ALAN CARLTON
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David Collins

Picture
1756: David Collins was born. His mother was from Ireland. His father was an officer in the marines.

1770: David joined his father’s division as an ensign.

1771: Promoted to second lieutenant. 

1775: Fought in North America War of Independence for Britain. He was involved in battles were the British suffered heavy losses with many injuries and deaths and he was promoted to first lieutenant. 

1777: Married Maria Stuart in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he was stationed. She was a daughter of a captain. David was employed as an adjutant.

1779: Promoted to Captain-Lieutenant.

1780: Promoted to Captain.

1786: Joined the first fleet. Because he imagined a future away from the salt sea ocean and military battles. His inclination was towards civil administration.
He sailed without his wife.

1788: Arrived at Botany Bay.  He became the head legal person in the colony.
Phillip admired him and appointed him as his second in command.   His duties involved crime and punishment, convict labour, health, rations and stores.
He deplored clashes with the aborigines. Normally taking sides with the aborigines.

1789: Second fleet arrived. Most of the marines left and returned to England.
His wife wrote to him: You have already stayed too long in that infernal place.
His father wrote: Return to aid further advancement.
He stayed in Sydney until his father could get him a civil appointment. He was getting on well with Phillip.

1792: Phillip departed. He stayed on to help the new Governor. And the one after.

1795: Governor Hunter arrived.

1796: He sailed for England. In England people flocked to his home for any news of relatives in NSW.

1798: Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Wrote a book called An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales. Its object was “the dissuasion of his countrymen from regarding New South Wales with 'odium and disgust.” He told his father “nature intended and fashioned me to ascend the pulpit.” The book promoted peace, tranquility and good manners.
Maria helped edit one volume of his work and wrote at least one novel of her own.

1802: David Collins was chosen to settle Bass St. He left his wife behind in London.

1803: He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of a new colony under the Governor of NSW. He arrived in Port Philip Bay. He saw a lack of timber and water and moved his settlement to the Derwent.

1804: He arrived at Risdon and disapproved of Risdon as suitable. He moved everyone to Sullivan's Cove.
Within months he had everyone in a wooden hut, a temporary store and a farm started at Cornelian Bay.
He found the convicts unskilled, the marines troublesome, the free settlers apathetic and demanding, his tools of poor quality.  Supplies came from Sydney irregularly. Much livestock died in transit. Everyone was on reduced rations plus what game they could catch.
He promoted and aided whale fishing. Which was a success.
London and Sydney both neglected Collins. He was energetic in his work. Behaved well, cheerfully and humanely to everyone.

1808: His wife Maria would not join him due to her ailing mother. He was not consulted when Britain decided to send settlers from Norfolk Island to Van Diemens Land. They had all been promised cleared land, convict servants, buildings and livestock. He couldn’t provide this. At new Norfolk he now had a group of free settlers unhappy with him.  

1810: David Collins died suddenly. Buried in St David’s Park.

Maria Proctor (his legal wife): One daughter died as an infant.  In 1813 Maria was given a pension in “Consideration of her husband's services in superintending the Commencement of the Settlement at Hobart's Town.” She died in Plymouth in 1830.

Ann Yeates (his Sydney partner): A daughter and a son called George. George joined the navy.

Margaret Eddington (his Hobart partner): Two children in 1808, 1809. 

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  • Home
  • Photos
    • photos >
      • All Saints Church
      • Anglesea Barracks
      • Art Mob
      • Boer War
      • Botanical Gardens
      • Brooke Street Pier
      • Brunswick Hotel
      • Campbell Street
      • Castray Esplanade
      • Cenotaph
      • Constitution Dock
      • St David's Cathedral
    • photos >
      • St David's Park
      • Elizabeth St Mall
      • Elizabeth St Pier
      • Franklin Square
      • Hadley's Hotel
      • Hobart GPO
      • Hobart Congregational Church
      • Hobart Rivulet
      • Hobart Town Hall
      • Holy Trinity Church
      • Heading South Sculpture
      • Hutchins Old School
    • photos >
      • Kunanyi / Mt Wellington
      • MacQuarie Street Primary School
      • Maritime Museum
      • MacQuarie Wharf
      • Parliament House
      • Penitentary
      • Railway Roundabout
      • Regatta
      • RHH
      • Royal Visits 1868 1901 1920 1927 1934
      • Royal visit 1954
      • Salamanca Place
    • photos >
      • Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
      • Theatre Royal
      • Victoria Dock
      • Saint David's Cathedral
      • Saint David's Park
      • St George Anglican Church
    • Street art: photos >
      • Bidencope Lane
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      • Elizabeth Street North Hobart​
      • Kemp Despard Streets
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      • Argyle Street
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      • Bathurst Street
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      • Davey Street
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  • Places
    • Places >
      • All Saint's Church
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      • Atheneum Club
      • Baha’i Centre
      • Boer War Memorial
      • Brook Street Pier
      • Brunswick Hotel
      • Boats in the docks
      • Constitution Dock
      • The Drunken Admiral
      • Franklin Square
      • Gas Works
    • Places >
      • Hadley's Hotel
      • Heading South Sculpture
      • Hobart GPO
      • Hobart Synagogue
      • Hobart Town Hall
      • Holy Trinity Church
      • Hunter Street
      • Ingle Hall
      • Old Wool Factory
      • Ordnance Stores
      • Parliament House
      • Penitentiary
      • Princes Park
    • Places >
      • Princes Wharf 1
      • Scots Memorial Church
      • Saint David's Cathedral
      • Saint David's Park
      • Saint George Anglican Church
      • St Michaels Collegiate School
      • Supreme Court
  • History
    • History >
      • Tasmanian Timeline
      • Early Tasmania
      • Mid Nineteenth Century
      • Late Nineteenth Century
      • 20th Century
      • Tasmania’s aborigines
      • Convicts
    • People >
      • John Lee Archer
      • William Bedford
      • Andrew Bent
      • Louis Bernacchi
      • James Blackburn
      • William Bunster
      • William Buckley
      • Thomas Bromfield
      • Luke Castray
      • William Champion
      • David Collins
    • People >
      • John Colvin
      • Charles Darwin
      • Governor Eadley
      • TT Flynn
      • John Franklin
      • Lady Jane Franklin
      • Charles Gaylor
      • Haig: Elizabeth and Andrew
      • Henry Jones
    • People >
      • James Kelly
      • Robert Knopwood
      • Lachlan Macquarie
      • Douglas Mawson
      • Charles McLachlan.
      • George Mure
      • Pearce: Henry and John
      • Robert Pitcairn
      • Poulett-Harris
      • Reid: Arthur and Alison
      • James Clark Ross
      • Ikey Solomon
      • Phillip Smith
      • Abel Tasman
      • Mark Twain
      • AJ White
      • Andrew and Elizabeth Haig
  • Community
    • Hobart Marathon Festival
    • Hadley's Hotel
    • history is not set in bronze
    • Wooden Boat Festival 2019
    • What do you think of Hobart?
    • Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
    • The Mountain
  • Walking Tours
    • Dave's Walking Tour
    • The Tench Walking Tour
    • Botanical Gardens Circuit
    • ​Alfred’s feeling religious walk
    • Battery Point Sculpture Trail
    • Lachlan gets to the point
    • Street art: Luffy paints the town
  • Blog
    • healing through living
    • This website
    • about another website
    • Acknowledgement
    • Contact
  • The Full Complement
    • Alan Carlton
    • Daniel Frank
    • Paul Barrington
    • Jodi Sutton
    • Jodi Sutton talks about mistakes
    • Jodi Sutton: The phone
    • Ann Heath
    • Maddie Atkins
    • Karen Wong
    • Jo-Anne Cherry
    • Jo-Anne Cherry: Retirement
    • Errol Kilov
    • Garry Owen
    • Katherine Janney
    • Jacques Cawood
    • John Chung
  • Songs
    • Forty Years Ago
    • Tomorrow
    • Clouds in the River
    • I Woke Up
    • Hold My Hand
    • Cornelian Bay Boathouses
    • Dance on the Deck
    • Eucalyptus Globulus