1788 AD Magazine of the Fellowship of First Fleeters ACN 003 223 425 PATRON: Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO Volume 48, Issue 4 49th Year of Publication August-September 2017 To live on in the hearts and minds of descendants is never to die STITCHED WITH LOVE: CONVICT BONNETS ON DISPLAY Members and Friends of the Southern Highlands Chap- ter honoured their female convict ancestors at an exhibi- tion held in the Berrima District Historical Society’s Mu- seum. The display was arranged in conjunction with the NSW National Trusts’ Heritage Festival in April & May and by request continued throughout June. Chapter Members, supported by the Friday Girls Sew- ing Group, created 28 memorial bonnets for convict women with descendants here in the Highlands. The pro- ject team members – Gwen & Rob Herbert, Wendy Sel- man along with Lyn & Harlon Hall from the Museum mounted the display. women just couldn’t cope with life after total dislocation Each bonnet was accompanied by a short dedication and sense of powerlessness. Others went on to make a which was supported by an Exhibition Guide Book telling life for themselves, have families and contribute to soci- the story of each of these pioneering women. There was ety, and in such a way that we have to really search to also a continuous loop television presentation providing uncover their lives as convict women and female factory information about convict women in general – giving inmates. The profiles of the women transported don’t them a voice, describing them as they were, not as myth match the common stereotype at the time of morally de- and legend would like to portray them. generate, prostitutes, from a crime class, unskilled and “The women’s experiences in the colony varied. Some illiterate.” (Gay Hendriksen, Curator, Parramatta Heri- tage Centre, at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra on 14 June 2009.) Well known histo- rian Linda Emery opened the exhibition on 19 April 2017. Our bonnets created a lot of local interest and the display was well supported by both locals and visitors to the Southern High- lands. It was a won- derful and rewarding community project. Linda Emery, at right, opens exhibition WS Registered by Australia Post Publication No. 100002063 PRICE $2.50 Phone 02 9360 3788 Founders available Fellowship of First Fleeters, 105 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011 Email:[email protected] now on e-mail. First Fleeters on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FirstFleeters Details on page 12 Membership Enquiries:[email protected] WEBSITE: www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au Founders August/September 2017 PRESIDENT’S PEN FOUNDERS The magazine of the Jon Fearon Fellowship of First Fleeters Editor , Layout and Artwork Jon & Karys Fearon Our two weeks in England earlier this year allowed us Ph. 02 4311 6254 to include parts of the ‘First Fleet Pilgrimage’ that many E-mail: [email protected] of our members have done in the past. Bathhampton, Lyndhurst and Boldre were on the schedule and as can be DIRECTORS 2016-2017 seen on page 7 the camera was busy. President/Chapter Development We were not in the Greater London area so did not get to St P e t e r s Jon FEARON, BA. Dip Ed. Stud (TESOL), Church, Petersham, where the newest Fellowship plaque will be unveiled on 22 Vice-President/Events/ October this year. The grave is that of Lt Henry Lidgbird Ball, Commander of Maintenance HMS Supply. Will you or family members be in England at that time and there- Denis SMITH OAM fore available to represent the Fellowship on the day? If so, Vice President Treasurer Denis Smith, [email protected], would love to hear from you. The more Kevin THOMAS, FCA,FCPA,FCIS of our members who can be there on the day, the grander the occasion. Office Manager/Secretary/ The organising committee for our 50th Anniversary Luncheon at Darling Har- Facebook bour next year is putting plans in place for a truly memorable event on 10 Therese LUCK March. Seating will be in high demand so once you receive your Booking Form Research/Web Site Co-ordinator with the October Founders (48/5) we advise you to get in early. Our traditional John BOYD JP. Australia Day Luncheon will NOT be held in 2018. Chapter Liaison /Membership In the mean time I will be pleased to borrow from you, or have them scanned Karys FEARON, BN to my email, good copies of pictures from the early days of the Fellowship. Archives Photos began appearing in Founders from the early 1990s but for the 20 years Robert LAMB. Mech Eng. Cert. before that the cupboard is quite bare. & Machinist Cert. Archivist/Events FELLOWSHIP OF FIRST FLEETERS Sharon LAMB. Assoc. Dip Land & eng ACN 003 223 425 Survey Drafting Patron: Professor The Honorable Dame Marie Bashir AD, CVO Minute Secretary Vice-Patron: Commodore Paul Kable AM, RAN, Rtd. Karen LOVETT, BA. Dip Ed Vice-Patron: Peter Christian OAM Family Trees/Database/Computer Management NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Tony HOLDEN The next Annual General Meeting Plaques/Membership Will be held on Chris COUNTER JP Saturday 28th October 2017 Commencing at 11.00am Membership At: Adamstown Senior Citizens’ Hall Val COUNTER 153A Brunker Road Adamstown NSW CONTENTS AGENDA 1. Stitched with Love 1. Welcome and Apologies. 2. Directors; President’s Pen; Annual 2. To receive and confirm the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 29 General Meeting Announcement October 2016. 3. North Coast Chapter’s 20th Birthday 3. To receive the President’s Report. 4. To receive and consider the Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Accounts of the 4. First Fleet Document Fellowship for the year ended 30 June 2017. 5. Hunter Valley celebrates 10 years 5. To approve the appointment of Professor The Honorable Dame Marie Bashir as 6. The Boggis-Tompson Family Reunion Patron. 7. continued; In the New Forest 6. To approve the appointment of Commodore Paul Kable as Vice-Patron. 8. James Bloodworth and Sarah Bellamy 7. To approve the appointment of Peter Christian as Vice-Patron. 9. continued; Family History Diploma 8. Election of Officers: 10. From the Archives; Three Requests; -Appointment of Returning Officer, Norfolk Island Celebrations 2018 -Declaration of vacancy of positions and the election of Officers: 11. Chapters in Action President, Vice-President, Treasurer & Committee Members (max 13 Officers) 12. New Members; Births; Deaths; At -Declaration by the Returning Officer of the incoming Officers. the Helm; Luncheon 2018; Chapter Sec- 9. General business. retaries T Luck, Secretary, 22 July 2017 2 August/September 2017 Founders NORTH COAST CHAPTER CELEBRATES 20 YEARS At the June meeting held at the home of Margaret and Publicity Officer. Joseph Bass, the 20th Anniversary of the chapter was high- After some discussion it was decided to adopt the Aims lighted by archivist Robyn Condliffe with a short history. as set out by the Northern Rivers Chapter, with some small Extracts are given below. additions. Membership fees were set at $10 per family and Mary and Jim Kell, Lionel Phelps and Rod Davis, members $7 per single, and a cheque account was opened at the of the Northern Rivers Chapter, Fellowship of First Fleet- Bannacoast Community Credit Union. ers, felt the Coffs Harbour Region of New South Wales Over the past 20 years we have seen many changes; would be an ideal place to form another Chapter of The membership has changed as some members drop out and Fellowship. Mary and Jim Kell had been travelling to Lis- new members arrive and so our Fellowship continues with more for Chapter meetings for some time. Subsequently descendants with like interests. the following advertisement was placed in the Coffs Har- bour and Dorrigo/Bellingen Papers. It is now mandatory to belong to the Fellowship of First th Fleeters, our name has changed from North Coast Chapter, “A meeting will be held on Sunday 13 April 1997 at Fellowship of First Fleeters, to Fellowship of First Fleeters, 1.00pm at the Community Village, Earl Street Coffs Har- North Coast Chapter. Our Banner, still carrying our original bour, to see if there is enough interest in forming a North chapter name, was purchased and we proudly marched Coast Chapter of the Fellowship. The Meeting is sponsored and carried it first on Anzac Day 2001. by the Northern Rivers Chapter of the Fellowship of First Fleeters and some executive and members will be present. Our Chapter opened two Chapters – one called the North All descendants of First Fleeters will be very welcome. West Chapter (in Tamworth) and the other New England Chapter (in Armidale). I had worked for months with peo- Contact phone numbers were given and the advertise- ple in both Armidale and Tamworth with a view to opening ment was signed by Mary Kell. just one Chapter, however this was not what the majority The response was quite overwhelming with about fifty wanted so two Chapters were formed. Tony and I went to people attending. It was decided to form the North Coast Tamworth and Mary and Jim Kell went to Armidale as both Chapter, Fellowship of First Fleeters and to hold the inau- districts wanted the Inaugural meetings to be on the one gural meeting on Sunday 1st June 1997 at Boambee Creek day at about the same time. Unfortunately the New Eng- Reserve. land Chapter has disbanded. Our Chapter and their Chap- June 1st was a fine and sunny day and 33 people attended ter spent quite a few visits backwards and forwards. with apologies from 14 others. It was moved by Robyn Below is a photo taken on the day of our first Meeting, 20 Condliffe, seconded by Jeanette Williamson that this or- years ago – three people had already left.