthefirstconventinAustralia.
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There are hockey greens and tennis courts, an orchard and an ensemble of lawns, shrubberies, knolls, affording a scenic glimpse of the winding river and umbrageous avenues throughout an Weorderedlandscape.speaknomoreof 'The Vineyard'; its fruit put on a brighter bloom when the estate received the name of Subiaco at the blessing of the convent on February 2, 1849, giveandVineyardchanges,AlthoughandagainatitsopeningonMarch25,1851.timehasbroughtaboutmanythosewhoworkintheirLord'sfindnotimeforchange;charityteachingsupplytheonlychangetheyatSubiaco. u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m A G e r
E 2 3 1791Freesettler P h i l i p S c h a f f
Vineyard'Inaword—theirwealthyparentswantedawellequippedYoungLadiesConventCollege,and'Themettheirwants.Thisoldcolonialhomehadnocompeer.
P
There were stone-built wine cellars and store room, iron-barred windows in the servants quarters, a stone-flagged yard, an iron pump, still in active service, a kitchen fire place almost as large as the best room in a modern flat, and the lower windows of the main building had inside shutters, made of cedar, polished as the manners of an old timeMacarthur. Schaffer's ancient cottage is now a guest-house, but was used at first as classrooms. The present school has two oratories, a library, infirmarium, a study divided into classrooms, dormitories, and a spacious balcony supported by one-length stone pillars12ft.high.
BENEDICTINE CONVENT, SUBIACO, RYDALMERE. Miss Schaffer remains a mystery which some researcher will find most interesting to find if he/she appreciates the romance of a Hessian girl in Sydney.
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Theysettledon60acresoflandatRoseHill with Webb's brother Thomas; a further 20 acresweregrantedon25July1794
In October 1798 Webb was transferred from supernumerary to the ship's books on the Reliance He died on board the ship at Port Jackson on 19 February 1799. He was buried in the Old Sydney Burial Ground. His wife continued on the ship as a passenger to England
P A G E 2 4
Having procured a small still from England, found it more advantageous to draw an ardent and diabolical spirit from his wheat thantosendittothestore,andreceiveten shillingsabushelfromthecommissary
Information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), pp 374 75 w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m
On14FebruaryRobertwassenttoNorfolk Island on the Supply to help with the new settlementandworkedasagardener.
He helped to foil a plot to take over the island using information received from ElizabethAnderson,withwhomhewasliving Webb returned to Port Jackson by the Supply in February 1791; he married Elizabeth Anderson at Parramatta on 11 September1791
Robert and his brother Thomas Webb were able seaman aboard the Sirius, which landed in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.
1791Freesettler
From one bushel of wheat he obtained five quarts of spirit, which he sold or paid for exchange for labour at five and six shillings perquart He had five acres cleared and planted with maize, which looked thriving, and promised toyieldadecentcrop
His house, and a small one adjoining for pigs and poultry were built for him by the Governor, who also gave him two sows and seven fowls, to which he added a little stock of his own acquiring
On 15 November 1789, Robert Webb was sent to Cascade Bay to settle there, his belongings were carried by hand by the “coble men” Robert eventually returned to Port Jackson with his brother Thomas who also was a seaman of HMS Sirius 1788, with the stranded HMS Sirius crew aboard HMAT SupplyinFebruary1791,hewasrecordedon theshippingmusterasofthelateHMSSirius ItisnotknownwhatshipElizabethAnderson leftNorfolkIslandforPortJackson;sheisnot listed on the shipping muster of the HM Supply in February 1791 on which Robert WebbleftNorfolkIsland BothRobertandhis brother Thomas were discharged from HMS Siriusbookson7March1791atPortJackson withanotationthathebecameasettler P A G E 2 5
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January 1789, Robert Webb went to the Commandant Philip King and informed him that he had heard from Elizabeth Anderson whomhewaslivingwith,aboutaplanlaidby the Convicts to take the Island The circumstancesattendingwhicharecontained in the different depositions, King confined convicts Noah Mortimer, William Francis and SamuelPickettasprincipals Two days later King examined witnesses on oath respecting the plot laid to take the Island and after which he discharged Noah Mortimer(whodidnotappeartobeasguilty asSamuelPickettandWilliamFrancis)butstill keeping irons on him On 15 February 1789 bothSamuelPickettandWilliamFranciswere forgiven by Philip King, but ordered to wear lightIronsuntiltheGovernorinChief'sorders shouldbereceivedrespectingthem
Robert Webb, Seaman, HMS Sirius 1788. Born c1762 Henley Dorset, England. Robert joined HMS Sirius (Crew number 97) on 1 November 1786 at Deptford, with his brother Thomas Webb (Crew number 96).
Robert was marked off the HMS Sirius ship muster on 1 October 1788 for travelling to Norfolk Island Robert arrived on Norfolk Island with his brother Thomas, a fellow Seaman of HMS Sirius aboard the Golden Grove in October 1788 and worked as a gardener on Norfolk Island On Norfolk Island Robert formed a relationship with Elizabeth Anderson Henderson, Convict, Lady Penrhyn 1788.
Born: c1754 Crime: Steal 3 linen tablecloths and aprons with Elizabeth Bruce. Tried Old Bailey, 10 January 1787 Sentence: 7 years transportation As Elizabeth Henderson she received rations in Sydney in 1788 Elizabeth also arrived on Norfolk Island aboard the Golden Grove, October 1788 as Elizabeth Henderson. Elizabeth committed her crime in the company of Elizabeth Bruce, who also arrived with the First Fleet aboard the Lady Penrhyn and travelled to Norfolk Island aboard the Golden Grove in October 1788.
TherewastroubleonNorfolkIslandason24
SOURCE: hmssirius.com.au/robert-webb-seaman-hms-sirius-1788/
1791Freesettler
The call of the sea was too strong for Robert as by October 1798 he had joined the crew of HMS Reliance. Robert Webb died on board HMS Reliance at Port Jackson 19 February 1799, buried Old Sydney Burial Ground. Elizabeth travelled back to England aboard HMS Reliance in March 1799 as a passenger arriving at Portsmouth on 5 September 1800 o b e r t W e b b hmssirius.com.au/robert-webb-seaman-hms-sirius-1788/
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Robert Webb and Elizabeth Anderson married 11 September 1791 at St Johns Parramatta They both signed their name with an X. The witnesses were Thomas Daveny and Richard John Robinson who both signed their names. In December 1791
The whole ships company turned out excepting about ten of us, Terence Burn and myself (Jacob Nagle) being of that number that did not wish to remain. However, the Governor found there was but few that could expect to improve in the farming business Likewise it required seamen to carry the vessel and officers to England Out of the whole crew he permitted ten or eleven seamen and three marines to remain as settlers, and it was directed so as to send their wages out to them in whatever they might think most fit for their situation in the county Likewise there was a few draughted on b(oar)d the Supply Brig, as she was to remain in the country till further orders
Robert Webb then took possession of his 30 acre land grant at Parramatta on 30 March 1791, his farm was located on the south side of the creek leading to Parramatta; he was supported and clothed from the public stores for 18 months It was afterwards incorporated in a grant of 112 acres made on 16 April 1799 to the Reverend Samuel Marsden. His brother Thomas returned to England, leaving Port Jackson 28 March 1791 aboard the Dutch vessel Waaksamheid with the remaining crew of the late HMS Sirius after a long voyage home, arrived in England on 22 April 1792. Thomas immigrated back out to NSW aboard the Bellona arriving at Port Jackson in January 1793 Robert Webb was the witness at his brother Thomas' marriage to Catherine Buckley 23 January 1793 at St Phillips Sydney
Watkin Tench wrote: Crossed the river in a boat to Robert Webb’s farm This man was one of the seamen of the Sirius, and has taken, in conjunction with his brother (also a seaman of the same ship) a grant of sixty acres, on the same terms as Ruse, save that the annual quit rent is to commence at the expiration of five years, instead of ten The brother is gone to England to receive the wages due to them both for their services, which money is to be expended by him in whatever he judges will be most conducive to the success of their plan Webb expects to do well; talks as a man should talk who has just set out on a doubtful enterprise which he is bound to pursue. He is sanguine in hope, and looks only at the bright side of the prospect. He has received great encouragement and assistance from the governor. He has five acres cleared and planted with maize, which looks thriving, and promises to yield a decent crop. His house and a small one adjoining for pigs and poultry were built for him by the governor, who also gave him two sows and seven fowls, to which he adds a little stock of his own acquiring.
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The Governor, understanding that a number of the ship's company wished to settle in the country, we (HMS Sirius Crew) ware (were) all ordered over to the Governors house to inform himself who was most fittest (sic) for farmours (farmers).
w w w . s y d n e y l i v i n g m u s e u m s . c o m . a u Treasures from our collections ThisassemblageofobjectshasbeendrawnfromthediversecollectionsofSydneyLivingMuseums.Theselection rangesfromfinejewelstopresentationwatches,frompiecesofsheetmusictobrokentoys Eachobjecthas beenchosenforitscapacitytotellaparticularstorybutcollectivelytheyspeakoflove,lossandliveslived. Theobjectshavebeengroupedintothematicsets.Exploreaset,orchooseanimageatrandom,eitherwaywill pickupthethreadofastoryandmayleadtoanotherstory.Somethreadsmayunravel,otherswillentangle.
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voyagehome,arrivedinEnglandon22April1792
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Thomas Webb, Seaman, HMS Sirius 1786 and HMAT Supply 1788. Born c1760 Henley Dorset, England.
ThomaseventuallyreturnedtoPortJacksonwithhis brotherRobert,withthestrandedHMSSiriuscrew aboard HM Supply in February 1791, he was recordedontheshippingmusterasofthelateHMS
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Thomas (Crew number 96) joined HMS Sirius on 1 November 1786 at Deptford with his brother Robert Webb (Crew number 97).
SOURCE: hmssirius.com.au/thomas-webb-seaman-hms-sirius-1786-and-hm-supply-1788/ MajorRoss,theCommandantofMarines,now left the Sirius, and went on board the Scarborough, that he might accompany that partofthedetachmentwhichprobablywould belandedfirst Captain Hunter, in the Sirius, was to follow withthestoreshipsandtheremainderofthe transports; and he had the necessary instructionsforhisfutureproceedings,incase the Supply had met with any accident. Lieutenant Gidley King, since appointed Commandant of Norfolk Island, accompanied GovernorPhillipintheSupply HMAT Supply arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. Thomas was transferred back to HMS Sirius on 27 January 1788 at Port Jackson Thomas was marked off the HMS Sirius ship’s crew muster on 1 October 1788 forhistraveltoNorfolkIsland
Thomas Webb was one of the five HMS Sirius ship’s company who transferred to HM Supply with Captain Arthur Phillip and Lieutenant Philip Gidley King on 24 November 1787 when it was decided to divide the fleet and send the faster ships ahead On the 25th, being then only 80 leagues to the eastward of the Cape, Governor Phillip left the Sirius and went on board the Supply tender; in hopes, by leaving the convoy, to gain sufficient time for examining the country round Botany Bay, so as to fix on the situation most eligible for the colony, before the transports should arrive At the same time he ordered the agents for the transports, who were in the Alexander, to separate themselves from the convoy with that ship, the Scarborough and Friendship, which, as they were better sailors than the rest, might reasonably be expected sooner: in which case, by the labour of the convicts they had on board, much might be done in making the necessary preparations for landing the provisions and stores.
Thomas arrived on Norfolk Island with his brother Robert aboard the Golden Grove in October 1788 and both were employed as Gardeners On18December1788PhilipKing ordered John Altree, Thomas Webb and John Anderson (Convict), out to Ball Bay to settle there, and sent eight Men with them to carry theirbelongsofCloathsandBeds.
Sirius Thomas left Port Jackson 28 March 1791 aboard the Dutch vessel Waaksamheid with the remainingcrewofthelateHMSSiriusafteralong
In May 1793 Thomas received his land grant of 80 acres at Liberty Plains, by March 1795 he was farming at the Hawkesbury
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The convict who settled with them (Walter Rouse, an industrious quiet man) came out in the first fleet, and being a bricklayer by trade they thought he might be of some service to them in constructing their huts He had an allotment of thirty acres marked out for him
The conditions under which they engaged to settle were, ‘To have their passages provided by government; an assortment of tools and implements to be furnished them out of the public stores; to be supplied with two years’ provisions; their lands to be granted free of expense; the service of convicts also to be assigned them free of expense; and those convicts whose services might be assigned them to be supplied with two years’ rations and one year’s clothing.’
Sentence: 7 years transportation, just one week after they arrived in NSW, 23 January 1793 at St Phillips Sydney, with consent of Francis Grose Esq Lieutenant Governor. The witnesses were Robert Webb and May Dixon. An allotment of one hundred and twenty acres was marked out for him With him came also Frederic Meredith, who formerly belonged to the Sirius, Thomas Webb, who also belonged to the Sirius, with his nephew, and Edward Powell, who had formerly been here in the Lady Juliana transport Powell having since his arrival married a free woman, who came out with the farmer’s family, and Webb having brought a wife with him, had allotments of eighty acres marked out for each; the others had sixty each. The land these pioneers settled upon was appropriately distinguished by the name of “Liberty Plains.” An emancipated convict was granted 30 acres in the same district
SOURCE: hmssirius.com.au/thomas-webb-seaman-hms-sirius-1786-and-hm-supply-1788/
On the 28th March Thomas Webb, a settler, who had removed from his farm at Liberty Plains to another on the banks of the Hawkesbury, was dangerously wounded there, while working on his grounds by some of the wood natives, who had previously plundered his hut Thomas Webb died May 1795, age 36 years, Sydney Hospital, buried 21 May 1795 Old Sydney Burial Ground
Thomas travelled to England, with a letter of authority, dated 11 March 1791 Sydney signed by his brother Robert giving Thomas permission to collect his wages. After collecting his own and Robert’s wages for their service on HMS Sirius, Thomas returned to NSW aboard the Bellona arriving at Port Jackson in January 1793, also aboard was his nephew Joseph Webb: Thomas Webb married Catherine Buckley, Convict Bellona 1793. Crime: stealing, sixteen yards of thread lace value 6s Tried: Catharine Bulkley, Old Bailey, 23 May 1792.
His headstone transcription read “Forbear dear Brother weep not in vain On Hawkesbury Banks by natives I was Slain.
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The entrance to Lake Macquarie is known as Reid’s Mistake: The discovery of the lake itself was one of chance. Captain William Reid sailed his 30 tonne schooner Martha into the narrow entrance, at what is now Swansea, in 1800, mistaking it for his intended destination of the Hunter River It was only when he arrived back in Sydney that he discovered his error. The lake became known as Reid’s Mistake, a title that persevered until 1826 when it was officially changed to honour Lachlan Macquarie, the outstanding early Governor who in his 11 years in office gave the struggling colony of New South Wales a solid foundation Meanwhile, Reid’s Mistake lives on, in the name of the southern headland of the entrance CaptainReid’sdiscoverysparkedlittleinterestin
Sydney No further exploration took place for 20 years, partly because of the difficulty of getting overland to the area across rugged rocky unexplored terrain, but largely because King’s Town asNewcastlewasknowninthosetimes was a penal settlement, which authorities wished to keep isolated (Lake Macquarie Council, (http://wwwlakemaccomau/about council/history,cited2May2014) In 1801 William was appointed the Captain of thetraderElPlumierandleftthecolonyforNew Zealand and the Cape of Good Hope, the ship wastakeninwaratGuamin1804
Born 1765 Ayr Scotland. He joined HMS Sirius 28 March 1787 at Portsmouth, Crew Number 191, aged 24 years with previous service on the Elizabeth. He was stranded on Norfolk Island being mustered on 20 March 1790 on Norfolk Island after the shipwreck In February 1791, Thomas returned to Sydney aboard HM Supply and disembarked on 26 February 1791. William decided to settle in NSW and was discharged from HMS Sirius on 7 March 1791 William Reid returned to the sea, in 1797 he was the Master of the government schooner Francis By 1799 William was the Captain of the Martha in 1799, the ship also known for its seal trading
W i l l i a m R e i d
HunterTHEarrivalofCaptainJohnended,innameatleast,themilitaryruleofGroseandPatersonandtheN.S.W.Corps.
CAPTAIN JOHN HUNTER, 1795-1800. Truth (Sydney, NSW), 1938.
SOURCE:
was
of
But Hunter was out of harmony with his environment. He was honest, sincere, and conscientious, and spent his entire term of office striving against the extortions and undue advantages of the infamous N.S.W. UnaidedCorps. by the Home Authorities, he fought a losing battle against an unscrupulous military whose real purpose was to aid him. Hunter had the power but no means of enforcing it. A man of more ruthless determination might have crushed Hethem.lacked immediate support since the colony had not a single settler of wealth or position, except those in the military. He clashed with the notorious John McArthur, an unmitigated nuisance, whom Hunter rightly described as 'a busybody Aalwayssowingseedsofdiscord'.blotontheHomeGovernment that he was recalled in disgrace, Hunter granted twice as much land as all of his predecessors and yet at his departure there were only 388 settlers. Out of a population of 5000, 3500 were being supported, securing foodfromthegovernmentstores.
Sunday 23 January
in all things Soldiersweregrantedincreasedrationstothe detrimentofallothers.Theyweregivenas manyconvictservantsastheydesired,andall werefedandclothedfromtheGovernment stores WorstofalltheN.S.W.Corpsbeganthe perniciousrumracketandthusintroduced intothecolonythemostviciousgraftand corruption,withrumbecomingthe currencyinthecolony. Traffickingbecamesostrongthatthenext three
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 0 MAJORFRANCISGROSE, 1793-94and CAPTAINWILLIAM PATERSON, 1794-5,LeadersofN.S.W. Corps.Despots.
tookchargeofthecolonyfromthe departureofPhillipattheend of1792tillthearrivalofHunter in1795. Theyweremilitarydespotswhoabolishedthe civilauthorityandsubstitutedmilitaryrule ThustheheadsofthenotoriousNSWCorps becametheabsoluterulers The
struggledagainsttheracketeersinvainGrose andPatersondislikedallwhomtheycouldnot pamperorcontrol. Their administration was
selfishnessGrosewasnotInterestedinthework Philliphadbegun,andPatersonwastimidand
MajorGroseandCaptainPaterson military supreme governors, Hunter, King and Bligh, one riotous irresponsible Landwasgrantedtothesoldiery indiscriminately,16000acresofthebestnear Sydney.Nolandwasclearedorpublicworks carriedoutsincePhilliphadleftin1792
WILLIAM PATERSON (1755–1810) By unknown artist State Library of New SouTH Wales In 1794, Lieutenant-Colonel William Paterson granted more land and convict servants to the military, giving them great powers and undermining Governor Arthur Phillip's good naval government. In 1794 he served for a year as Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales. In 1800 he was reappointed to the post and served a second Hetermuntil1808.ledanexpedition to the Hunter Region in 1801 and up the Paterson River (later named in his honour by Governor King) and in 1804 led an expedition to Port Dalrymple, in what is now Tasmania, exploring the Tamar River and going up the North Esk River farther than anyone previously had managedtodo. military-history.fandom.com/wiki/William Paterson (explorer)
Early expedition w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 1 thatItwascertainlynotfromwantofskill,energy,ordeterminationoneexpeditionafteranotherresulteduniformlyinfailure.
A native of Montrose, Scotland, Paterson was interested in botany as a boy and u n a
i n s
SOURCE:
Europeans.RiverDuringnotsouth,anotherormountainreachingthroughhadtoAfricanColoneldedicatedofNarrativehebetweenHe1777.TableStrathmorethePatersontrainedinhorticultureatSyoninLondon.wassenttotheCapeColonybywealthyandeccentricCountessoftocollectplants,hearrivedinBayonboardthe"Houghton"inMaymadefourtripsintotheinteriorMay1777andMarch1780,whendeparted.In1789PatersonpublishedofFourJourneysintotheCountrytheHottentotsandCaffraria,whichhetoSirJosephBanks.PatersonhadtheexperienceofantravellertoguidehimwhenhetriedascendtheBluemountainsin1793,heledanexpeditiontofindaroutethemMountains;hesucceededintheSummitofthehighesthecouldfind,atadistanceof4050milesfromSydney,fromwhichhesawrangebeyondit,runningnorthandlookingsoimpracticablethathedidattempttoreachit.theexpeditionhenamedtheGroseanddiscoveredseveralplantsnewto B l u e M o
t
Miniature oil painting of Lieutenant William Dawes, 1830s, artist unknown Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
With Watkin Tench he explored the upper Nepean, opened the way to the Cowpastures and joined many other expeditions, on which his training and skill inwereinvaluableincomputingdistancesandmapmaking.
e s
In December 1789, with the governor’s approval, Dawes led a party into the Blue Mountains across the Nepean River, penetrating only 15 miles (24 kilometres) in a m a w 1762-1836 w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 2 William Dawes was born in Portsmouth, England. At the age of seventeen he joined the Royal Marines. Two years later he was wounded on board HMS Resolution in the battle of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, during the American Revolutionary War, which ended in a strategic victory for the French. Prior to arriving in Sydney, Dawes had become a recognised astronomer and was recommended by the Astronomer Royal to join the First Fleet to New South Wales. Dawes was assigned to make astronomical observations during the voyage and, upon arrival, to set up an observatory to monitor a comet that was expected to appear in the southernhemispherein1788.
Cowpastures.upperWiththreedaysbecauseofprecipitousravines.WatkinTenchhetrekkedthroughtheNepean,plottingthewaytothe W i l l i
DecemberconstructedAsengineerandsurveyorhebatteriesonthepointsattheentrancetoSydneyCove,laidoutthegovernmentfarmandthefirststreetsandallotmentsinSydneyandParramattaandin1789,withthegovernor'sapproval,ledapartyintothemountainsacrosstheNepeanRiver,penetratingonlyfifteenmiles(24km)inthreedaysbecauseofprecipitousravines.
D
observatoryOnceinSydney,DawesbuilthisinahutonwhatisnowknownasDawes’Point,underthesouthpylonoftheSydneyHarbourBridge.There,hemademanyobservations,althoughthecometitselfneverappeared.
w
From today’s perspectives, William Dawes was a pioneer. He was the first to make extensive written records of any Australian language, and the first to do so using ‘an orthography which indicates he had some Unlikeleveloftraining’(Attenbrow2006).otherswhocollected
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 3
Dawes’ observatory, from a sketch by Rod Bashford, in R.J. McAffee William Dawes: Australia's first ‘meteorologist’
simple wordlists for newly encountered items like weapons and animals, Dawes recorded conversational snippets that tell of the cultural and social contexts, personalities, and the actions and the feelings of the Dawespeopleheinteractedwith.wasamember of the 1791 expedition party to the Hawkesbury River which came to understand – for the first time amongst Europeans – that the languages and cultures of Aboriginal people differed in each area (Wilkins and Nash 2008). Previously, the colonists had assumed that words collected earlier in North Queensland would also be used by the peoples of Sydney and indeed throughout the continent (see Troy 1994 for furtherinformation).
Dawes was the first European to be recorded as defending Aboriginal rights. His refusal to join a punitive expedition against Aborigines ordered by Governor Phillip in December 1790 was most likely the first example of a ‘European act of conscience in defence of Aboriginal interests’ (Jones At2008:342).Sydney Cove, Dawes had acquired a reputation as a scholarly, scientific and conscientious ‘gentleman’ – a reputation which stayed with him after he left Sydney. Soon after his departure, he became involved in the international campaign to abolish slavery; its leader, William Wilberforce, wrote of Dawes in 1794: ‘I don’t believe there is in the world a more solid, honest, indefatigable man, more full of Dawesresourcesandcommonsense.’mademanycontributions in the fields of astronomy, meteorology, surveying, mapping and exploration of early Sydney, but none of these achievements surpassed his unique and enduring documentation of thelanguageofSydneyanditspeople.
r
NewSouthWales.
Dawes’s notebooks clearly show that he
Patyegarang (pictured), who established a friendship with Lieutenant William Dawes, a naval officer who arrived with the First Fleet Marines in Botany Bay on January 21, 1788. and Patyegarang a a
Patyegarang(c1780s)wasan AustralianAboriginalwoman, thoughttobefromthe CammeraygalclanoftheEora nation. Patyegarang(pronouncedPa-te-garang)taughtWilliamDawesthe languageofherpeopleandis thoughttobeoneofthefirst peopletohavetaughtanAboriginal languagetotheearlycolonistsin
spent time in each other’s company and shared emotion, humour, intellectual discussions and mutual respect Book B, Page 30 of Dawes's notes where he refers to her as williamdawes.org)(Supplied:'Patye'. P a t y e g
n g 1762-1836 w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 4
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 6
InthegravewereburiedMrs.ElinorMagee andherinfantchild,whoweredrownedin theriverinJanuary,1793,onlyfiveyears afterthefirstsettlementwasfoundedat SydneyCove. Christopher Magee, the woman's husband, was an exconvict, and occupied land opposite SubiacoConvent Heworkedthelandasafarm
The story of an early tragedy on the Parramatta River, not far from Camellia railway station, on the Clyde-Carlingford line, is told on one of the oldest marked graves in Australia. Library of Australia
E l i n o r M a g e e 1 7 9 3 National
Severalotherex convicts, amongst these Charles Williams, also hadfarmsnearthatofMagee InJanuary,1793,Mrs Mageeandherchild,and others, were returning from Sydney in a smal boat, which upset not far from Magee's farm andMrs.Mageeandthechildweredrowned. When the suburb of Granville was laid out a road was surveyed to pass right over this then neglected grave Later, when the grave was rediscovered,theroad,whichwasofnovalueas a road, was sold to a manufacturing company except for a small portion containing the historicgrave,whichwasmadeapublicreserve
Thegraveisoneoftheoldestonthis continent.ThefarmsofMagee,Williamsand othersinthelocalitywereamongtheearliest cultivatedareasonthebanksofthatpartof theParramattaRiver. ThestonewhichwasplacedoverMrsMagee's graveremainedintactformanyyears,andno doubtduringtheoccupationoftheadjoining landbytheMacArthur's,thetombwouldbewell caredfor Theinscriptionwassufficientlyclearforthelate Dr Andrew Houlson to copy most of it, a renderingofitisquotedbelow: Herelyeththebodyofthemuchlamented ElinorMagee, amidherbelovedinfant, Lan MaGee,whowereunfortunatelydrownedin returning from Sydney, January, 1793. The offspringofanaffectionatefatherwastwoyears old,anditsmotherinthe32ndyearofherage Forbearkindhusband, weepnomore,'tisvain, Who.........folkscomplain, Amostlovedwifeandbabearelaid, WhoboundfromSydneysunk beneaththewave, Reachingthehomebeyond thenarrowgrave. Titherthehaplesshusband oftshallroam, Todropthewillingtearuponthetomb, Andstrivetodeprecatetheir closingbreath, Thatreuniteshimtheir shadesin-death. ChrisMagee.w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 7 E l i n o r M a g e e 1 7 9 3 Magee buried his wife and child on his farm, not far from his cottage, and what is presumed to be the original tombstone is still visible. The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW) Saturday 28 Jul 1923
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 8
OnJuly14,1792,theSecretaryof State(H.Dundas),“inanswerto therequestmadebySeveralof themilitaryandcivilofficersto havegrantsoflandmadethem,” expressedhisapproval,“provided theallotmentsweremade,not withaviewtoatemporary,but toanestablishedsettlement.”
Rural Settlement about Brush Farm
Upon receipt of this despatch by LieutenantGovernor Grose, who was then in command, a mild land boom commenced, chiefly amongst the officers who had been hitherto excluded by the Home authorities from the list of persons entitled to grants of land, the possession and management of which, by commissioned officers, having been considered incompatible with the duties of their office The inclusion of those officers amongst the recipients of land grants met with the hearty approval of Grose, as implied in the following clause of his despatchdatedFebruary16,1793: “AsIamaware,’hewrote,“theofficersareat this time the only description of settlers on whom reliance can be placed, I shall encouragetheirpursuitasmuchasisinmy power” Nor did he forget the rankandfile of his command, whose pittance of sixpence per day he apparently considered inadequate On their behalf, he exceeded his commission somewhat by granting them nonresidential areas of twentyfive acres each, which they were at liberty to dispose ofassoonasgranted
T.JohnIsaacThomasT.ThomasAlexanderAnthonyEdwardJosephWilliamJohnCurtisMatthewEveringham,Brand,ex-con.,carpenter(30)July18,1791Anderson,ex-con(50)July18,1791EdwardElliott,Marshall,ex-con.,weaver(30)July18,1791Varndell,ex-con(30)..July18,1791Eope,ex-con.,bricklayer(70)Jan.10,1792McDonald,marine(130)Feb.3,1792Swinerton,marine(80)Feb.3,1792TynanorTining,marine(80)Feb.3,1792Coterill,marine(80)Feb.3,1792Archer,marine(80)Feb.3,1792Colthread,marine(80)..Feb.3,1792HowardorHarward,ex-con(30)March2,1792
1791to1792Landgrants
By J. F. CAMPBELL, L.S. (Fellow)
In conjunction with various localities about Sydney and Parramatta, the brush land of the Field of Mars soon became exploited by officers, the first of whom to receive grants were Rev. James Bain, Chaplain of the New South Wales Corps, and Rev. Samuel Marsden In order, however, to illustrate in a definite form the advance of settlement in this locality, a limited map of the district was prepared, and the various grants thereon were numbered in accordance with date of issue. The following list was also prepared as a reference schedule to the map: Name,TradeorProfession.Acres.GrantDate. ex-con.,ex-con.,Attorney’sclerk(50)July18,1791husbandman(30)July18,1791
E d w a r d V a r n d e l l 1791Freesettler w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 3 9
Edward Varndell (c.1758-) arrived in New South Wales in 1788 on the First Fleet, sentenced to seven years transportation for horse theft. The grant was formalised on 22 February 1792, together with grants to James Ruse and Philip Schaffer Deed of Grant of 30 acres of land 'to be known as Varndell's Farm laying at the Ponds' to Edward Varndell dated 22 February 1792. Signed by Governor Arthur Phillip with pendant wax impression of the Great Seal of New South Wales attached. Witnessed by George Johnston, John Palmer and John White. Also signed by David Collins. A partially indecipherable note on the reverse lists subsequent transfers of this land. State Library of NSW
Before the district of Auburn was recognised as a suburb in the late 1970s, it was known as Liberty Plains 'Liberty Plains’ is believed to owe its name origin to the fact that the first free settlers (non-convict) in the colony were granted liberty to choose the site of their [land] grant by Lieutenant Governor Francis Grose
Ten days later, the Governor, along with a well armed party in three boats, reached Homebush Bay They ventured about 3 kilometres inland The following day a party of explorers traced the river in a westerly direction, coming to the place where the Duck River enters the Parramatta River. They explored the tributary as far as the depth of water permitted Seeing what appeared to be ducks rising out of a swamp covered with reeds, they named the river
Duck River
Governor Phillip rowed up Parramatta River with an exploring party in April 1788. They landed approximately where Duck River meets Parramatta River, and walked to the present site of Parramatta. Returning, they saw ducks, which the creek and the river are named for. Captain John Hunter and Lieutenant William Bradley sailed up what is now known as the Parramatta River, as far as Homebush Bay. Captain Hunter was the first white person to set foot within the Auburn Local Government Area.
The Eastern Swamp Hen featured prominently on the Council’s Coat of Arms and was part of the former Auburn City Council logo LibertyPlains:European settlementfrom1793
T h e W a n g a lW a t e g o r o P e o p l e
T h e W a n g a lW a t e g o r o P e o p l e
The ducks were actually Eastern Swamp Hens, but the name Duck River remained.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 0
The original inhabitants of the Auburn and Homebush Bay regions are recognised as the Wangal (or ‘Wann-gal’) and Wategoro people of the Eora/Dharawal language group. The Auburn area is located on the border between the Darug inland group and the Darug and Dharawal coastal groups. It was once used by Aboriginal people as a marketplace for the exchange of goods, a site for ritual battles and a ‘Law Place’ for ceremonies. The original vegetation of the area was open forest, dominated by woollybutt red gums, with grey box, ironbark and stringy bark. The land is slightly undulating, with a minor ridge running south along Park Road and a gradual slope west towards Duck River Duck River
Bennelong
FirstcontactwasmadewithlocalAboriginals of the Wangal Clan by Captain John Hunter who led an exploration of the Parramatta River
During the summer months, the Wangal gathered much of their food from along the Parramatta River The food consisted mainly of fish and shell fish and the remains of these meals, known as shell middens, may still be seen at Rodd Park (Rodd Point)
The Wangal people were among the first to encounter British settlers in 1788. While the British governor Arthur Phillip sought to establish good relationships with the local people and even befriended Bennelong, a prominent Wangal person, the differences between the groups led to tensions with both sides killing and injuring members of the other.
On 5 February 1788 while having breakfast he was met by Wangal at the location now referred to as Breakfast Point. The Wangal called the area Booridiow ogule
AboriginalpeopleoftheWangalwereaclanof theDarug(sometimesspeltDharug)tribeor languagegroup
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 1
TheWangalClan’sterritoryisthoughttohave originally extended from Darling Harbour, aroundtheBalmainPeninsula(includingGoat Island (called Memel or Memill) almost to Parramattainthewest,theParramattaRiver formedthenorthernboundaryalthoughitis uncertainhowfarsouththeirlandextended.
TheWangalarebelievedtohaveoccupiedthe areaforover20,000years.
A clan of the Eora Aboriginal people whose heirs are custodians of the lands and waters of what is now the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, centred around the Municipality of Strathfield, Municipality of Burwood, City of Canada Bay and former Ashfield Council (now part of Inner West Council) and extending west into the City of Parramatta.
TheycalledthemselvestheEora, meaning‘thepeople’.
The Canada Bay area was part of the traditional lands of the Aboriginal people of the Wangal clan (also spelt ‘Wann-gal’), whose name was derived from the word for their country. The Canada Bay area was part of the traditional lands of the Aboriginal people of the Wangal clan (also spelt ‘Wann-gal’), whose name was derived from the word for their country.
'A New Royal System of Universal Geography''
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 2
A New, Royal and Authentic System of Universal Geography, Antient and Modern: All the late important Discoveries made by the English, and other celebrated Navigators of various Nations, in the different Hemispheres, from the Celebrated Columbus, the first Discoverer of America, to the Death of our no less celebrated Countryman Captain Cook, & c. and the Latest Accounts of the English Colony of Botany Bay: "The geography books which appeared in the closing decades of the eighteenth century are of considerable significance to students of the history of ideas, for the light they shed on English interest in geography and geographical exploration at the end of the eighteenth century. One of the most imposing of these usually quite imposing books is Thomas Bankes, Edward Warren Blake, and Alexander Cook's A New Royal Authentic and Complete System of Universal Geography. A massive folio volume this was a popular work, running to six editions in the ten years from 1787 to 1797." (Frost, Thomas Bankes' Complete System, The La Trobe Journal, 1971).
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 3''A New Royal System of Universal Geography''
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 4 Man, Woman & Children of New South Wales. From a Sketch taken on the Spot. Goldar Sculpt. Published by Alex. Hogg, July 1, 1793.
A View in Port Jackson, New South Wales. T. Webley Sculpt. [after John White.] Published by Alex. Hogg, May 1, 1793. Engraving. 195 x 260mm (7¾ x 10¼"). Edges toned. Published in ''A New Royal System of Universal Geography'', this plate is an enlarged version of a vignette on the title page of John White's ''Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales'', attributed to White himself. White (c. 1756 1832) was principal naval surgeon for the voyage of the First Fleet to Australia in 1787. 'A New Royal System of Universal Geography'' Engraving. 195 x 260mm (7¾ x 10¼"). Edges toned. Published in ''A New Royal System of Universal Geography'', this plate is a copy of the engraving by William Blake in ''An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island'' by John Hunter.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r
P A G E 4 5
National Library of Australia A scene showing important earlier GovernorsettlersinNewSouthWales.ArthurPhillipwas curious about the Indigenous people of Australia and sought to learn their language and customs. After settlement, he gave strict orders against harming the local population and sought to maintain friendly Anrelations.illustration from 'The New Royal Systems of Universal Geography' 1793 byMichaelAdams. 'A New Royal System of Universal Geography'' s . c o m
Captains Hunter, Collins and Johnston, with Governor Phillip, Surgeon White etc. visiting a distressed female native of New South Wales at a hut near Port Jackson This engraving was printed as plate facing p.19 of 'The new royal system of universal geography' (1793) by Michael Adams published in London. An engraving of the same subject appears as a vignette on the title page of John Hunter's 'An historical journal of the transactions at Port Jackson'.
1791-1792
Towards the close of 1791 and in the early part of 1792 the Home Office was in communication with John Sutton, a Quaker, who made proposals for sending fifteen Quaker families to Sydney.
The correspondence shows that the proposals were accepted with modifications, but owing to delays and other circumstances not clearly stated in the despatches, the persons who had been nominated did not embark, and the first effort to place emigrants from England as free settlers on the soil of New South Wales came to nothing.
Had the wish of Capt. Phillip been complied with by government, in the forwarding of free people with a knowledge of agriculture, the sorrows of early days would have been fewer. Many had applied to go out. Mr. Sutton, a Quaker, proposed to take out fifteen families in 1791. But he was rather too exacting in his demands. He wanted passage, land, tools, labourers, provisions and cash. He asked too much, and failed to get anything.
T e Q u a k e r s
The World's News. Saturday 22 May 1954
Source: Historical records of New South Wales. Vol. 1 Part 2 (1783 1792) Page 34.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 6
According to Judge Advocate Collins, the Quakers had “engaged to take their passages in the Bellona,” which arrived at Sydney 16th January, 1793, “but it was said they had been diverted from their purpose by some misrepresentations which had been made to them respecting this country ”
h
1793 Gravesend England on 8 August 1792 Rio De Janeiro on 18 October Bellona was a three decker merchantman launched in 1782 at Limehouse by Woolcombe for Boyd & Co. on 15 January 1793 Port Jackson > > > > > > > > Bellona's Voyage Museum of Sydney Sydney Living Museums w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 7 Australia's First Free Settlers arrive in Port Jackson on the 15th January on board the "Bellona" and disembarked on the 16th of January 1793. TheBellonawasbuiltontheThamesin 1782andregisteredtoLondonmerchants WilliamBoyd,WilliamHamilton,Michael TonnayandJohnBrickwood. Therewerethreedecksandshewas 113ft51/2inchesinlength,30ft10 1/2inchesinbreadth. In 1792 the Bellona was taken up by the British East India Company On the first of these voyages she transported seventeen femaleconvictsandfivefreesettlersandtheir familiestothecolonyofNewSouthWales. The Bellona was the next vessel to bring femaleprisonerstoNewSouthWalesafter theKitty TheBellonasailedfromGravesend,England on 8th August 1792 and reached Rio de Janeiro on 18th October 1792 After a voyage of five months, they anchored in SydneyCoveon15thJanuary1793 FREESETTLERS February 1793. The settlers who came out districtgavewhoBeingpossessionandallotmentsFlats,theintheBellonahavingfixedonasituationatupperpartoftheharbourabovetheandonthesouthside,theirdifferentweresurveyedandmarkedout;earlyinthismonththeytookoftheirgrounds.allfreepeople,oneconvictexcepted,wasallowedtosettlewiththem,theytheappellationof'LibertyPlains'totheinwhichtheirfarmsweresituated. Five free settlers with their families came on the Bellona. Invited in 1792 as free settlers to the colony. Stores Ship The 'Bellona' Bellona
'TheThearrivalwasmentionedinHistoryofNewSouthWales'
The shameful impositions which had been practised by many who had carried out articles for sale in the colony, and the advantage which in too many instances had been taken of their necessities, had been properly stated at home, and this measure had been adopted by government for their investmentsformedimportedlowertakenundisposedThegallon.pertoTheaccommodation.winewasimmediatelydistributed;comingtheofficers,aftereveryexpence,at£1910s.hogshead,andtherumatfiveshillingspertobaccowaslikelytoremainforsometimeof,asaquantityhadbeenbeforetothesettlement,andwassellingatapricethancouldbetakenforthatbythisship;andtobaccohadamaterialarticleofthedifferentintheBritannia.
governor,AmongotherarticlesbytheBellona,fivepipesofportwineandaquantityofrumwerereceived,beingconsignedtotheforthepurposeofbeingsoldtotheofficersofthecivilandmilitaryestablishmentsatprimecost;andthreethousandpoundsoftobacco,fortheuseofthesoldiersofthegarrison,andothers.
This practice of crowding too much into one ship, had in many instances been very prejudicial to the colony; in the present instance, of the Russia Duck (which government had ordered for the frocks and trousers of the convicts, instead of the Osnaburgs (so much complained of) sixtyeight bales, containing thirteen thousand one hundred and forty-eight yards, and which was most excellent of its kind, were damaged; sixty-nine casks of flour also were Offoundtobemuchinjured.seventy-sixhogsheads of molasses, eleven hundred and seventy-two gallons were found to have leaked out; one hundred and ninety-eight gallons of wine, and seventy-nine gallons of rum were deficient, owing to improper stowage; three hundred and thirty-five hammocks, thirteen rugs, five hundred and twenty-seven yards of brown cloths, and one case of stationery, Ofwererenderedtotallyunfitforuse.thesearticles,therewasnotone which in its proper state would not have been most valuable; and when the expense attending their conveyance, the inconvenience that must be felt for the want of every damaged article, and the impossibility of getting them replaced for a great length of time, were considered, it was difficult to ascertain their precisevalue.
oOnthelandingoftheBellona'scargo,muchfitwasfoundtobedamaged;theshiphadbeenoverloaded,andhadmetwithveryboisterousweatheronherpassage.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 8
Bellona 1793
"Bellona"
FemaleconvictsoftheBellona MargaretAllen ConvictedLondon26Oct1791;14yrs SarahBond ConvictedLondon23May1792;7yrs CatherineBuckley ConvictedMiddlesex23May1792;7yrs AnnCase ConvictedLancaster18July1792;7yrs JaneDunstan ConvictedMiddlesexJuly1792;7yrs MaryAnnGrecian ConvictedMiddlesexMay1792;Life EstherJaneHardy ConvictedMiddlesexMay1792;Life AnnHolloway ConvictedHants6January1792;7yrs ElizabethMatthews ConvictedMiddlesexMay1792;7yrs SarahMason ConvictedMiddlesexJune1792withLydia Stephens;sentence14yrsIn1810SarahreceivedherCertificate ofFreedombeingrestoredtoalltheRightsofaFreeSubjectin consequenceofhertermsoftransportationbeingexpired.In 1811SarahMasonmarriedFrederickMeredithoneofthefree singlemenontheBellonaFrederickMeredithfirstcametothe colonyontheScarboroughin1788andreturnedonthis voyagein1793. JanetteMariaNewman ConvictedDevon7June1790;7yrs MaryO'Brien-ConvictedDevon22August1791;7yrs SarahPulson ConvictedMiddlesexJuly1792;7yrs MaryRandall ConvictedMiddlesexMay1792;14yrs LydiaStevens ConvictedMiddlesexJuly1792;14yrs BettyThomas ConvictedDevon22August1791;14yrs HannahWarburton Age32Convictedofhighwayrobbery andstealingshoesMiddlesexMay1792;7yrs w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 4 9 Bellona convicts 1793 FemaleConvicts Oftheseventeenconvicts, thefollowingwere deliveredonboardthe BellonaatDeptfordonthe 28thJuly1792MaryRandall ElizabethMatthews HannahWarburton CatherineBuckley EstherJaneHardy MaryAnnGrecian LydiaStephens SarahMason SarahPulsonandJaneDunstan Macquarie25cross15BritainMay1793–BennelongandYemmerrawannebecomethefirstAboriginalAustralianstovisitwhentheylandatFalmouth,Cornwall,withArthurPhillip.September1793–CaptainWilliamPatersonleadsapartyofScotsmeninthefirstattempttotheBlueMountains.Heisunsuccessful.September1793–Sydney'sfirstchurchopens.Lighthouse,thefirstinAustralia,iserectedinSydney. Grose and Land Grants
In accordance with Imperial instructions, Governor Phillip, shortly after landing at Sydney Cove, proceeded to give effect to that part of his commission of April 2, 1787, which had reference to the “cultivation of land for procuring supplies of grain and ground provisions" for the maintenance of his people, but “finding few amongst the convicts who were inclined to be industrious", he wrote, in his letter of July 9, 1788, to Under Secretary Nepean as follows: If fifty farmers were sent out with their families, they would do more in one year, in rendering this colony independent of the mother-country, as to provisions, than a thousand convicts. In subsequent communications, Phillip repeatedly referred to the necessity for the introduction of free practical farmers in the interests of settlement. Owing, however, to the difficulty experienced in inducing farmers to undertake the long and hazardous journey to the antipodes, and the subsequent uncertain life in a convict settlement, the Home authorities were unable, during Phillip's stay in the colony, to provide the much desired assistance.
The Society does not hold itself responsible for statements made or opinions expressed by authors of the papers published in the Journal ByJ.F.CAMPBELL,L.S.(Fellow).
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 5 0 Royal Australian Historical Society JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. Vol. XXII. - 1936. (Part V.) (Now largely embraced by the Municipalities of Strathfield, Auburn and Homebush )
yet,sorrowcommunicationdespatchenclosedAplaceddatedLieutenant-GovernorJanuarysolicitationsGovernment,ThefirstfreesettlerssentoutbytheHomeinresponsetotheofPhillip,arrivedatSydneyon15,1793,and,asstatedbyGroseinhisdespatchFebruary16ofthesameyear,“wereinsituationsoftheirownchoosing".descriptivelistofthesesettlerswasintheSecretaryofState’sofJuly14,1792,inwhichhealsoexpressedhisinstatingthat“thesesettlersareasallwhohaveofferedthemselves".
THELISTISBRIEFLYASFOLLOWS
oppositeandThomasRose,aged40,FarmerfromBlandford,hiswifeMrs.JaneRose,andtheirchildren,Thomas,Mary,Joshua,andRichard,alsoElizabethFish,aged18,relatedtothefamily.Theothermembersofthegroupwere,EdwardPowell,aged30,farmerandfishermanfromLancaster;ThomasWebb(andhiswife),gardener;JosephWebb,aged18,nephewofT.Webb;FrederickMeredith,baker;andWalterBrodie,blacksmith.Ofthesixmaleadultslistedabove,four,asstatedbyCollins,hadalreadybeentoPortJacksonasordinaryseamen,Meredith,Brodie,ThomasWebb,inHALS.Sirius,andPowellintheLadyJulianatransport.Brodie,however,beingunableorunwillingtojointhefiveothersonLibertyPlains,wasgrantedlandfrontingtheParramattaRoad,AshfieldPark,butapparentlyunabletosupporthimself,owingchieflytoinebriety,hewasultimatelyreturnedtoBritainandhislandgrantcancelled.
L i b e r t y P l a i n s T h e F i r s t F r e e S e t t l e r s , 1 7 9 3
With regard to the itinerant movements of these settlers quest of land suitable for farming purposes nothing appears to have been recorded, but upon glancing at Grimes map of the allotments we observe that the rectangular piece of ground chosen would indicate that only four of the settlers had, at first, decided to adjoin each other, Powell, Meredith, and the two Webbs. Upon Rose joining his fellow immigrants later on, it is assumed that he had exchanged land with Joseph Webb the latter receiving sixty acres on the Parramatta Road (No 11) in lieu of Portion No. 12. This latter portion was increased subsequently in the interests of Rose by an addition on the south, along the southern boundary of which Redmire Road was ultimately formed Mention may also be made of the irregular method of adjusting the survey of allotments to the streamlet (Powell's Creek) passing through the settlement, but the survey of land grants in those days was frequently made by the settlers themselves, hence the adoption, where possible, of rectangular forms of measurement, the computations of which being within the knowledge of farmers generally.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 5 1
The conditions under which the first free settlers had engaged to settle were (according to official statements) to have their passage provided by the Government, and on landing to receive an assortment of tools and implements from the public stores; to be supplied with two years’ provisions and one years' clothing; the land to be granted free of expense, and the services of convicts to be assigned them The areas allowed them were as follows: To Powell (No 15) and Thomas Webb (No 14), eighty acres each, both of whom were married (the former upon arrival, having wedded Elizabeth Fish) ; sixty acres each to Meredith (No. 13) and Joseph Webb (No 12) and the Rose family 120 acres were granted, on the light bank of the rivulet (Powell’s Creek).
The selection of Homebush Strathfield ground for agricultural purposes by these free settlers was immediately followed by a progressive settlement of the surrounding country, Lieutenant Governor Grose having considered it necessary to establish such an occupancy midway between Sydney and Parramatta for the convenience and safety of the travelling public
L i b e r t y P l a i n s T h e F i r s t F r e e S e t t l e r s , 1 7 9 3
It may likewise be stated that the survey of Portions 10 and 11 (if effected, which is doubtful) would be postponed pending the adjustment and consolidation by Rose of his allotments, 10 and 12, hence the provisional and somewhat irregular forms of these portions (10 and 11), as charted on Grimes’ map of the region, and copied on map herewith
Thomas Rose Thomas Webb Edward Powell w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 5 2 Fredrick Meredith Joseph Webb
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Much of the ground immediately to the north (Concord) and north west (the Abattoirs and its environs) was
T
unconditionally allotted to non commissioned officers and privates of the New South Wales Corps and Marines, many of whom, however, disposed of their 25 acre lots (bonus land grants) as soon as granted With the assistance of convict labour, the settlers for a time made good progress in clearing and cultivating their grounds, but later on (1797) the poverty of the district became so pronounced that the Governor found it necessary to appoint a committee of inquiry, and accordingly the Rev S Marsden and Surgeon Arndell were instructed to inspect and report, extracts from which report are as follows: "The farmers in Concord and Liberty Plains are very poor and greatly involved in debt, and are now living upon credit Most of them have no seed wheat, and have every appearance of approaching ruin, under their present circumstances they will not be able long to hold their lands." It is also stated that: "The first free settlers were considered as men of general good character; the cause of their ruin and misfortunes may be easily be traced (in their own representations) to the enormous sums which are exhibited against them at the different Courts of Civil Judicature." To the rapidly diminishing productive capacity of the soil under constant cropping, without the aid of manures, may be attributed, in part at least, the unfortunate state of affairs mentioned above Owing, therefore, to the necessary frequency in the opening of fresh ground, it was soon considered advisable in the interests of the community to increase the holdings of bona fide settlers, in harmony with which project an additional grant of seventy acres adjoining Portion 15 was allowed to Rose and his sons in 1798, and Meredith secured an allotment of sixty acres at the northern extremity of Concord, fronting the Parramatta River and Homebush Bay. Both of these settlers, however, while retaining an interest in their land grants, had found employment elsewhere.
1 7 9 3
L b e r t y P l a i n s h e F i r s t F r e e S e t t l e r s ,
With regard to the colonial careers of our first free settlers, little would seem to have been recorded Powell, despairing of success at Liberty Plains, entered the public service as constable at the Hawkesbury River, and Mrs Thomas Webb, whose husband had died in 1795, evidently equally unfortunate, abandoned her right to her late husband’s land, which, in conjunction with Powell’s grant, ultimately became the property of Simeon Lord, the then well known Sydney merchant, whose name appears on the official maps as grantee of the combined areas of 160 acres
i
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L i b e r t y P l a i n s
By H. W. H. HUNTINGTON
The aboriginals' sequestered woodland haunts, in our district, were first rudely disturbed by the resounding stroke of the white woodman's axe in the month of February, 1793, and in a short time many of the giants of the forest were laid low, the ground cleared, tents pitched and the foundation of an agricultural free settlement firmly established The pioneers of the district of Auburn (a century ago) were men possessing extraordinary perseverance, and they were aided by that moral and physical courage which only true Britons possess in an eminent degree
The first habitations were tents but in a very short time these were removed to make place for wattle and dab huts, "erected along the bush track, now the main road between Sydney and Parramatta'' These huts were made from a number of poles or sapling uprights, and on to the top of these were fastened cross poles with a thick covering of thatch or shingles. The walls comprised of wattle branches entwined round the uprights, room being left for doors and windows Inside and outside the interlaced poles all the interstices were dabbed or plastered with white clay, which rendered the walls of the huts impervious to the weather.
The early years
These huts had three to five rooms each, and were very cool and comfortable Not only the verandas, but the porches of the same, in a few years, were bright with flowers and surrounded by beautiful fruit and vegetable gardens.
The history of Auburn and its district, displaying as it does most stirring and romantic incidents in the lives of some of the first free settlers of Australia. It is scarcely credible that our district was established as a free farming settlement in February, 1793, more than one hundred and twelve years ago According to the historical records, the place, prior to its being established as the first free agricultural settlement in Australia, was almost an impenetrable forest, with dense thickets of underwood Here and there was to be found a fine setting of well shaded trees with pleasant groves Throughout the whole place sweet smells perfumed the air from odoriferous trees and beautiful wild flowers, while the wilderness was alive with gaily-plumaged birds with their harmonious notes, also emus, kangaroos and other animals indigenous to Australia. Nature's glad scene was not to last, inasmuch, as with the advent of the white invaders, a change came over the spirit of the scene, and hence the craggy dells and gloomy shades of the bush gave way to the busy hum and noisy clamour of civilisation.
Phillipwasofopinionthatnothing butfreesettlers,withthe assistanceofconvicts,wouldput thecountryinasituationof supportingitsinhabitants.
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L i b e
SecretaryDundasendorsedPhillip's opinionandsecuredan undertakingwithsomeQuaker farmerstosettleinthecolony.
s The early
GovernorPhilliphadleftthecolony inDecember,1792,andwhenthe BellonaarrivedLieutenantGovernorGrosetoldthenew arrivalstheywereatlibertyto chooseasiteoftheirgrants. They at once (in January, 1793,) visited our locality and selected farm lands between what is now Strathfield and Granville in otherwords,intheAuburndistrict.
AtthecloseofJanuary,1793,theirdifferent allotmentsweresurveyedandmarkedout by the SurveyorGeneral, Augustus Theodore Henry Alt. Alt was appointed SurveyorofLandsInMay1787,forBritain's proposed penal colony on the newly claimedAustraliancontinent. Laterthatyearheembarkedaboardthe convicttransportPrinceofWaleswiththe FirstFleetunderCommodoreArthurPhillip TheyarrivedatBotanyBayinmidJanuary 1788 and shortly after moved to Port Jackson,landingon26January1788 Onarrival,AltsupervisedtheFleetconvicts inclearingthegroundfortheestablishment of the first colonial buildings in Sydney Cove OnFebruary7th,1793,theLieutenantGovernorsignedanddeliveredthefive freesettlerstheirrespectivegrants. Tohavetheirpassagesprovidedby Government,anassortmentoftoolsand implementsfurnishedthemoutofthe publicstores,tobesuppliedwithtwo years'provisions,freelandgrants,the serviceofconvictstobeassignedthem freeofexpensewithtwoyears'rations andoneyear'sclothing. r t y a n years By H. W. H. HUNTINGTON
Just as the Quakers were to leave England they were diverted from their purpose, and their place was taken up by others, called volunteersettlers Five of these lastmentioned settlers took the Quakers place on board the transport Bellona, which, on January 15th 1793, reachedPortJackson.
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i
The name of "Liberty Plains'' was bestowed on our district in February, 1793, and according to the plans its boundaries were as follows: On the north side by the Sydney Road leading to Parramatta; on the west side by a south line passing bear Irish Town to the Liverpool Road, on the south side by Liverpool Road and Cook's River to the Rev Richard Johnson's farm at Canterbury, also on the eastern side by Johnson's, Captain Piper's farms (at and near Canterbury) to the head of the Iron Cove Creek on the Liverpool Road, and thence by that creek to the Parramatta Road
These boundaries include Guilford, Merrylande, Granville, Auburn, Clydesdale, Rookwood, Flemington, Burwood, Strathfield, Irish Town and Campbell Hill. The foremost leader of the first noble band of Australian free settlers was Mr. Thomas Rose, who was aged 40 when he first ploughed the fields of Auburn in 1793. He had been a farmer in Blandford, in Dorsetshire, when he took possession of his 120 acres, he was accompanied by his wife; who was then aged 40 years. He was also attended by four of his children, named and aged respectively: Thomas-aged 13, Mary-aged 11, Joshuaaged 9; and Richard- aged 3; all of whom became well-to-do and influential colonists. A young women named Elizabeth Fisk, aged 18 years also formed one of Mr. Rose's household.
Settlers of the district of Liberty Plains, on February 7th, 1793, when they established their homesteads in the sable, silent, solemn forests near the creeks running into the Parramatta River. Their enterprising spirits must have felt a charm in the freedom, the stillness, and even in the dangers and privations of the trackless regions they were about to subdue. As the first intruders on the sublime solitudes of these verdant plains, as yet untouched by flocks or herds, or European implements of agriculture They had selected their homes on some of the sweetest spots on which nature had lavished her choicest gifts. They had pitched their habitations on ą gentle rising ground, which sloped away gradually to picturesque water courses flowing into Parramatta River They knew that the country they were cultivating was rich and lovely in the extreme, and that a forbidden aspect of a wilderness was no argument against beauty and fertility. Their great object was to clear the forest and reap earth's rich treasures by converting it into fields of golden grain. They kept this object in view from the first but there were many hindrances to be overcome and much suffering to be endured before it was finally gained.
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By H. W. H. HUNTINGTON
L i b e r t y P l a i n s The early years
Writing in June, 1793, he remarked that although the settlers only took possession of their farms in the middle of February, they had got a great deal of ground ready for a crop of wheat and had approved themselves deserving of every encouragement
About the middle of December, 1793, the wheat sown in April, by the six settlers in our district, being perfectly ripe, the harvest commenced, and fully 22 bushels per acre was received When this wheat was properly cleaned and dried it was taken to the government store at Sydney, where the Government Commissary paid the settlers ten shillings for each bushel. The gentlemen of our district was by m» means without hazard and disappointment and suffering to those who were first engaged in it. In spite of all efforts to prevent misunderstandings began to arise between the settlers and the blacks, and it seemed impossible to check the unruly spirits of the assigned convicts cruelly ill treating the Aborigines, who often displayed a thievish temper, which provoked injuries from the men possessed of firearms
When Lieutenant-Governor Grose wrote to Secretary Dundas on February 16, 1793, he made special reference to his having placed the first free Australian settlers in situations of their own choosing at Liberty Plains. He also reported there was every appearance of an abundant harvest. The Secretary of the Colony also recorded that the colony would receive great benefit from the new settlers.
By H. W. H. HUNTINGTON
About the middle of the year 1793, large numbers of blacks lurked about the farms and forcibly took from the assigned convicts provisions and clothing Lieutenant Governor Grose finding that some of the convicts, had been speared for interfering with the black women's camps, sent out small parties of armed soldiers to drive the blacks away from the vicinity of the farms In most of these raids on the blacks volleys of shot would be poured among the barbarians in order (as the records affirm) to pepper their legs and arms rather than to take life, because it was the Lieutenant Governor's positive orders that every care should be taken to prevent loss of life.
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It must be owned, however, that the settlers at Liberty Plains at first paid a proper regard to the rights of the Aborigines by giving them bread (of which they were exceedingly fond) and also any worn out jacket, trousers and blankets
L i b e r t y P l a i n s
The early years
The early years
There was very little live stock in the colony at that period, hence we find an English cow, in calf, being sold for £80, and the calf, which proved a male, was sold for £15 A mare, though aged and defective, had been sold for £40. As stock was the currency of the colony, one kind of animal was exchanged for another. Articles were given in lieu of labour, according to the prices stated During the Liberty Plains harvest of December, 1794, much of the wheat was found to be blighted, and instead of 20 bushels the yield was about 10 to 15 per acre. The Indian corn and dairy produce turned out very productive, and yielded lucrative returns. By H. W. H. HUNTINGTON
Cribbage is one of the earliest and most enduring of the Classic Card Games. Although there is some myth as to the origin of the game, its creation is generally credited to an Englishman, Sir John Suckling (1609-1642). He was a very wealthy man, inheriting a small fortune at the age of eighteen. He was knighted by the King, but fell from grace several years later. In 1641, he was involved in a conspiracy to save a friend who was jailed in the Tower of London. The plan failed and Sir John had to flee England for the Continent. Unable to return to his beloved country, he ended his life a year later, at the age of 33. CRIBBAGE
The love of money "was the root of all evil" in those primitive times, and to such excess had the pursuit of gambling been carried on among the convicts that they had been known after losing provisions, money and all their spare clothing. Money was their principal object, for with money they could purchase spirits or whatever else their passions made them covert They would play at their favourite games cribbage and all fours for 6, 8 and 10 dollars each game, and those who were not so expert as these, instead of pence tossed up for dollars. These meetings were scenes of swearing, quarrelling, and profanities, leading to garden robberies and burglaries i b e r t y P l a i n s
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The settlers generally led the blacks to believe that the convict farm-labourers were bad men and cruel ruffians, hence the blacks hated and detested the convicts, while, as a rule they treated the settlers with forbearance as if they held in awe the deadly effects of firearms, frequently carried by the settlers in search of wild fowl or animals of the wilderness. The Liberty Plains settlers were somewhat justified in leading the blacks to believe the convict labourers were bad characters, in as much as the pernicious vice of gambling was the first and prime cause of many cases of brutal assaults, drunkenness, and even some murders.
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The summer of 1792 and 1793 was an exceptionally dry one and the crops in April, 1793, for want of timely rain were parched and withered to almost nothing, hence the settlers had to content themselves with only 6 instead of 20 bushels to the acre
By H. W. H. HUNTINGTON
On Friday, the 12th April, 1793, between 5 and 6 o'clock pm., the sky in the north west bore a most extraordinary appearance It appeared as if a ray of forked lightning had for fifteen minutes been stationary in that quarter, but after the sun had sunk to rest the phenomenon disappeared
In October, the weather proved extremely favourable for wheat, and in December the wheat sown in April yielded 22 bushels per acre. On the 26th October, 1793, between our district and Sydney the first death in the colony from lightning occurred during a stormtotwoyouthfulwoodcutters,named respectively Dennis Reardon and William Meredith When the storm of rain and thunder had commenced they had run to a tree for shelter, vivid flashes of lightning struck the tree and instantaneously killed the two youths, likewise a dog which had followed them
Glancingthroughthemeteorological historyofAuburnanditssurrounding districtbetweentheyears1793and1795, theclimateofthedistrictappearstobe subjecttosuddenstormsofwindandrain.
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The records of the Sydney Observatory 80 years later (on the 4th October, 1874,) records a similar sight, when a zig zag streak of lightning was observed to hang in the sky for twenty minutes. On the 15th May, 1793, a most violent squall of wind and rain, visited our district, and the winter months were found to be the coldest felt since the foundation of the colony In August the wheat looked yellow and parched for want of rain, but at the close of the month rain fell for 3 days and refreshed it As no fixed period could be ascertained when wet weather was to be expected the settlers pronounced the country too dry for wheat growing.
L i b e r t y P l a i n s The early years
OnSunday,October27,theyweredecently buried in one grave in the presence of a large congregation, the Rev Richard Johnson improving the occasion by preachingonthesubjectfromthefirstbook of Samuel, chapter twenty, verse three: "There is but a step between me and death" About the middle of the month of January, 1794, a hurricane passed over our district from west to east, and damaged the huts and gardens It was accompanied with rain, and in its furious course across Parramatta damagedGovernmentHouse,thefencesof the farms as well as the crops. It was the firsthurrianeortornadoexperiencedinthe colony
Rose Rose Blazon of Arms Rose Motto: 'Constant and True' Armorial Bearings, granted to the Rose family of the Country of Dorset England in ye month of November, in the ye year a.d. 1639 being in ye fourteenth year of ye Reign of King Charles ye First. Signed: Sir John Burrough November 1639 Garter. w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 6 0
Five free settlers with their families came on the Bellona. They were the first free settlers to arrive in Australia.
230th1793 2023 F i r s t F r e e S e t t l e r s A r r i v a l
The most respectable of these people, and apparently the best calculated for a bona-fide settler, was Thomas Rose, a farmer from Dorsetshire, who came out with his family, consisting of his wife and four children.
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Gravesend England on 8 August 1792 Rio De Janeiro on 18 October Bellona was a three-decker merchantman launched in 1782 at Limehouse by Woolcombe for Boyd & Co. on 15 January 1793 Port Jackson > > > > > > > > Bellona's Voyage Bellona 1 6 t h J a n u a r y - A n n i v e r s a r y A b o a r d t h e ' B e l l o n a ' Rose Blazon of Arms 1639
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 6 2 " B L A C K C A E S A R , " F I R S T O F T H E B U S H R A N G E R S Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), being the gaol of twice convicted and extra refractory convicts, produced the earliest and most violent bushrangers, but they had at least one forerunner in New South Wales the subject of this article who made a name for himself in the very beginning of white settlement on Port Jackson, during the administration of the first Governor of the Territory, Captain Arthur Phillip, R N It was not, however, until about the eighteen twenties that bush ranging on the mainland assumed anything like the proportions it had reached in the southern island in the first years of the nineteenth century There it had its beginnings almost at the very start of settlement, and it was close upon half a century before the country ceased to be terrorised by more or less bloodthirsty gangs of free-booters, the scourge alike of settlers and aborigines.
Sunday 28 October 1934,.
THE story of Australian bush ranging divides itself naturally into three periods that of the runaway convicts whom the terrors of the "System" drove to seek escape from its cruelties in the bush; that which had its beginnings about the time of the gold discoveries, bushrangers were generally men of an adventurous and lawless type who were tempted into crime. The earliest bushrangers were prisoners of the Crown who had escaped from assigned service, or from the iron gangs employed in road making and other public works, and had taken to the bush in order to avoid recapture There was little in the forest clad wilds upon which they might support life, so they were compelled to resort to robbery as their only means of existence. In his report to the House of Commons in 1822, Mr Commissioner Bigge, sent out to inquire into the public affairs of New South Wales, defined bush ranging as "absconding in the woods, and living upon plunder and the robbery of orchards," and that may still stand as a fairly apt description of the pioneers of the profession Black Caesar Truth (Sydney, NSW).
Most of the earlier bushrangers in New South Wales were rather loafers and "leadswingers" than confirmed criminals. They usually sought a chance of slipping into the scrub whenever the vigilance of the sentries guarding them might be relaxed, and the wild nature of the country made it easy for them to get away It seems almost unbelievable, but is nevertheless true, that large numbers of them fled into the Blue Mountains, or along the coastal strip northward, with a hope of reaching the Dutch East Indies, India, or China
John Caesar w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 6 3 JOHNCAESAR(C.1763-1796), CONVICTOFWESTINDIAN DESCENT,HEWASBORNIN MADAGASCAR,ANDLIVINGASA SERVANTINTHEPARISHOFST. PAUL,DEPTFORD,ENGLAND,IN 1786. workerbecamePopularlytheAlexander,HethetransportationdwellingchargedOn13MarchthatyearatMaidstone,Kent,withthetheftofsome£12fromahouse,hewassentencedtoforsevenyearsandsenttohulkCeres.embarkedon6January1787inthewhichreachedBotanyBaywithFirstFleeton19January1788.knownas'BlackCaesar',heknowninthecolonyasahardandaconscientiouslabourer. DavidCollinsdeclaredhimatthistimetobe: confinement,anyIncorrigiblystubborn...Hisframewasmuscularandwellcalculatedforhardlabour;butinhisintellectshedidnotverywidelydifferfromabrute;hisappetitewasravenous,forhecouldinonedaydevourthefullrationfortwodays...Hedeclaredwhileinthatifheshouldbehanged,hewouldcreatealaughbeforehewasturnedoff,byplayingoffsometrickupontheexecutioner. The country itself produced next to nothing in the way of provisions nothing beyond kangaroos, bandicoots and fish— and Governor Phillip's desire to get all the available land under cultivation as soon as possible is doubtless the reason to which may be traced the first occupation of Garden Island. In the log book of H M S Sirius, under the date of February 11, 1788, is the following entry: "Sent an officer and party of men to the Garden Island to clear it for a garden for the ship's company." John Caesar
"The latter end of May," he writes, "several convicts reported they had seen the body of a white man in a cove at a distance; a muster was called, but no one was found absent but a black named Caesar, who had absconded from the service of an officer, and taken with him a gun, an iron pot, and some provisions "In the course of a short time, however, he was caught, and as the idea of death seemed to have no effect on his mind, the Governor ordered him to be kept at work on Garden Island in setters."
HEPRESENTLYCLEAREDOUT, TAKINGWITHHIMAMUSKET, AMMUNITION,SOMEPROVISIONS, ANDANIRONPOT.THISLATTER
Black
George Barrington, the famous pick pocket, in his book about the colony The History of New South Wales, including Botany Bay, Port Jackson, Parramatta, Sydney, and all its Dependencies has something to say of Caesar's escape and capture on this occasion Caesar
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PREMIUM. It was some time in April, 1789, that Caesar made his first escape from the island. He was recaptured in May, after having eked out an existence for two and a half weeks by robbing at night the huts and tents of the little hamlet at the head of Sydney Cove It is most likely to Caesar that Captain David Collins, the Judge Advocate, refers when he writes in his "New South Wales": "One of them had absconded and lived in the woods for nineteen days, existing by what he was able to procure by nocturnal thefts among the huts and stocks of individuals His visits for this purpose were so frequent and daring, that at length it became absolutely necessary to proclaim him an outlaw, as well as to declare that no person must harbour him after such proclamation."
THELITTLECOMMUNITY,FOR COOKING-POTSWEREATA
While on the island he was reputed to be the hardest worker amongst the convicts there employed, using his great strength towards getting a remission of his sentence but one day he again took it into his head to abscond He stole a canoe and a supply of provisions This time he became a bushranger in earnest, and his exploits kept the settlement in a constant simmer of excitement One day it was the vegetable garden on Garden Island that he plundered, or the Commissariat Stores at Sydney Cove On the next he would be raiding the hut of some settler between Sydney and Parramatta He seemed to be ubiquitous However, this period of liberty only lasted a month, and when he was again captured in March, 1790 he was banished to Norfolk Island, going there in H M S Sirius on the occasion when she was wrecked He seems to have been kept at the island for four or five years, for Barrington's next mention of him is in December, 1795
ARTICLEWASASERIOUSLOSSTO
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The Governor thinks it further necessary to inform those settlers or people employed in shooting who may have been occasionally supplied with powder and shot, that if it shall be discovered hereafter that they have so abused the confidence placed in them as to supply these common plunderers with any part of their ammunition, steps will be taken immediately for their punishment, as they will be considered accomplices in the robberies committed by those whom they have supplied Captain Collins states that some attempt was made to trace the muskets issued, but that it met with little success A further Order of Governor Hunter's provided for the registration of arms "Some settlers, who valued their arms as necessary to their defence against the natives and against thieves, hastened to the office for their certificates; but of between two and three hundred stands of arms which belonged to the Crown not fifty were accounted for."
WOODS,"HESAYS,"ANDLIVED BYPLUNDERINGTHESETTLERS
"CAESARAGAINFLEDTOTHE
BYNIGHT. He was still at liberty in January, 1796. "Caesar," writes Barrington, "who was still in the wilds, and several others, were reputed to have been seen in arms, and as some of the settlers were suspected of supplying him with ammunition, they were informed, that in case it should be proved, they would be implicated in the consequences of the robberies " So eminent had our first bushranger become in his new profession that, on January 29, 1796, he figured as the principal subject of a "Government and General Order" issued by Governor Hunter. Here it is: GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL ORDER 29th, January, 1796
The many robberies which have lately been committed render it necessary that some steps should be taken to put a stop to a practice so destructive of the happiness and comfort of the industrious. And as it is well known that a fellow known by the name of Black Caesar has absented himself some time past from his work, and has carried with him a musket, notice is hereby given that whoever shall secure this man 'Black Caesar' and bring him in with his arms shall receive as a reward five gallons of spirits. Black Caesar
Collins also mentions that Caesar was by way of being something of a scape goat. Every loss of property was set against his account, and it seems quite likely that he was blamed for many robberies that he had nothing at all to do with
Black Caesar w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 6 4
CAESAR WAS SLAIN FOR FIVE GALLONS OF SPIRIT—ABOUT £2/10/- WORTH OF RUM AT CURRENT PRICES IN 1796.
In Barrington's version of the affair, he tells us that his captors took the badly wounded negro to the hut of a man named Thomas Rose, one of the settlers in the district of Liberty Plains, where he died.
gooddeal,quiteapartfromits "kickandbite."
Ourfirstbushrangerhad unquestionablyfoundedanindustry!
"On the 15th," he says, "a criminal court had met for the trial of two prisoners for a burglary, when information was received that Black Caesar had that morning been shot by one Wimbow This man and another, allured by the reward, had been for some days in quest of him.
Hardly a single commodity in the settlement could be purchased without its use as a medium of exchange, and although Governor Hunter was doing everything he could to combat the rum traffic there was literally nothing else he could offer, save the promise of a free pardon to a convict, as an inducement towards the capture or killing of such an outlaw as Black Caesar
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"Finding his haunt, they concealed themselves all night at the edge of a brush, which they had perceived him enter in the dusk of the evening In the morning he came out; when, looking round him and seeing his danger, he presented his musket; but before he could pull the trigger Wimbow fired and shot him, and he died in a few hours "Thus ended a man who certainly, during his life, could never have been estimated at more than one remove above the brute, and who had given more trouble than any other convict in the settlement." In Barrington's version of the affair, he tells us that his captors took the badly wounded negro to the hut of a man named Rose, one of the settlers in the district of Liberty Plains, where he died. It adjoined Concord, which had mainly been allotted to non commissioned officers of the New South Wales Corps then very industriously earning its famous nickname of "Rum Corps." A considerable time afterwards, the Bankstown district also had the name "Liberty Plains" bestowed upon it, but it was somewhere between the Parramatta River near Concord and the Parramatta Road that Black Caesar's doom overtook him on that summer morning in 1796
Buttheendwasathand.Writingin February,1796.Collinsrecordsthe finishofthispioneer.
Black Caesar
TherewardcollectedbyMr. Wimbowandhismatedoesnot seemanexcessiveone,butin 1796fivegallonsofrummeanta
Cat1TRcTheSquarewasnamedforthefirstAnglicanlergymaninAustraliaandpioneerfarmer,ichardJohnsonhefirstChurchburntdownon1October798andafterthatserviceswereheldemporarilyinSydney`sfirstbrickhouse,thenttheorphanschoolandfinallyatStPhillip`shurchfrom1809
FIRST CHRISTIAN SERVICE SydneyMorningHerald(NSW).Saturday3January1931.
The
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 6 8 Psalm116:12.Lord"WhatshallIrenderuntotheforallHisbenefitstowardsme?" Streamservice,Thiswasthetextofthesermon"preachedbytheRev.RichardJohnsonatthefirstChristianheldunderagreatgumtree,onthebanksoftheTank(1788).Twohundredandthirty-fouryearslater(2022) Archdeacon Oakes, a descendant of the pioneer missionaries Oakes, Hassall, and ShelleypreachedfromthesametextInSt. John's Church, Parramatta, the occasion being the Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. Subsequently it was arranged to erect a memorialInthehistoricchurch,inhonour of Francis and Rebecca Oakes and their children. EARLYPIONEERS MarthaHassallRichard-son,MaryArm-strong),TheWilliamJamesafterwardsThechildren,onFrancisandRebeccaOakesweremarriedJanuary27,1806,andhadfourteensevensonsandsevendaughters.sonswere:George,M.L.A.,andM.L.C.,FrancisRowland,Hassall,Lawry,Samuel,JohnLeigh,andHenry.daughterswere:Elizabeth(Mrs.JohnAnn(Mrs.WilliamByrnes),(Mrs.Hutchinson),Rebecca(1,Mrs.2,Mrs.Muriel),Susannah(Mrs.Sprent),Lucy(unmarried),and(Mrs.TertlusWest). THE OAKES FAMILY Francis, Rebecca, and Their Descendants
ThesandstoneGothicRevivalmonumentwaserectedincommemorationofthefirstChristianserviceheldinAustralia(3February1788). form is capped cruciform Gothic
SouthfirstChurchreminderThebetweenstandsoflaidCrucifix.buttresseswithfinialsandsurmountedbyaTheinscribedtrachytepedestalwasbyAdmiralSirDudleydeChair,GovernorNewSouthWales,on19March1925.Itonawidertrachytebasewithstepscornerstones.monumenthashistoricsignificanceasaofthelocationofSydney`sfirstandthelifeofRichardJohnson,theChurchofEnglandclergymaninNewWales.
Themonumentissituatedwithin sRichardJohnsonSquarewhichisontheiteofthefirstChurchbuiltinAustralia,openedon23August1793.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 6 9 This discrepancy may be explained by wPgCIbyalsopresentofOakes,granddaughterMrs1854,sonskeptoccupiedJohnaParramatta,Passengers,"paperThespeaking,markedtheirtheirfirstservicesSomeThisLieutenant-Governor'sPhillip-street,SydneyGovernorTimes,"Governor.Street"assumingthatthe"Governor'sHouseinPittwasthatoftheLieutenant-Inapublication,called"OldthereisacrossmarkingthesiteofPhillip'stemporaryresidenceatCove,thenapictureofthehouseinandalsooneofthehouseinPittstreet.shouldmakethematterquiteclear.oftheearlymissionariesconductedatRydeandToongabbie,andthecolonialchaplainsencouragedthemingoodwork.Thereisnodoubtthatintenselyreligiousconvictionshadaeffectonwhatwas,generallyalaw-lesspopulation.lateHon.W.HSuttor,M.L.A.,wroteaon"TheShipDuffandHerinwhichhesays'"Inmanyyearsago,mightbeseentall,venerableoldgentleman,theRev.Eyre.HelivedinthehouseoncebyAllanCunningham,whereheaschool,inwhichanumberoftheofoldcolonistsweretaught.Hediedinaged88years."KateAnzino,nowofLondon,aofFrancisandRebeccawrites-"Ihavetheoriginaloilportrait'DaddyEyre,'and,later,wouldliketoittosomeAustraliangallery.Ihavetheportraitsofourgrandparents,donethesameartist.tisagoodthoughttoplaceamemorialinStJohn'shurch.Noonecouldbemoreworthythanourrandmother,wholivedforsomanyyearsinarramatta,andwhosegoodandcharitablelifeasrecognisedbyallsectionsofthecommunity"
Mr. J. Shedden Adam, a well-known architect, is arranging to have the memorial erected. The Rev. S. M. Johnston, M.A., rector of St John's, is interested in the movement, and, in connection with the dedication of the memorial, proposes to have a social gathering in the parish hall to give the numerous descendants and friends of the family an opportunity of meeting one another.
SomeparticularsoftheseearlypioneersmaybeofinteresttothosewhofollowthecourseofAustralianhistory. paascCGRhePGarstMtTsoMFrancisOakeswasamemberoftheLondonissionarySociety,and,withaboutthirtythers,arrivedatOtaheiteinthefirstmissionhiptovisittheislandsoftheSouthPacific.hestoryofthevoyageoftheDuffiswellknownohistorians,andacopyofitmaybeseenintheitchellLibrary.Owingtotribalwarfare,inorderosavethelivesoftheirwomenandchildrenomeofthemissionarieswereobligedtotakeefugeinflight,and,afterahazardousvoyage,rrivedatPortJacksonintheNautiliusin1798overnorHuntergavethemgrantsoflandinthearramattadistrict,wheretheysettled,andngagedinvariousoccupations.FrancisOakeseldthepositionofChiefConstableinParramattaebeccaOakes,neeSmall,wasborn"attheovernor'shouse,"inPittstreet,whereVickery'shambersnowstandTherehasbeenmuchorrespondencefromtimetotimeabouttheiteofthefirstGovernmentHouse,andthebestuthoritieshaveplaceditatthecornerofPhillipndBridgestreets,whereatablethasbeenlacedbytheRoyalAustralianHistoricalSociety THE OAKES FAMILY Francis, Rebecca, and Their Descendants SydneyMorningHerald(NSW).Saturday3January1931.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 0 THEFIRSTWHITE CHILDBORNIN AUSTRALIA theSmall),MrsRebeccaFrancisOakes(neewhoisreputedtohavebeenfirstwhitechildborninAustralia.ShewasbornonSept.22,1789,shemarriedRev.FrancisOakes,wholefttheoldcountrytotakeupmissionaryworkinTahiti. wastreatedThereceptiontowhichhewasbythenatives,however,suchastoinducehimtocomeontoAustralia,andhesubsequentlyoccupiedanofficialpositioninParramatta. When Rebecca small was born on 22 September 1789 in Sydney, New South Wales, her father, John, was 27, and her mother, SheMary,was31.married Francis Oakes on 27 January 1806 in Parramatta, New South Wales. They had 17 children in 24 years. She died on 30 atJanuary1883inParramatta,NewSouthWales,theimpressiveageof93. The picture showing Mrs. Oakes at the age of 93 years is from a photograph kindly lent to the Historical Society by Mr. D. Watsford, of Parramatta. Mrs. Oakes Grave (below)
TheirfirstdestinationwasOtaheite,nowknownasTahiti,wheretheyarrivedin1796.
Rev. Francis Oakes
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 1
OnarrivinginSydneyin1798heacceptedagrantof100acres(40Ha)atDundasandvirtuallyabandonedhismissionaryVocation.
remained on this farm until September 1805, when he was appointed RegardedChiefConstableatParramatta.asamostusefulofficer” Oakes thewasinvolvedinthreeofthecaseleadingtooverthrowofGovernorBligh. HegaveevidenceattheofficialinvestigationintotheconductofD’ArcyWentworth,wassenttoarrestJohnMcCarthyforrefusingtoattendaninquiryconcerningtheschooner,“Parramatta”andlodgedadepositionagainstMacarthur,whohadresistedarrest. His report resulted in the immediate criminal
ofhavenativeTahitiThemissionariestookIslandsandwestHerOtaheite.ThisarrivedatPortJacksononthe14May1798.shipasmallbrig,hadcomefromoriginaldestinationhadbeenthenorth-coastofAmerica.ShelostthispassagehadbeenatKamchatka,thesandwichandOtaheite.WhileatOtaheitesheonboard19MenWomen,Children-andtheirfamilies.missionarieswereunsuccessfulatbecauseoffactionwarsamongstthepopulation.InNSWtheyappeartobecomeabsorbedintothepubliclifethecommunity.
farmedpropertymarketslaughteringbaker,duties1812HeEnglandJohnston’switnessoftheHeamprosecutionofMacarthur,whoblamedOakesforisconstruinghisconversationDuringtherebeldministrationOakeswasdismissedfromofficewasoneofthesettlerswhopetitionedColonialOfficeinalarmattheconditiontheColony.HewaschosenbyBlighasatoattendLieutenant-Colonelcourtmartial,andsailedtowithBlighinMay1810.returnedtoNSWinthe“Mary”inMayandresumedhisduties.AswellashisasChiefConstable,Oakeswasalsoashopkeeper,contractor,inspectorofhouses,clerkofthepublicandanauctioneer.HeownedfarmlandnearBindathathewithhissons,calledTheOakes.
visitwasFranciswasamissionarywhocametoAustraliain1798.HeanartisanmissionarysentoutbyLondonMissionarySocietyintheship“DUFF”thefirstenterpriseofitskindtotheSouthernHemisphere.
Here the missionaries were unable to establish themselves, and eventually came on the newly formed colony of the New South Wales in the HMS Nautilus, which
Francis Oakes
MaryRyde,Lancashire,Birmingham,England.DEATH2OCT1850•NewSouthWales,Australia.Parker(1758–1824)BIRTH26AUG1758•London,England.DEATH4APR1824•KissingPoint,NewSouthWales,Australia.
THE SMALLS Extracted from one of our Publications: "Grafton and the Early Days on the Clarence" JohnSmallwasbornin1764andcameoutonthe“Charlotte”asaconvictinthefirstfleet,underCaptainPhillip-heattractedPhillip’sattentionbyhisgentlemanlymannerandtrustworthinessandbecamehispersonalservant-knownasthe“Sergeant”. boat,theDuringLondonAugustFrancisgrantPublican,In1828,atnumberoftheirsshowsBaptismstheSheSeptemberwhereGovernmenttradition),TheironfirstOnOctober12th,1788hemarriedanotherfleeterMaryParker,whohadcomeoutthe“LadyPenrhyn”.daughter,Rebecka(sospeltfamilythereforewasbornatHouse,thehumblefirstoneherparentswereemployed,on22nd1789.waschristenedon24thOctober1789ChronologicalRegisterofMarriages,andDeaths(KerrisonJames),thereweremanymarriagesbeforeandtheRegisterofBaptisms,theoneRebeckaSmallisnumber70.Althoughaofearlyoneswereofchildrenbornsea-sheismentionedintheCensusofaged40years.thiscensus,JohnSmallisdescribedasalivingatKissingPointwithalandof60acres,44cattleand350sheep.Oakswasborn1771andsailedin1796withothermissionariesoftheMissionarySociety,toTahiti.thewarsbetweenthenativetribes,missionaries,whowerewithoutalargewereinaperilousposition.w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 2 John Small 1761 – 1850 BIRTH 30 NOV 1761 •
Henry“Susan”in1838.Thorne was
came
and the Early Days on the Clarence" The brig “Nautilus” arrived in damaged ThomasMaryThomasyearsdaughters.HeofisconstableHe1798boatPortasTheconditionanditseemedagiftfromHeaven.missionarieshelpedtorepairitasfastpossibleand19missionariessetoffforJackson,allhandshelpingtokeeptheafloat.TheyarrivedonMarch31st,andOakesresigned.latermarriedRebeckaSmall,becameaandtheylivedatParramatta.Hementionedmanytimesinearlyhistoriesthecolony.wasthefatherofsevensonsandsevenRebeckaOakeslivedtobe94ofageanddiedin1883.andJohn,sonsofJohnSmallandParker,livedatKissingPoint,wherehadashipbuildingyard. River”Hedecidedtosailforthe“BigafterRichardCraigwasgivenonehundredpoundsandhispardonforinformationregardingthewonderfulstandsofcedartobefoundthere. John
THE SMALLS Extracted from one of our Publications: "Grafton Small, whose wife was Elizabeth Patfield, accompanied by his son, John Frederick aged 19, in the first boat in command. Henry Gillett, Francis Freeburn, Steve King and Henry Bums the “Susan”. brother
were also on
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 3 John and Elizabeth’s daughter Harriet Small, was born in February 1842, after John had TheyboughthiswifetotheBigRiver.hadelevenchildren,eight of whom were born at Kissing Point. Harriet was married July 23rd 1862, to Thomas Seller. John and Elizabeth were buried side by side atbuildingthustheThebuiltMacleanChownelandSmallHughes,ClarenceJohnlaterbricksecondfirstunderIsland.TheLouisaWoodfordmothernieceChowne’s,inJohn’sinthefamilycemeteryonWoodfordIsland.eldestson,JohnFrederick,wasborn1821-hemarriedtwice,bothwivesbeinghissecondwifeLouisawasaofthefirstwifeMatilda-Matilda’s1774-1855,isalsoburiedonIsland,asareJohnF.andMatilda.isburiedinGraftoncemetery.firstsettlementwasonWoodfordAtonetimeJohnandThomasheldleasethewholeoftheisland.John’shousewasofcedarslabsandtheoneofsandstone,thishouse,withadditions,isstillstanding,andwasoccupiedbyJohnFrederick.F’s.brandingironwaspresentedtotheRiverHistoricalSocietybyMr.whonowlivesinthehouse.JohnF.diedin1897.Thefirstsaw-pitwasonlateracquiredbyJamesWatson-ThebrothershadapitwheretheCourtHousenowstands.TheyalsoavesseltocarrycedartoSydney.thirdboatthatreturnedtoSydneyfromrivercarriedcedar.ThomasSmallwhopioneeredthecedarindustrybyanddespatchingthe“Susan”,diedKissingPointonNovember1st1863.
WilliamandtheChowneBrothers.
On the second trip they had another
John Small was born Nov 1761 in Birmingham. Baptised on the 11 Dec 1761. He served his trade as a bitt maker, aged 19 from Birmingham, Warwickshire, he joined the 33rd Company of the Plymouth Division of the Marine Corps at Birmingham on 16 HeApril1781.sailedon
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 4
THE SMALLS Extracted from one of our Publications: "Grafton and the Early Days on the Clarence"
'HMS Lively' to New York and then to the West Indies. His ship was taken over by American rebel prisoners, who had been held captive on board. He was taken as a prisoner to Havana where he remained until after the War of Independence May When1783. peace was signed in 1783 John and other English prisoners were exchanged for Spanish prisoners and he eventually got back to Port Plymouth in August 1783 and embarked on 'HMS Diamond' but as shown on the muster for 21 August 1783 he was to bedischargedthenextday.
oftriedbecameHerbertAlongwithStephenDavenport,JohnandRobertEllwood,Johnthenahighwayman,Hewascaught,andsentencedtodeathonthe14thMar1785forcrimesagainstJamesBurtintheKing'sHighway.HewasextendedRoyalmercyon5thofApril1785conditionalthatheserve7yearsandtransportationtoAustralia.
On his arrival he was set to work in the laboratory tent at Port Jackson however he was removed from this work when he and a number of others were found drunk on the Hehospitalwine.attracted Captain Phillip’s attention by his gentlemanly manner and trustworthiness and became his personal servant, he became known as 'The Sergeant'. It was here he married another first fleeter Mary Parker, who had come out on the “Lady Penrhyn”. It is possible that she was employed as a domestic at Government House they were married on Mary12Oct1788.wasalso a convict transported on the 6 Jan 1787 as she had been a servant in a lodging house in Duke St, Bloomsbury. She was charged with the theft of 2 tablecoths and was sentenced to 6 months in Tyhe House of corrections Clerk on well. On her release she returned to the lodging house, Shewhereshewasfoundhidinginagarret.saidthatshehadgonetheretoget a "character' from a resident, however they thought she had come to steal the washing that was hanging there. This was enough to get her found guilty and sentenced to 7 Johnyearsandtransportation.andMaryhad7children, their first a 10had1800sofFebruarywasdaughter,Rebecka(sospeltfamilytradition),bornatGovernmentHouse,in1794JohnSmallreceivedagrant30acresatEasternFarms.Bythemidheowned4pigsand3sheepandsown6acresofwheatandhadanotherreadyformaize.
After spending the next 2 years as a prisoner on the moored Dunkirk prison Arrivingtheship.HewastransporttoAustraliaonboard'Charlotte'departing11March1787.inAustraliaon26Jan1788.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 5 cemeterywere1862,KissingelevenboughtwasJohnChownehadalsoFreeburn,wastheFrederickPatfield,JohnberegardingpoundsRicharddecidedThomasMaryThomasandRebeckafatherearlyParramatta.becameJohnFrancisacres,atOnthe1828census,JohnisshownaslivingKissingPointwithalandgrantof6044cattleand350sheep.Oakswasborn1771hemarriedandMary'sdaughterRebeckaSmall,aconstableandtheylivedatHeismentionedmanytimesinhistoriesofthecolony.Hewastheofsevensonsandsevendaughters.Oakeslivedtobe94yearsofagediedin1883.andJohn,sonsofJohnSmallandParker,livedatKissingPoint,wherehadashipbuildingyard.Hetosailforthe“BigRiver”afterCraigwasgivenonehundredandhispardonforinformationthewonderfulstandsofcedartofoundthere.Small,whosewifewasElizabethaccompaniedbyhisson,Johnaged19,wenttothe'BigRiver'infirstboat“Susan”in1838.HenryThorneincommand.HenryGillett,FrancisSteveKingandHenryBumswereonthe“Susan”.OnthesecondtriptheyanotherbrotherWilliamandtheBrothers.andElizabeth’sdaughterHarrietSmall,borninFebruary1842,afterJohnhadhiswifetotheBigRiver.Theyhadchildren,eightofwhomwerebornatPoint.HarrietwasmarriedJuly23rdtoThomasSeller.JohnandElizabethburiedsidebysideinthefamilyonWoodfordIsland. John’s eldest son, John Frederick, was born in 1821 - he married twice, both wives being Chowne’s, his second wife Louisa was a niece of the first wife Matilda - Matilda’s mother 1774-1855, is also buried on Woodford Island, as are John F. and Matilda. FirstOctJohnproperty.accidentallyOnNovemberthecedarThomasSmallHughes,ClarenceJohnlaterbricksecondJohn’sunderIsland.TheLouisaisburiedinGraftoncemetery.firstsettlementwasonWoodfordAtonetimeJohnandThomasheldleasethewholeoftheisland.firsthousewasofcedarslabsandtheoneofsandstone,thishouse,withadditions,isstillstanding,andwasoccupiedbyJohnFrederick.F’s.brandingironwaspresentedtotheRiverHistoricalSocietybyMr.whonowlivesinthehouse.JohnF.diedin1897.Smallwhothuspioneeredtheindustrybybuildinganddespatching“Susan”,diedatKissingPointon1st1863.4April1828hiswifeMaryParkerdrownedinadamontheirSmalldiedattheageof88onthe21850atthistimehewasthelastknownFleetconvicttodieinNSW. THE SMALLS Extracted from one of our Publications: "Grafton and the Early Days on the Clarence"
Reverend Francis OAKES FatherofJohnLeigh OAKES Rebecca SMALL Mother of John Leigh OAKES Elizabeth("Bessie")CatherineFRISTAN BIRTH12JUL1772•Hull,Yorkshire-EastRiding,Humberside, England DEATH2OCTOBER1835•Mamre,SouthCreek,nearPenrith, NewSouthWale Samuel Edward MARSDEN Rt. Rev. BIRTH 24 JUNE 1765 • Farsley, Metropolitan Borough of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England DEATH 12 MAY 1838 • St Matthew's Parsonage, Windsor, New South Wales, Australia Father of Rev Ann Marsden w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 6 Rev. Rowland HASSALL BIRTH 31 MARCH 1768 • Coventry, Warwickshire, England DEATH 28 AUGUST 1820 • Matavai, Cowpastures, Narellan, New South Wales, Australia Father of Rev. Thomas HASSELL ElizabethCoverHANCOX BIRTH19JUL1766•Coventry, Warwickshire,England DEATH10FEBRUARY1834•Matavai CowpasturesNarellan,NewSouthWales, Australia Rev. Thomas HASSALL BIRTH 29 MAY 1794 • Coventry, Warwickshire, England DEATH 29 MARCH 1868 • 'Denbigh', Cobbity, New South Wales, Australia Son of Rev. Thomas HASSELL AnnMARSDEN BIRTH2MARCH1794•AtSea,aboardthe 'William',offNewSouthWales,Australia DEATH18JUN1885•Denbigh,Cobbitty, NewSouthWales,Australia DaughterofRevSamuelEdward MARSDEN John Leigh OAKES BIRTH 6 MAY 1826 • Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia DEATH 27 APR 1901 • Rydalmere, Hospital For the Insane, New South Wales, Australia Son of Rev. Francis OAKES Elizabeth Mary SHELLEY IRTH 1 MAR 1828 • Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia DEATH 28 APR 1912 • "Oak Park" Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia Daughter of William James SHELLY William James SHELLY BIRTH4JAN1804• Tahiti Papao FrenchPolynesia DEATH18JAN1844• Goulburn,New SouthWales, Australia Susannah Marsden HASSALL BIRTH 28 JUL 1806 • Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia DEATH 15 AUG 1890 • Bowral, New South Wales, Australia Daughter of Rev Samuel Edward MARSDENFamily Connections
THEpioneerfamiliesofParramattaintermarried,andtheirinfluencecomesdowntothepresentday.
Thomas Hassall, a son of Rowland Hassall, marriedtheeldestdaughterofSamuelMarsden; Susannah Marsden Hassall married William Shelley,asonofthemissionary;AnnHassall marriedRobertCampbell,ofPicton,fromwhom theAntillfamilyaredescended;MaryCover HassallmarriedtheRev.WalterLawry;George andRobertHope,ofGeelong,marrieddaughters of Thomas Hassall; John and Josiah Betts marrieddaughtersofSamuelMarsden;asonof theRev.JohnMantonmarriedagrand-daughter ofFrancisandRebeccaOakes;ElizabethOakes marriedJohnArmstrong,fromwhomthelate Lady Fairfax was. descended; Ann Oakes marriedthelateHon.WilliamByrnes;Susannah HassallbakesmarriedJamesSprent,SurveyorGeneralofTasmania;MaryOakesmarriedthe Rev.J.Hutchinson;RebeccaOakesmarried(1) John Richardson, (2) Robert Muriel; Martha OakesmarriedTertiusWest;RowlandOakes marriedFannyMansfield;andJohnLeighOakes marriedElizabethMaryShelley.
OLD PRAYER BOOK w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 8
“Singingastheywent.”
We can picture these old stern Puritans starting off on their adventurous voyage, in the year of grace A.D. 1795, full of courage and religious enthusiasm, going forth never to return, singing as they went, going out to convert the heathen 15,000 miles from home, a difficult task indeed, and one which was to Someprovebeyondtheirpowers.ofthem,itistrue, yielded to the temptations of their surroundings and became little better than those whom they were sent to reform, but these were the exception to the Therule.descendants of the missionaries need not be ashamed of their forbears. Most of them were of the artisan class, carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, weavers, and so forth, but they were men of grit, and possessed the highest of all qualities in their spirit of selfsacrifice.
SamuelJoshuaVisittheandread:MajestyTherePrincessinvokedmadereignpublishers,times,seembeingbutThesetheothertakingTheothersEngland,theandItsBookordinaryPrivateparts;WilliamShelley’sPrayerBookconsistsofthree(1)TheBookofCommonPrayer,(2)Devotionsforseveraloccasions,andextraordinary,and(3)thewholeofPsalmscollectedintoEnglishmetre.chiefinterestliesinthefactthatitsfly-leafmarginsrecordthebirthsofthechildrenofmissionaries,someofwhomwereborninsomeatthedifferentislands,andindifferentpartsofNewSouthWales.descendantsofthesechildrenarestilltheirpartinthelifeofthecountry.ThebookgivesanaccountofthevoyageofDuff.twobooksmaybeconsideredtogether,weshalltakethePrayerBookfirst,astheolderofthetwo.Itsdifferentpartstohavebeenpublishedatdifferentrangingfrom1701-1702,andbydifferentbutitwasevidentlyusedintheofQueenAnne,towhomreferenceisintheStatePrayers,ablessingbeingalsoonCatharine,theQueenDowager,theSophia,andalltheRoyalFamily.isalsoaspecialprayerfortheQueen’soutoftheLiberRegalis,inwhichwe“Bless,weprayThee,Thyfaithfulservant,ourdreadSovereignLadyQueenAnn,withrichestblessingsofThygrace....herasThoudidstMosesinthebush,inthecattel,Gideoninthefield,andintheTemple.
By Archdeacon Oakes. TheBushBrother
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 7 9
youth.”comfort,beLetthedewofThineabundantmerciesfalluponherhead,andgivehertheblessingofDavidandSolomon,”andmuchmoreinthesamestrain.Onthefly-leaftothePsalms,collectedintoEnglishmetrebyThomasSternhold,JohnHopkinsandothers,wearetoldthat“theyaresetforth,andallowedtosunginallchurchesofallthepeopletogether—andmoreoverinprivatehomes,fortheirgodlysolaceandlayingapartallun-godlysongsandballads,whichtendonlytothenourishingofvice,andcorruptingofUnderthisisthetext,“Ifanybeafflicted,lethimpray,andifanybemerrylethimsingpsalms.”
missionariesprovevolumes,Ihaveinmypossessiontwoancientbothinaremarkablygoodstateofpreservation,whichshouldofgreathistoricalinteresttothemanydescendantsoftheoriginalwhocametotheSouthernPacific128yearsago,manyofwhomafterwardsbecameidentifiedwiththepubliclifeofthenewly-foundedcolonyatBotanyBay,subsequentlyknownasNewSouthWales.
OLD PRAYER BOOK. The Voyage of the “Duff.”
By Archdeacon Oakes. England Mitchell
and a copy of which can, doubtless, be seen in the
Library TheBushBrother w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 8 0
whomtheatfirstbornnearfirstmarriedFrancisknownwho,behindlongevity,aHanleywifeAnotheratHall,somewheresaidchargemarriedVictoria,tochurchchurchyardclergymannearKeane,havingofdaughtergainedCambridge,hetheMayRowlandrecordedgrandparentsonanothermarriedShelley,AmongstthenamesrecordedisthatofWilliamjunior,bornatTahiti,January4,1804,toSusannahHassall,thedaughterofmissionary,1827,anddiedatGoulburnJanuary13,1844.Theseweretheofthewriter.Anothernameisthatof“ThomasHassall,sonofandElizaHassall,bornatCoventry,29,1794,betweenthehoursof2and3inafternoon.”HewastwoyearsofagewhenlandedatTahiti.HewasafterwardssenttoandwasordainedafterhehadhisM.A.degree.HemarriedtheofRev.SamuelMarsden,andwasonethefirstclergymentoserveatBathurst,actedaslocumtenensforRev.JohnEspy1826-27.HethensettledatDenbigh,Camden,wherehelivedformanyyearsasincharge,andwasburiedintheatCobbitty,wherehehadcausedatobeerected.HisdescendantsarestillbefoundbothinNewSouthWalesandthepresentDeanofNewcastlebeingtohisgreatgrand-daughter.WhileinofBathursthelivedatO’Connell,andistohavesoldalargeblockoflandinthevicinityoftheSydneyTownfor£2OO,andinvestedthemoneyinlandO’Connellatfiveshillingsperacre.nameisthatofMrs.ElizabethShelley,oftheoriginalmissionary,whodiedatVille,Parramatta,inher96thyear.Trulyhardyrace,remarkablenotonlyfortheirbutalsoforthefactthattheyleftthemnumeroussturdydescendants,induecourse,becametheheadsofwell-Australianfamilies.Oakes,anotherofthemissionaries,adaughterofSergeantSmall,oftheGovernor’sguard,andwasquarteredinorGovernmentHouse.RebeccaSmallwasin1789,andisclaimedtohavebeenthewhitegirlbornonAustraliansoil.ShediedParramattain1883,inher94thyear.Shewasmotheroffourteenchildren,twelveofgrewup,married,andhadlargefamilies. BeginningoftheL.M.S. So much for some of the missionaries who mfiAtRnfmFheadsdescendants,lefttheirTrulyHanleywifeAnotherbutsuccessestheThereremainderOfthirtyOnappointedpurchaseddenomination,supportersprinciples,AbeginningofthreesettledinAustralia.ThegoodshipDuff,afterayears’cruise,returnedtoEngland,bywayChina,in1798.HervoyagemarkstheoftheLondonMissionarySociety.society,establishedonthemostliberalandnumberingamongstitsclergymenandlaymenofeverywasformed.Ashipwasfor£5,000,andCaptainJamesWilsonitscommander.August10,1796,abandofmissionaries,innumber,embarkedonboardtheDuff.thesefourwereordainedministers,andtheweremechanicsandtradesmen.werealsosixwomen,wives,ofsomeofabove,andthreechildren.Whatevertheirorfailuresmayhavebeen,wecannotadmiretheirdevotion.nameisthatofMrs.ElizabethShelley,oftheoriginalmissionary,whodiedatVille,Parramatta,inher96thyear.ahardyrace,remarkablenotonlyforlongevity,butalsoforthefactthattheybehindthemnumeroussturdywho,induecourse,becametheofwell-knownAustralianfamilies.rancisOakes,anotherofthemissionaries,arriedadaughterofSergeantSmall,oftheirstGovernor’sguard,andwasquarteredinorearGovernmentHouse.ebeccaSmallwasbornin1789,andisclaimedohavebeenthefirstwhitegirlbornonustraliansoil.ShediedatParramattain1883,nher94thyear.Shewasthemotherofourteenchildren,twelveofwhomgrewup,arried,andhadlargefamilies. OLD PRAYER BOOK. The Voyage of the “Duff.”
To follow all their thrilling experiences we must refer the reader to the account of the voyage which was published when the ship returned to
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HassellSmirkenavigatedJamesthewhich''representationSocietyIn1799,theLondonMissionarycommissionedtheartistRobertSmirketopaintaoftheinterviewtookplacewiththechiefsofIslandofOtaheite(Tahiti)soonafterthearrivalofthe''Duff''asatokenofappreciationtoCaptainWilson,whohadsuccessfullytheDuffaroundtheworldandbacktoLondonthreeyearsearlier.MoreoftheCessionofMotavai.AbovesomedetailfromRobertoilpainting,showingOtooontheshouldersofaslave,ElizabethholdingSamuelOtoo,ThomasHassellstandingbetweenWilliamWilsonandCaptainJamesWilsonandWilliamSarahHenry.
John'sat ParramattaJune1931,whenthePrimateunveileda marblememorialtabletintheshapeofacrossin honourofthecouple.
Therector,theRev.S.M.Johnstone,conductedthe service,andtheRev.CanonGarnseyreadthelesson.
Page
Agatheringofmorethan100descendantsofthefamily ofFrancisandRebeccaOakestookplaceatthe beautifulold,twin-toweredchurchofSt
BothheandhiswifewerealwayscloselyassociatedwithSt John'sChurch,andtheirintenselyreligiousconvictionshad amarkedeffectuponthecommunity
ArchbishopWright,inunveilinganddedicatingthe memorial,paidatributetotheworkperformedby FrancisandRebeccaOakes,andhealsoreferredtothe excellentexampletothecommunitytheirmany descendantshadset.
Attheconclusionof theserviceareunionofthedescendantsofthecouplewas held in the St John's Hall There Archdeacon Oakes, who had,suggestedthememorialayearagowhenpreachingat St. John's Church at his golden jubilee celebrations, returned thanks on behalf of the descendants to the archbishopandtherector Marble memorial tablet in the shape of a cross in honour of the couple. 88
Matavai painting
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Marble memorial erected by the descendants of Francis and Rebecca Oakes in St. John's Church, Parramatta, in April last, recording the navies of their ancestors, together with those of their fourteen children and also the historic text to which reference is here made.
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 8 3 ItisperhapsagoodsignfiattheRepublicanofficialturnshisbackonher,foritshowsthathefears1oconfronttheeloquentlace;anditisfortunatethathisorder!visasleep,forhelooksthesortoffellowwho,withoutcompunction,woulddespatchallaristocratstobeshavedbythe''nationalrazor''.TheoriginalofthispicturewasoneoftheArtattractionsoftheMelbourneInternationalExhibition,andourreaderswillbepleasedtolearnthatitwillremaininthecolonies,apurchaserhavingbeenfoundintheVictorianmetropolis. ANAPPEALFORMERCY,1793.FROMTHEPICTUREBYMARCUSSTOKE. AnAppealforMercy,1793. TheperiodoftheFrenchRevolution,teemingasit doeswithstirringincidents,and distinguishedbythepicturesquenessofitscostume,hasalwaysbeenafavouritewithpainters,Mr.MarcusStonehasselectedascenewhichmusthaveoccurredwithterriblefrequencyduringtheReignofTerror,whenDeathliterallystaredeverymanintheface.Theyoungladywhokneelsbeforethechairinanagonyofsuspenseisentreatingthat'thelifeofsomebelovedonemaybespared.Theimaginativespectatorconvertsthepaintedcanvasintoaroomwithrealpeopleinit,andpraysthatshemaysucceed.
Dr. John Harris (1754 - 1838)
In 1789 he was appointed surgeon's mate in the New SouthWalesCorps,reachedPortJacksonintheSurprize in June 1790 and was stationed at Parramatta In December1791,aftertheresignationofhissuperior,Dr Macaulay, who never went to the colony, Harris was promotedto hisplace At first thecolony wasnot to his likingandhisearlylettershomegaveagloomypictureof itsconditionandprospects
On29 September 1800 he was made a magistrate and soon afterwardswasgivenchargeofthepoliceestablishment
In July 1801 he succeeded Surgeon Balmain as Naval Officer He played an active part on the Gaol and Orphan Committees and accompanied Barrallier on his expeditiontoexploretheHunterRiverin1801,allthisin addition to carrying out his duties as surgeon His sterling work, particularly in helping to curb the liquor trade, won for him the friendship and admiration of Governor King who described him as possessing 'the mostrespectablecharacterasagentleman,joinedtoan unwearied activity and intelligence', and employed him asdeputyjudgeadvocateinregimentalcourtsmartial
However, in April 1793 he accepted a 100acre (40 ha) grantatParramattaandboughtthefarmofJamesRuse on which in 1798 he built the still extant Experiment Farm Cottage. Until 1800 he led a busy existence as surgeon and farmer By the turn of the century he owned 315 acres (127 ha) of land of which 205 (83 ha) were purchased, and had acquired 431 head of stock, possessions which placed him among the foremost officerfarmers. His diligence and devotion to duty must have won the admiration of LieutenantColonel Paterson, for when Governor King asked him in 1800 to nominate an administrativeassistant,herecommendedHarris
The exercise of his civil responsibilities soon involved him in friction with many traders and with his fellow officers, and Paterson asked that he, like Barrallier, should be relieved of those posts that interfered with his military duties
His action, as Naval Officer, in reporting to King private conversations about the dissatisfaction of the military with supposed favours granted to the visiting French, led to his being charged in October 1802 with un gentleman like conduct, and six months later he faced another court martial for allegedly disclosing how two of his fellow officers had voted at a court martial over which he had presided as deputy judge advocate On both occasions he was acquitted, but he was debarred from civil office; not until early 1804 had feelings sufficiently subsided for King to reinstate him as Naval Officer, and in June he was re sworn as magistrate and controller of the police at Sydney.
Surgeon,publicservantandlandholder,was bornatMoneymore,CountyLondonderry, Ireland,asonofJohnandAnnHarris.He trainedforthemedicalprofessionatthe UniversityofEdinburghandfortenyears wasasurgeoninthenavyinIndianwaters.
Between 1800 and 1806 Harris, in his famous house at Ultimo, stood out as one of the few military officers to remain consistently friendly with King, but under his successor Harris's role changed
Dr. John Harris Image: State Library of New South Wales. By Herbert Beecroft
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Dr. John Harris, Land Grant 1793. By Herbert Beecroft w c o m
Dr. John Harris (1754 - 1838)
Between1800and1806Harris,inhis famoushouseatUltimo,stoodoutasone ofthefewmilitaryofficerstoremain consistentlyfriendlywithKing,butunder hissuccessorHarris'srolechanged.
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Harris returned to Port Jackson in the General Hewitt,accompaniedbyhisnewlyweddedwifeEliza, with permission to become a private settler He resumed control of his extensive properties but, though the rest of his life was devoted chiefly to farmingandstockraising,healsotookanactivepart inpublicaffairs
InMay1807GovernorBlighdismissedhimasNaval Officer and from the bench He became a bitter opponent of the governor, depicting him as avaricious, dishonest and tyrannical, and his antipathy to Bligh brought him back into sympathy with the military officers whose cause he espoused intheRumRebellion
MajorJohnstonreappointedhimtomagistracyon27 January1808,buthiscriticismofJohnMacarthur,the virtual ruler of New South Wales, quickly lost him favour again. On 5 April 1808 Johnston dismissed him,andsoonafterwards,togetridofhim,ordered him to London to present the rebel case to the Britishgovernment PleadingsicknessHarrisrefused to sail, and on 22 January 1809 Paterson appointed him a magistrate once more. Three months later he left for England, where in 1811 he gave evidence at Johnston's court martial; but although loyal to his commanding officer his criticism of Bligh was moderate On7February1814havingresignedhiscommission
He served on many committees, was one of those who supported the establishment of the Bank of New South Wales and one of its first directors elected in February 1817 In 1819 he acted as surgeon to Oxley's expedition to Bathurst where later he acquired land In the same year he was againmadeamagistrateandretainedtheofficeuntil hediedon27April1838,leavingpropertysaidtobe worth£150,000
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w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 8 7 E l i z a b e t h F a r m 1939.July1SaturdayNSW),(Sydney,TelegraphDaily
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 8 8 ElizabethThese12February1793JohnMacarthurwasgranted100acresoflandatParramattabyActingGovernorFrancisGrose.Macarthurwasthefirstmantoclearandcultivate50acresandreceivedafurthergrantof100acres.twograntsformedthelandforwhatbecameknownasFarm,namedinhonourofMacarthur'swife. John Macarthur erected the farmhouse in 1793, the fine old building, which is made of ornamentalsandalsocarvedstillplantedAabricks,manufacturedbyconvictsatCamella,shortdistanceaway.featureofthehouseisanolivetreebyJohnMacarthurin1805whichbearsfruit.andthemagnificenthand-cedar.Thedoorsofthebuildingareofhand-carvedcedar,twoInchesthick,stilltodayyoucanseetheoriginalbroughtfromEngland. Elizabeth Farm Builtin1793 Managed by Sydney Living Museums, visitors are invited to freely explore the house and its replica furnishings and gardens. It’s a great experience for history Thebuffsandfamiliesalike.modest1793three bedroom house is ain1970sIthouseinpropertydecline.MacarthurInunlikeexperiencedatingTheafterduringhersettlement,formidableNamedcolony.styleIt’sresidenceMacarthur’sshadedroomsandCentury.wealthstillvisible,andwasenlargedasMacarthur’sandinfluencegrewintheearly19thHetookaninterestinarchitecturedirectedrenovations,addinglargerandadeepverandahtoformthebungalowweseetoday.adaptationscreatedabettersuitedtothelocalclimate.anearlyversionofacountryhomesteadthatwasreproducedaroundtheafterMacarthur’swife,herselfacharacterintheearlyElizabethlivedinthehouseuntildeathin1850.Sheranthevastestateherhusband’slongabsencesandhepassedawayin1834.recreated1830sgardenincludesplantsbacktotheMacarthurs.Visitorscantheresidenceinasettingnottheoriginal.thedecadesafterthedeathofElizabethin1850,ElizabethFarmfellintoThepurchaseofthederelictbyWilliamSwannin1903resulteditsrescue.TheSwannfamilyownedtheuntil1968.wassavedfromdemolitionintheearlyandin1977becamethefirsthouseNewSouthWalestobeprotectedunderconservationorder.Elizabeth Farm is Australia’s oldest surviving European dwelling. It was built in 1793 by John Macarthur, one of the most influential and controversial figures in early colonial Todayhistory.Elizabeth Farm is a "hands on” museum recreating the Macarthur homesteadofthe1820s.
This restful homestead hides a dark and stormy past. Built for the young military couple John and Elizabeth Macarthur and their growing family, Elizabeth Farm has witnessed major events in the growth of the colony, from the toppling of governors and convict rebellion to the birth of the Australian wool industry. As the original cottage was transformed into a fine colonial bungalow, the family’s life was equally gripped with turmoil and drama. Today, set within a re-created 1830s garden, Elizabeth Farm is an ‘access all areas’ museum. There are no barriers, locked doors or delicate furnishings. Australia’s oldest homestead is now our most immersive ‘living’ house museum.
Romanticised painting of Elizabeth Farm by Joseph Lycett. This was based on sketches and his memories and painted on his return to England. www.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/elizabeth-farm
w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m P A G E 8 9 Elizabeth Farm Builtin1793
Images: Mark Bowyer
EdinburghMessrs.ThiswasthenamegiventoMuir,Palmer,Skirving,Gerald,andMargarot,whowereconvictedin1793atforleasing-making—that,islibellingtheGovernment—andweretransportedtoBotanyBayinJanuary,1794.
In 1793 they arrested Thomas Muir, an eloquent advocate; the Rev. T. F. Palmer, Unitarian minister at Dundee; William Skirving, secretary of the Edinburgh Friends Society; Maurice Margarot and Joseph Gerrald, known as the Scottish Martys men of great learning and unblemished character, who read their Plato and Lucretius in their adversity, were huddled together cheek by jowl with men who could not read anything, murderers and thieves, Theseandworse.convictions
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The Scottish Martyrs, 1793.
Hunter'sMr.MuirboughtlandupontheParramatta,whichhecalledHill(afterhispatrimonialestateinScotland),anamewhichthelocalitystillbears.
He cultivated this spot as a garden, and when he died was buried there by his own request, in 1796. Mr. Skirving only survived Mr.himthreedays.Margarotsurvived his period of exile, and returned in 1810 to England, where he gave important evidence before a select committee of the House of Commons in relationtotheaffairsofthesettlement.
by Lord J Justice Clark were denounced in the House of Commons, where Charles James Fox exclaimed, 'God includedpiecedisposition,andMr.fewwithTheyhelpthepeoplewhohavesuchjudges.arrivedinSydneyinSeptember1794,theexceptionofGerald,whoarrivedamonthslater.Gerald,whowasamanofgreatability,ofamostrefinedandamiableobtainedfromtheGovernoraoflandatFarmCove.ThisisnowintheBotanicGardens.
He afterward escaped in an American vessel, the Otter, fitted out at New York for the purpose of rescuing him, with the TheconnivanceofthegreatWashington.vesselwaswreckedoffthewest coast of America on her return ; and all on board but Mr. Muir and two sailors were drowned. He travelled 4000 miles on foot to Panama, where he fell into the hands of the Spaniards, who sent him in one one of their ButshipstoEurope.theSpanishvessel was captured by the English; and Mr. Muir, who had been severely wounded in the encounter, was AtsenttothehospitalatCadiz.theinvitationoftheFrench Government he repaired to Paris, where he was feted; and he died in Chantilly in September, 1798. The last of the " Martyrs," the Rev. Mr. Palmer, served his sentence, which expired in1801.
There is said to be little doubt that Burns had in mind the trial of Muir, when he wrote, "Scots wha hae."
Muirwasinallrespectsafreemanwithinthesettlement,hedevotedhistimetoimprovingtheconditionsofhisfellowexile?whowerenotsofortunatelysituated,andconstitutedhimselfasasortoflaypreacherofPresbyterianism,conductingthefirstservicesofthatsectheldInthecolony.
With the exception of Margarot, the "Martyrs" seem to have been regarded with general esteem. Writing home in 1795. Governor Hunter described Muir as "a sensible, modest young man, of a very retired turn." Skirving he spoke of as "sensible and well-informed," and Palmer as not being nearly so troublesome- as the Governor had been led to believe. Margarot; however, was "talkative and a opportunitySydneyeffortGovernment.ashouldnotpossiblyhavethethatexpired.termsremainedonlyHowever,authority.inallowedStreet,representationsimpressedCaptaingrumbler."Hunterwasinallwayssofavourablybythe"Martyrs"thathemade.intheirfavourtoDowningandsuggestedthattheymightbetoreturntoIreland,iftheirlandingGreatBritainwasnotagreeabletohewascurtlyinformedthathisconcernwastoseethatthe,prisonersinNewSouthWalesuntiltheoftheirsentencesshouldhaveItishardlytobedoubted,however,thefavourableviewtakenofthemby'localauthoritieswouldbefore,longledtoarevisionoftheirsentences—withanewGovernment—butitdidsatisfyMuirthathissojourninAustraliabedependentastoitslengthuponchangeofheartintheEnglishHedeterminedto.makeantoescape,and.afterhehadbeenin.abouteighteenmonths,theseemedtopresentitself.
After their landing, the Lieutenant-Governor (Major Grose) investigated the mutiny, but found that the charges against Palmer and Skirving had not been substantiated. He assured them all that their treatment by the authorities would be agreeable, so long as they should refrain from political agitation. He kept his word, and Muir was afterwards able to say—"gratitude will for ever bind me to the officers, civil and military."
Instructions had been received from home that the "Martyrs" were not" to be set to compulsory labor, but that unless they undertook some sort of work for the public benefit, they would not be entitled to.rations from fhe stores. Governor Hunter reported subsequently that they had always kept themselves, independently of Governmentaid.
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Muir and Palmer political reform party, with which Robert Burns warmly sympathised. The official organ of the movement was the "Edinburgh Gazetter," to the editor of which Burns wrote in 1792: "I beg leave to insert my name as a Gosubscriber....on,Sir.Laybare with undaunted heart and steady hand that horrid mass of corruption called politics and statecraft. Dare to draw in their native colours those 'calm thinking villians whom no faith can fire,' whatever be the shibboleth of their pretendedparty."
l. James Wilshire, arrived Sydney 1792; Deputy CommissaryGeneral 2.— George William Evans, Acting Surveyor-General, N.S.W., 1803; Surveyor-General, Tasmania, 3. William Charles Wentworth, born Norfolk Island, 1793; Founder of Constitution, N.S.W. 4. William Lawson, one of the discoverers of Blue Mountains road, 1813. 5. Captain Philip Gidley King, Third Governor, N.S.W., 1800-1806. 6. Sir Thomas Mitchell, SurveyorGeneral, 1827-1855. Gregory Blaxland, one of the' discoverers of Blue Mountains road, 1813. 8. Rev. Samuel Marsden 1794.
Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW), Wednesday 26 April 1911
9. Captain J. C. Wickham. R.N., First Government Resident of Queensland. 10. Edmund Lockyer, Founder W.A., 1826. 11. Captain William Bligh, R.N., Fourth Governor, NS 1806-1809. 12. Col. David Collins, First Judge Advocate. 13. Hamilton Hume, Explorer, discovery of River Murray. 14. Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh, Founder and First Governor. 15. -Sir Charles Cowper, K.C.M.G., several times Premier of N.S.W. 17.— Lieut. W. Cox, N.S.W. rPs, 1800. 18.— Captain John Hunter, R.N., Second Governor, N.S.W. 19. The Ven. Archdeacon Co Rector, St. Phillip's Church, 1810-1856. 22 23 21 (Below) James Dr. James C. Cox, M.D., First PioneersAustralasianPresidentClub.
20. Captain John MacArthur, Founder of Sheep Industry in Australia. 21. William Faithfull, arrived in Sydney 1791. 22. M. P. Henty, W.A., Tasmania, and Victoria. 23. Surgeon John Harris, arrived Sydney 1790. 24. Hon. A. M.L.C., discovered Bell Road, Blue Mountains, 1823. 25. Rev. Richard Johnson, First Chaplain 1800. 26. Sir Maurice O'Connell, 73rd Regiment, 1809. 27. Captain Arthur Phillip, R.N., Foil and First Governor N.S.W.
28. Lieut.-Colonel George Johnston, arrived Sydney with First Fleet, 1788. Lieut. John Bowen, R.N. Founder and First GeorgeSurveyor-General,Tasmania,Commandant.1803.30.Lieut.JohnOxleyExplorerandN.S.W.3l.Suttor,F.L.S.,arrivedSydney1800.
(Right) Mr. D. Hope Johnston, M.A., Founder and Hon. Sec,,PioneersAustralasianClub.
8 14 19 28 25 24 27 26 17 18 w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW), Wednesday 26 April 1911
OUR MOTTO The Club’s motto “Primi in Terras Australes” refers to British settlement in Australia and the Pacific Islands. The Club’s crest is an 18th Century Ploughshare over which the Rising Sun appears.
OUR PURPOSE
o m P A G E 9 4
OUR FUTURE Since its foundation in 1910 the Australasian Pioneers’ Club has continuously attracted a thriving membership. Its continued success is assured by the Members’ pride in Australia’s past, their active participation in its present and their unbounded faith in the Nation’s future.
The motto of the club, "Primi in terras Australis"— The First, in Australasia.
CONTACT THE OFFICE MANAGER (61 2) 8273 2380 Tuesday and Thursday 10am– 2pm local time OFFICE 89 Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 www.pioneersclub.com.au Pioneers' Club AUSTRALIANSIAN
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CLUBHISTORY
The ColonelwhichAustralasianPioneers’Clubwasfoundedfollowingameetingon2ndMay1910,wasconvenedbyMrDouglasHopeJohnstonBA,adescendantofLieutenant-GeorgeJohnston,oftheMarineDetachmentwhichembarkedwiththeFirstFleet.(Then)LieutenantJohnstoncametoNewSouthWalesinthe‘LadyPenrhyn’(oneofthetransportsoftheFirstFleet)andisreputedtohavebeenthefirstofficerashoreatPortJacksonon26thJanuary1788.
INSPIRATION IS TAKEN FROM THE PIONEERS’ PRAYER: Let us remember our ancestors the pioneers through whose toil and suffering and sacrifice, and by the Grace of a Divine Providence, we inherit our liberties, our way of life and our place among the great nations of the earth. c
The first three objects of the Club, as listed in its memorandum of Association, are to foster mutual help and friendship amongst gentlemen who were the descendants of pioneers, to foster the pioneering spirit in Australasia, and to promote discussion of Australasian history.
AUSTRALIAN SETTLERS share your family Stories keeping the spirits of our ancestors memories with us SUBMISSIONS WELCOMEw w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m jwt@jwtpublishing.com.au Rose Family Thorburn Family Thorburn McKenzie Family Tottie Thorburn
Thefirstrecordedbattlebetween AboriginalpeopleandtheBritish takesplace. Thiswasthemajorbattleinthe HawkesburyandNepeanwars andthebeginningofasix-year periodofresistancetowhite settlementbyAboriginalpeoplein theHawkesburyandParramatta areas.Knownasthe‘BlackWars’. Coming Edition 4thEDITION Australian Settlers Magazine Since2021 culture&heritage Richmond Hill Battle JUNE7,1795 www.australiansettlers.com 'MountedPoliceand Blacks'depictsthe killingofAboriginalsat SlaughterhouseCreek byBritishtroops. AustralianWar Memorialimage ART50023
4 T H E D I T I O N Subscribe FREE M A G A Z I N E A U S T R A L I A N S E T T L E R S w w w . a u s t r a l i a n s e t t l e r s . c o m 1794 Hawkesbur y Frontier culture & cheritage ulture & heritage ‘Utterly Lawless’ ‘Black Wars’ N E X T E D I T I O N N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W A R R I O R S O F N E W S O U T H W A L E S B Y D U B O U R G , M . , F L . 1 7 8 6 - 1 8 0 8 - N A T I O N A L L I B R A R Y O F A U S T R A L I A
