Individual

Allen’s Convict Life

We know that Allen was transported to Van Dieman’s Land in 1850 and arrived in Hobart to a none-too-welcoming reception from the local “Hobartonians”. As I mentioned in the last post, when Allen’s ship arrived, a local agricultural society suggested that “…the indignation of the Hobartonians is great: utter detestation of the government is […]

To the Hero

The best place to start is with the hero of our story, Allen Airey.   Forgetting the drivers for Allen’s unfortunate life for a moment, he is solely responsible for bringing the family to Tasmania (and to me).  He may not have been the model citizen, but he was strong enough to survive years in […]