About Us

Josephus Henry Barsden was born in 1799 and travelled as a new-born on the convict ship “Speedy“ on its passage to New South Wales. His father was a fugitive in France, wanted for smuggling, his mother on a seven-year sentence to New South Wales.

James Blackman was able to obtain a high recommendation from the Colonial Office who were encouraging skilled people to migrate to the Colony of New South Wales. The Blackman family left England on the ship Canada and arrived on 14 Dec 1801.

Johnathan Green married Elizabeth Cooper in Lincolnshire England on the  17 July 1796. 

They had two children who accompanied their mother to New South Wales as free inhabitants, and where Johnathan was transported to for life.

Jane and George Bailey were married on 19 May 1829 at The English Church in Ireland and immigrated to Australia on board the ship "Trinidad" in November 1841. 

Joseph Curby and Mary Ann Curby were married at St George Hanover Square, London in 1827 and arrived in Australia 13th April 1842 on the ship "Louisa" 

Charles and Caroline Nelmes sailed to Australia on the ‘Northampton’ arriving 7th November, 1881 with three sons. They settled at Newcastle and had seven more children. 

Five generations. Merle Sharpe with Ron and Carol Sharpe along with Michael Sharpe and his daughter, Jordi with her new baby boy.

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Two hundred and twenty two years since the baby boy Joe Barsden arrived in Sydney Cove on board the Speedy.

Elizabeth French married Michael Sharpe in 1993. Elizabeth has three brothers and is the only daughter of Jill and James French. Jim is a former Military Officer and Graduate of the Australian Army's Officer Training Unit at Scheyville and went on to build a career in the New South Wales Police Force. 

In 2005 Ron Sharpe was named Citizen of the Year in recognition of his volunteering. In 2006 he received an Order of Australia Medal  for service to the community through a range of service & social welfare organisations. He went on to be Chairman of the Order of Australia Association.