What Became of Van Diemen’s Land’s Youngest Convict Lads?

One of the highlights of our visit to Tasmania was our venture into the convict punishment precinct of Port Arthur, stretched out as it is on the Tasman Peninsula at the very southern end of Aus’. A penal settlement, isolated by the cold antarctic winds and separated from the main Tasmanian island by the savage dog line across the isthmus of the peninsula which kept the convicts in, and the good society of Van Diemen’s Land out. The Dog Line was accompanied by a guards hut where guards and their families lived and this was as close as polite society came.

Our YaYa Adventures into Hobart & Ratho

Hobart Harbour, Tasmania

Two hundred years ago two young sisters (children really) stepped off the “Castle Forbes” which had just docked into the new settlement of Hobart in Tasmania. Ann and Margaret Honeyman were just 11 & 10 years old. They had been newly indentured to the Reid family as maids to the Reids two babes. They had left their mother and two younger brothers aboard the Castle Forbes to travel onto Sydney Town having just received news that their convict father, who they hoped to join up with in Sydney Town, had died. These two girls, new arrivals to the penal settlement of Hobart, a town settled just 18yrs prior, were Scottish emigrants now bound for the colonial outpost along the Clyde River in the highlands near to what was to become the township of Bothwell on the Central Tasmanian High Country. 

Australia’s First Slaves & Servants

Two hundred years ago this year, a branch of my family arrived into Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania).  It was a penal outpost then, one envisioned by those in authority of the day, to take in the tens of thousands of convicts over the next seventy years.

These were people expelled from the British Isles as the “Upper Crust” attempted to deal with those living in poverty, the destitute. Those often starving lower class and the disenfranchised. People who were mostly a product of the industrial revolution of the day, that was being experienced in their own country that of the British Isles.

The Pages of Our Lives

This damn virus has impacted our lives for nigh on 18 months plus now, so travel is complex and family are paramount in our lives.  But life does go on regardless.

We (The Man and I) have staged a break-away and I am currently sitting up in the rainforest at the Top-of-the-Range above Cairns where it is warmer, the cold got to me so we staged our break-out to touch base family, putting the finishing touches to my latest project. A new publication for the Family Historians.

(Nb: For a preview of this title visit the US site here. Australian purchasing can be done through all other links)

Living The Dream – And Family

Living the Dream

Planning for our next tour is always fun and between family time and living, this is what has been filling my thoughts of late and its led me to reflect on travel and family. After a number of years there still is simply so much of our beautiful country to see. Even revisiting places we love is a joy, as we get to see what time has made of them and then there is Family… yours.

Around the Campfire

E-books in the Around the Campfire Series are available in ebook and print

A travel series
Around the Campfire.

The Sundowner’s of Today’s World

In years gone past the Australian Sundowner was a wanderer who arrived at dusk seeking work, usually the promise of work and in turn was given a meal. However when the sun rose the next day the promise of work never eventuated as the bloke had usually moved on during the early dawn. Or… another meaning was for the 5pm happy hour drinks.

Grey Nomads and The Digital Divide

When we set out on The Lap eighteen months ago we thought we were doing very well. I had actually convinced The Man that a smart phone was the way to go… so now we’re duly armed with one each. This is progress. The Man hates mobile phones and while they are invaluable when trying to find him in a shopping centre, this was the only use he could think of for those pesky mobile phones.

Stepping Off the Edge – Aus’ Has Changed

As we take a moment to plan, reflect and enjoy being on the Homesite before we are off on our next travel adventure there are things that I have now noticed about how the world, my world, has moved on without me.

Australia Day – A Peoples Celebration!

Free E-book, available for download from Amazon.com for a short time to celebrate Australia Day and its true meaning.

“Out on the Never Never” is a true Australian adventure in traveling our land. One celebrating the love of our Land as two Grannies, two pups in a ‘Bitch Box’ set out to cross the continent in their little caravan… join them on their journey to discover modern-day Australia.

Celebrating our love of the Land and our Freedom. This is the original meaning of the peoples celebration known as Australia Day, the 26^th January.

Down through the history of Australia many groups, factions and Governors have tried to hijack what is and always was the “peoples” celebration, this to their own cause but it is truly time we reclaimed what rightfully belongs to the people.