I started doing my family tree in September, 2009 to find out more about my father's side family. It has always been a bit of a mystery. I have found many long lost relatives during my journey. There are convicts, (of course), 1st Fleeters to Australia, Anzacs, pioneers of Queensland, characters even a few pub owners, plus a few skeletons.
The O'Brien Family, well they were at the start of this great nation....Thomas O'Brien was a 1st Fleeter who travelled to Australia on the Scarborough. He met up with Susannah Mortimer who came out on the 2nd Fleet on the Lady Julianna (the brothel ship) then they were the first settlers on Norfolk Island and from Norfolk Island they then went on to pioneer Hobart. O'Brien's Bridge in Glenorchy is named after Thomas O'Brien and it's still standing today.
The Howarth Family came out as convicts to Sydney then went to the Victorian goldfields to find their pot of gold, then to the Riverina, back to Sydney's inner suburbs and then settled on the northern beaches of Sydney.
The Collman Family were Tasmanian convicts. They travelled from Hobart to Bega/Eden and then onto the inner suburbs of Sydney.
The Anderson's travelled from Norway to Sydney then became pioneers of Brisbane. Their children travelled all over Queensland and New South Wales. Most of the Anderson men married Aboriginal women.
Mary McCauley travelled from Ireland to Australia and married Charles Anderson in Brisbane and were one of the settlers of Brisbane, Queensland.
The Askew's travelled as free settlers from Lincolnshire,UK to Bega/Eden.
I hope you enjoy looking through my tree. If you find any errors please contact me.