1788 AD Magazine of the Fellowship of First Fleeters ACN 003 223 425 PATRON: Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO Volume 47, Issue 5 48th Year of Publication October/ November 2016 To live on in the hearts and minds of descendants is never to die TWO FLEETS - 1788 & 1988 - SOME UNTOLD HISTORY Sydney-Portsmouth Sister City Committee 13th May 2016 lia Day to the focus of harmony brought to the celebrations by An address to celebrate the 229th the arrival of the Re-enactment Fleet in Sydney harbour. Anniversary of the sailing of the First Fleet from Ports- In time, Australia Day 1988 will be seen to be a turning point mouth on 13th May 1787 in Australia’s history and its future. I’ll have more to say about The First Fleet (1788) and The Re-enactment that shortly. As you all know the idea of re-enacting the First Fleet as a Bi-centennial event, was conceived by Dr Jonathon Fleet (1988) Some Untold History King in 1976, while he was in the England studying the life and Dr Wally Franklin role of his ancestor, Philip Gidley King, in the First Fleet. To begin, I would like to acknowledge Immediately upon his return to Austra- and pay respect to the traditional own- lia Jonathon started work on the Re- ers of the land on which we meet; the enactment of the First Fleet as a major Bi Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. It is -centennial event. It wasn’t till Septem- upon their ancestral lands that the Syd- ber 1979 that I first met Jonathon. At the ney Town Hall is built. time I was National Marketing Manager Preamble: a Sense of History. for Trans-Australia Airlines and he was When the Re-enactment Fleet arrived seeking support to travel around Austra- off Sydney Heads on the morning of lia to organise and drum up support for 26th January 1988 it was met by 2.3 mil- the Re-enactment project. I was able to lion people watching from the shores of provide support and did what I could to Sydney Harbour and greeted by over encourage broader corporate support for 10,000 boats on the water. Australia the First Fleet Re-enactment as a major Day in Sydney 1988 was, and still re- Bi-centennial event. However from the mains, the largest Public gathering to outset it was clear that there was strong have occurred in Australia. Moreover and intense opposition to the project the day was marked by two significant from the Federal Government and the events. Firstly, the very large gathering recently formed Australian Bi-centennial of Indigenous elders and representa- Authority, the ABA. Over the next five tives of Aboriginal Communities from all years I witnessed the remarkable lengths around Australia, who marched through taken by the Federal Government and the streets of Sydney to celebrate their the ABA to destroy the re-enactment survival, culture and heritage. Secondly project. the fact that, in spite of the incredible The core of opposition to the Project numbers of people gathered in Sydney was summed up in a report commis- for the Australia Day celebrations, it sioned by the Federal Government: The turned out to be a remarkably peaceful Re-enactment Fleet would aggravate the day. Aboriginal issue by reminding us of the Shortly after Australia Day 1988 the shame associated with the near genocide Re-enactment Company received a of Aboriginal communities across Austra- lia; it would emphasise the convict begin- moving letter from the Surgeon General Dr Wally Franklin of St Vincent’s Hospital. In that letter nings of modern Australia and it would he informed us that the Sydney hospital emergency services bring into focus Australia’s Paternal relationship with Britain. were geared -up and ready to handle unprecedented levels of The ABA was committed to a ‘historically neutral’ Bi-centennial emergency admissions, when in fact it turned out that Austra- event, the gathering of ‘Tall Ships’ in Sydney harbour on Aus- lia Day 1988 was one of the quietest days ever experienced by tralia Day. In essence the Federal Government and the ABA emergency services in Sydney. He thanked the First Fleet Re- wanted a 200-year celebration that denied the reality of Aus- enactment Company, as he attributed the outcome on Austra- tralian history. (continued on page 4) Registered by Australia Post Publication No. 100002063 PRICE $2.50 Phone 02 9360 3788 Membership’sFounders available Fellowship of First Fleeters, 105 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011 Email:[email protected] Loisnow retires.on e-mail. First Fleeters on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FirstFleeters Details on page 12 Membership Enquiries:[email protected] WEBSITE: www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au Page 6 Founders October/November 2016 PRESIDENT’S PEN FOUNDERS The magazine of the Jon Fearon Fellowship of First Fleeters Editor , Layout and Artwork . Once again it has been a pleasure for Jon & Karys Fearon me to prepare your next Founders and bring you updates from Ph. 02 4311 6254 the Board and Chapters. I trust you will enjoy the good reading E-mail: [email protected] in this issue and I pass on my thanks to all our contributors. Your Booking Form for the forthcoming Australia Day Lunch- eon comes with this issue. We look forward to seeing many of DIRECTORS 2015-2016 you on 21 January 2017. The guest speaker, Hon Justice Michael President/Chapter Development Pembroke is not to be missed. Jon FEARON, BA. Dip Ed. Stud (TESOL), We had hoped by now to let you know the plans for reinstalling the Bonds of Friend- T. CERT. ship at Circular Quay. Alas, as yet there is no news. We do know, however, that the Vice-President/Events/ proposed dedication of a plaque for First Fleeter Lt Henry Lidgbird Ball at St Peters, Maintenance Petersham in Surrey is gradually moving through the red tape towards fulfilment. We Denis SMITH OAM hope to give you enough notice if you will be visiting Britain when it happens. Treasurer The recent chapter visits to First Fleet House, see below, remind me to let you know Kevin THOMAS, FCA,FCPA,FCIS that members who have joined between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016 and who live within a 100 km radius from Sydney will soon receive their invitation to the annual Wel- Office Manager/Secretary/ come to New Members Morning Tea to be held on Saturday 24 October. Jon Facebook Therese LUCK SPRING: ‘WHAN LONGEN FOLK TO GOON ON PILGRIMAGES’ Research/Web Site Co-ordinator John BOYD JP. Back in the year 1390, Chapter Liaison English poet Geoffrey Chau- Karys FEARON, BN., RN., RM. cer celebrated Spring ‘whan Archives that Aprille with his shoures soote the droghte of Marche Robert LAMB. Mech Eng. Cert. hath perced to the roote.’ & Machinist Cert. It was also the time when Archivist/Events ‘smale fowles maken melo- Sharon LAMB. Assoc. Dip Land & eng dye’ and ‘longen folk to Survey Drafting goon on pilgrimages, and Minute Secretary palmers for to seken Karen LOVETT, BA. Dip Ed straunge strondes ...and specially, from every shires Family Trees/Database/Computer ende of Engelond, to Caun- Arthur Phillip Chapter Management terbury they wende’. Tony HOLDEN Here on the other side of the world the season is still the time to make pilgrimage, Plaques/Maintenance the destination now is the holy shrine, First Fleet House on John Palmer’s land at Wool- Ray KEATING loomooloo. The happy bands of pilgrims on two separate occasions who recently celebrated Spring and did wend their way southward were the good folk from Arthur Phillip Chap- CONTENTS ter and Hunter Valley Chapter. 1. Two Fleets, some untold history Tales were told as the visitors were welcomed to the house over a scrumptious morn- 2. Directors; President’s Pen; Spring ing tea and a tour Pilgrimages of the building 3. Edward Garth and Susannah Gough; followed, led by Chapter Secretaries presidents past 4-5. Two Fleets, continued; New plaque and present, Ian at St James Church and Jon, respec- tively. 6. Lois retires; New England disbands 7. Garvon Kable Obituary; AGM Re- There were minder; Biographical Database plenty of ques- tions asked and 8. Bungaroo commemorative walk answered, while 9. Book Review; Lyndhurst memorial some of the visi- 10. Office bearers; Two gatherings tors were happy 11. Chapters in Action to spend time 12. New Members; Deaths; At the browsing in the Helm; Newtown plaque dedication; Do- Borrowdale li- Hunter Valley Chapter nations; Message Board brary. 2 October/November 2016 Founders EDWARD GARTH & SUSANNAH GOUGH - NORFOLK ISLAND PIONEERS Edward Garth was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 29 family also had grazing licenses. October 1784, two live cows, being the property of Thomas Susannah Garth/Grates/Gough was born in 1763 and was one Rhodes the younger. He was sentenced to death but reprieved of the female convicts being, indicted, on the 9th August 1783, on 3 March 1785 to transportation to Africa for seven years. His for feloniously stealing, nine one-guinea coins and one half- reprieve was based on witness accounts who described him as a guinea coin, the monies of William Waterhouse and charged as hard working lad in the 14 years he had known him while an- having been stolen, privily from his person. Some money was other offered to employ him if he was acquitted. found on Susannah and her accomplice, Elizabeth Dudgeon. Following time spent in the prison hulk Ceres, he was sent to Reports in Mollie Gillen’s Founders state ‘interestingly Susannah Portsmouth for embarkation on Scarborough. Immediately on swallowed eight guineas which promptly made her sick and she arrival at Port Jackson, Edward was selected to go with the first later brought them up’.