b Family Links to Norfolk Island

Our family links to First Fleeters on Norfolk Island are through Thomas and Mary Ann Jillett

Edward Westlake and his wife Elizabeth Wood are the 5th Great grandparents of John Herron.
Their daughter Susannah Westlake was the fourth great grandmother.

225 year anniversary

Her daughter Mary Ann Shone was the third great grandmother, and she married Thomas Jillett, son of Robert Jillett and Elizabeth Bradshaw, both of whom lived on Norfolk Island, arriving 1803.

Edward Westlake lived in Devon in United Kingdom.  He was a first fleet convict, and he arrived in Australia in 1788 on board the Charlotte.  Five weeks later we was on the ship to Norfolk Island, as an original member of the First Fleet Settlement.

He was chosen as one of only 23 persons to make the voyage. 9 convict males and 6 females took to the ocean in the ship Supply, and arrived 6th March 1788, landing at Kingston. Captain Phillip King was the commanding officer.  The convicts were chosen because of their behaviour on board the voyage from England.

One of the benefits for the convict men was that they could chose to marry on the island, mainly because he did not want to encourage any homosexuality and he also told them that they would be sent back to England if they chose it.  That certainly did not happen.

Edward was in good company because he arrived with his father-in-law, John Mortimore, aged 72 and his brother-in-law Noah Mortimore.  Edward had been married to Elizabeth Mortimore.

The settlers arrived and were made to clear the land around the landing spot.  They could not possibly imagine where they were.  A small speck of an island, covered in extremely tall pine trees.

In fact 95% of the island was covered with the majestic tall Norfolk Island pinetrees.
They were put to work to clear the land and plant crops.

The area is now known as Arthur's Vale.


Today the only occupants at Arthur's Vale are the well fed cows and families of ducks, geese and chickens.

A visit to the lagoon is a must, but make sure you bring the left over bread scraps, because they do expect to be fed!

Life on the Island was very difficult.  They had to cope with the weather, the guards, the winds, the conditions, and at one stage there was a plot to hijack a boat and row away.  They had no idea that they were virtually trapped on the island.  Noah Mortimer was punished with 60 lashes for refusing to work!

The journal written by Phillip Gidley King is well worth reading as it details the events of the day.

Edward Westlake married Elizabeth Wood, nee Adams, herself a convict.

Among their children was Susannah.  Susannah was the mother of Mary Ann Shone, who married Thomas Jillett, son of Robert and Elizabeth Jillett.

Colleen McCullough wrote a book about her husband's family, called Morgan's Run.  It tells the story of Richard Morgan and others, about their life and times in the First Settlement it is well worth a visit.

During your visit, reflect on the conditions that Edward and Elizabeth and their children all faced.

Imagine trying to walk from their land to Kingston, to have their details recorded, when they were off stores.

The land is so hilly, and today there are roads and bridges to cater for the cars, and the cattle have made their own tracks on the hillside.

Map from the Golf Club