NEWSLETTER OF FELLOWSHIP OF FIRST FLEETERS '/1, /, ••( ,,,, Ill th,· h,'ill f,, .111,J 111111, I,,,,/ I),,,, I 11,11111/,• ,., Jh 1'1 I It' ,Jt, .'. PATRON: His Exce llency the Honourable Gordon Samuels, AC, Governor of N~w South Wales PreJidentd report elcome to the New Year and the On Australia Day I had an interview with daw n of a new millennium. On member Ray Hadley [FF Thomas Spencer/Mary New Year's Day accompanied Phillips] on the John Laws program at 2UE. W by Joy, my daughter and two Although the land line was not the best I feel that grandchildre n, we decided to celebra te the I got the message across! Later that day Joy and Centenary of Federation by watching the parade I represented the Fellowship at the State at a vantage point from St. Mary's Cathedral. A Reception at Darling Ha rbour w here I was able couple of months previously I had contacted the to have a short conversation with our Patron. powers that be running the show to ascertain I recently received notification from the w hat part that the Fellowship of First Fleeters Governor's Official Secretary that His Excellency could play in the parade. A reply via e-mail was the Hon. Gordon Samuels will be completing received, that if I rang a certain number, I would his term of office on 28 February next. He went be informed of the concept of the proposed on to say that H is Excellency a nd Mrs Samuels Federation Parade. Needless to say I treated the have much enjoyed their association with our reply with the ignore that it deserved. Obviously organisation and extend their very best wishes for we were not wanted! As far as the concept was continued success in years ahead. concerned it left a lot to be desired. Good in I have, as a result of this communication, some parts but utterly boring in others, and requested on your behalf patronage from the INSIDE myself a nd family attending, were not the only incoming Governor, Dr Marie Bashir AO. 2 NEWS OF MEMBERS ones to feel that way. The Secretary of the North Coast C hapter, Owing to ill health Doug Oakes has been Roby n Condliff, has written advising that action 3 PAST PATRON forced to step down as Vice-President and is being taken to sta rt a Chapter in either the PRAISES PAST Convenor of the Plaques Committee. The Tamworth regio n or the Armidale region . Executive, at its December meeting, accepted his Recehtly we sent Roby n a printout of members 4 AUSTRALIA DAY resignation with deep regret but gave him leave of in both areas so we hope for success in this LUNCHEON absence as a Director of the Fellowship. Doug, a venture. I still, personally, live in hopes that we Foundation Member, has been a tower ofs trength can find a catalyst in the Brisbane area to form 6 PRESIDENT'S not only to myself, personally, but to the a C hapter. In the early 1970s we did have a AUSTRALIA DAY Fellowship as a w hole and will be sorely missed. nucleus there but it seemed to fade away. WELCOME Unfortunately he will not be able to proceed with More on the O lympics. At least two First the Norfolk Island trip but I will be leaning on him Fleeters took pa rt in Torch R elays. Jennifer 6 THEDAYWE for advice as I take his place. He is assured of our Johns [FF John Nicholls] at Coffs Harbour and CELEBRATE t~hts and prayers for restoration to health. Rodney Bosman [FF Robert Forrester] carried •1'.Jur Australia Day Luncheon was a great the paralympic torch in Sydney. It is of interest 7 How DO You LIVE success with over 130 members a nd guests in to note also that Stuart Bigham [FF Ann Forbes] attendance. We were pleased to welcome our was recently awarded an Australian Sports Medal member and former Patron, Rear-Admiral Peter for his co ntribution for 30 years involvement 7 MAILBOX Sinclair, and his wife, Shir ley, unfortunately time with Australian Rules football in Victoria. went so quickly we were not able to meet all 8 200 I COMMITTEE present as our guests of honour had to travel to 8uY.A•BRICK Tea Gardens later that day. Further details of (co11t,i111eo 011 page 8) the gathering are in this issue. Price 50¢ Registered by Australia Post Publication No NBH 1271 JAMES WILLIAMS: Mr Keith MEMBERSHIP REPORT William Phipps, Mrs Joan Phipps, Mr DEATH~ Ian Keith Phipps. FOR PERIOD 24 AUGUST Deepest sympathy is extended to the 2000 TO 6 FEBRUARY 200 I famil ies of the following: JOSEPH ~RIGHT: Mr Brian George Harris. JOHN WILLIAM COWELL (#5931), We extend a warm welcome to new passed away at home suddenly on 26 members joined during this period, ADDITIONAL F IRST FLEETERS: June 2000. Age 66. Descendant of First twenty-two adults, two juniors and three John Herbert to Elizabeth Haywood Fleeter Joseph Tuzo. spouse associates. for Mr Ross John H ills; Richard Morgan to John Palmer for Mrs Julia GWENDA MARY COWELL (nee THOMAS ACRES: Mr Thomas Cornford; John Herbert and Deborah Gibbs), passed away at home, suddenly Charles Pinnock (jun). Ellam to Frederick Meredith for Mrs on 11 December 2000, age 64. Wife of Violet Gavin. John William Cowell (#5931). OWEN CAVANOUGH MARGARET DARNELL + ANN KENNETH HUNT (#) passed away FORBES: Mr John Russell Tait. on 6 November 2000 (member of the North Coast Chapter.) Descendant of THOMAS CHIPP JANE BIRTHS First Fleeters Wm Douglas/Mary LANGLEY: Mr Neville Elliott Chiplin. Groves. Welcome to additional First Fleeters: MATTHEW EVERINGHAM: Mr MONA KEOUGH (#6666) passed Leslie Allan Bennett (sp Mrs Jacqueline MONIQUE SANDRA and ABIGAIL away 14 O ctober 2000 (member of Bennett); Mrs Dorothy May ALYCE DOHERTY (FF John North Coast Chapter). Descendant of Wotherspoon, Nichols), 2 l November 2000. Twin First Fleeters Wm Eggleton and Mary daughters to Peter and Sandra Doherty, Dickenson. ROBERT FORRESTER: Mr Milton granddaughters for Shirley and Kevin Clifford Bubb, Miss Melissa Anne Bubb; Doherty (#3705). Seventh generation. GWENDOLINE R ICHMOND Mrs Anisa Elizabeth Crocker, Miss O'BRIEN (nee Powell) known as Molly, Brittany Kate Crocker (jun); Mrs FIONA ELIZABETH HARPER (FF died 15 October 2000 at John Fly nn Elizabeth Mavis Mcinnis; Mr Sean Daniel Stanfield, Alice Harmsworth and Hospital, Tweed Heads. Aged 94 years. James Trebley. Edward Kimberley), born 8 December Descendant of First Fleeters John Small 2000 at Nowra NSW. Daughter of Lisa and Mary Parker. JOHN HERBERT: Mr Peter Graham and Stuart (#6095) Harper, Row. granddaughter of Lynette (#6094) and Wi lliam Harper. Eighth generation. JOHN HERBERT - DEBORAH ELLAM: Mr Douglas James Howlett OLIVLA GEMMA SHARP (FF Jacob (sp Mrs Beryl May Howlett). Bellette),,3 December 2000. Daughter to Lisa and Jonathan, sister to Benjamin, NATHANIEL LUCAS - OLIVIA granddaughter to J ani ce Bellette GASCOLGNE: Mr Roderick Lucas (#6600) and great-granddaughter to Williams. Gwendolyn Porter (#6599). Eighth generation. FREDERICK MEREDITH: Mr Closing date for Barrance Frederick Troy. NAOMI MARI E WALSH (FF copy res Andrew Fishburn), 29 November 2000. M issue JOHN NICHOLS: Mrs Stephanie AdaughterforAngelaandGrahamand March 24 200 I ~aden. first grandchild for Victoria McPherson. Tenth generation. JAMES OGDEN + WILLIAM TUNKS: Mr Francis John Warren (sp Mrs Maureen Warren). OFFICE HOURS EDWARD PUGH - HANNAH SMLTH: Ms Carol Anne (Innes) Stockley, Mr David Robert Innes, Mr Barry Allan Innes. CD Furthermore, we ill ustrate multiculturalism by focusing on more recent arriv,_,Js to this great land - the selection of people who· gave those great presentations at the Centenary THE FOLLOWING IS AN ADDRESS Celebration evening at Centena~Park is a good example - DELIVERED BY FORMER PATRON there was no one from a British background. It is almost as if the contributions of the hrst settlers were of no consequences PETER SINCLAIR AT THE to our future and especially if they were Engli sh, or W elsh, or Scottish. I worry about this, because if multiculturalism is AUSTRALIA DAY LUNCHEON. to mean anything positive for our nation, then it has to be all­ inclusive. For example, there are over tive and a half million Australians who have Scottish blood in their veins and they should have an important part to play in our multicultural Australia. And so shou,ld the other founding cultures. The second matter has to do with the R word - elighted - and so pleased to be here as a fully­ Reconciliation. Now I am all for reconciliation, if this means Aedged member, rather than as last time.your restoring djgnity and respect to the first inhabitants of our land. Patron. Because last time I was not aware that But I worry that many people with an axe to grind are using I had a First Fleeter amongst my ancestors. the cause of reconciliatio n to denigrate the early settlers and Indeed, J have always been envious of my wife Shirley's claim anything British by distorting the telling of history. Thus we to early (but not First Fleet) ancestry, w hich included some hear, variously, that the first Europeans were hell bent on notable convicts, because I could not even find any sig n of genocide and that all manner of atrocities were heaped on the clinking chains in my lot. I always used to say that my ancestors aborig inal people from the outset. used to pardon Shirley's ancestors - but no more. Because from Yet the truth is quite different, because as you all know, that amazing moment two years back, when I learnt about my Arthur Philli p was under strict orders from the British great(etc) grandparents William Broughton and the tragic Government to: Ann G lossop (killed and eaten by Maoris), I no longer bow to Shirley's seniority! How I wish I had known th is w hen I was your Patron! What fun we could have had! I could have given my old friend David Martin a hurry up too, if I had known that we were practically related ! Incidentally, my ignorance of my First Fleer connection was not due to laziness o r disinterest on my part, Shirley and I have researched our family trees to the Nth degree.