Thomas Pamphlett
Encyclopedia
Thomas Pamphlett sometimes Pamphlet, also known as James Groom, was a convict in colonial Australia. He is best known for his time as a castaway in the Moreton Bay
area, halfway up the eastern coast of Australia, in 1823. He was marooned with two others, Richard Parsons
and John Finnegan
, until rescued by explorer John Oxley
on 29 November of that year. They were the first white people to live in the area.
They led Oxley to a large river, later named the Brisbane River
. Consequently, a new colony at Moreton Bay was established in 1824. Ironically, Pamphlett, an ex-convict, committed another crime and was sentenced to seven years at the new settlement. It eventually became Brisbane
, the capital of Queensland
, Australia. Without Pamphlett and his fellow castaways, Brisbane may never have been founded.
, England. In 1810, he was charged with stealing a horse and five pieces of woolen cloth. The Justices of Assize sentenced him to 14 years' transportation to New South Wales
. He left England on the Guildford
on 3 September 1811 with 199 other convicts, and sailed via Rio de Janeiro
before arriving at Sydney
on 18 January 1812.
. On 28 May 1814, Pamphlett was charged with two others of stealing the windows from Birch Grove House, the first and only building on the Balmain
Peninsula, on 13 May. His punishment was 100 lashes at the marketplace and six months in the Sydney gaol gang in double irons.
After four months he absconded, only to be recaptured and put in the carpenter's gang, but he escaped again. Finally, on 29 March 1815, he was sent to Newcastle
, a place of secondary punishment 100 mile north of Sydney and now the second largest city in New South Wales. Within a few weeks, he disappeared once more. On recapture, Pamphlett was given 50 lashes for "absenting from government labour". In October, he received another 50 strokes for "neglect of government work".
area west of Sydney, where Pamphlett worked on the river in some capacity. He was sentenced to seven years at Port Macquarie penal settlement for stealing from a house at Pitt Town in early 1822 but was let off due to "unsound mind". He was also reported as "occasionally insane".
and John Thompson
, along with full convict John Finnegan, were hired by settler William Cox
to fetch cedar from the Illawarra
District, or the Five Islands
, now known as Wollongong, 50 mile south of Sydney. They set sail on their maiden voyage on 21 March 1823 in an open boat 29 feet (8.8 m) in length and 10 feet (3 m) in beam. On board were large quantities of pork and flour and five gallons of rum to buy cedar from the timber cutters, plus four gallons of water.
They got to within sight of Illawarra when a strong breeze blew them away from the coast. The wind became stronger, heavy rain fell and it got dark. They were blown further out to sea. It was five days before they could use any sail, and they drank the water and the rum. Prevailing winds and currents may have taken them most of the way across the Tasman Sea
toward New Zealand
.
. Thinking Sydney was to the north, the set off along the beach in this direction with two sacks of flour and a few other items. They spent the next seven and a half months walking around Moreton Bay, island hopping, and following river and creek banks until they could find a way of crossing them. They lived for periods with several Aboriginal tribes
who fed them fish and fernroot and thought they were the ghosts of dead kinsmen due to their pale colour.
While Pamphlett attended a series of organised fights with an Aboriginal friend, Parsons and Finnegan headed further north. The pair quarrelled and Finnegan returned to Bribie Island to the south. Pamphlett also returned to this spot. Parsons continued northwards.
, west of Sydney.
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
area, halfway up the eastern coast of Australia, in 1823. He was marooned with two others, Richard Parsons
Richard Parsons (convict)
Richard Parsons, a convict of the colony of New South Wales , was one of four men who set off on a timber getting mission from Sydney bound for Illawarra in 1823...
and John Finnegan
John Finnegan
John Finnegan, a convict of the colony of New South Wales , was one of four men who set off on a timber getting mission from Sydney bound for Illawarra in 1823...
, until rescued by explorer John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
on 29 November of that year. They were the first white people to live in the area.
They led Oxley to a large river, later named the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
. Consequently, a new colony at Moreton Bay was established in 1824. Ironically, Pamphlett, an ex-convict, committed another crime and was sentenced to seven years at the new settlement. It eventually became Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the capital of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia. Without Pamphlett and his fellow castaways, Brisbane may never have been founded.
Transportation
Pamphlett became a brickmaker in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. In 1810, he was charged with stealing a horse and five pieces of woolen cloth. The Justices of Assize sentenced him to 14 years' transportation to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He left England on the Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
on 3 September 1811 with 199 other convicts, and sailed via Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
before arriving at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 18 January 1812.
Life as a convict
He worked at Brickfield Hill just south of the town and lived at The RocksThe Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district...
. On 28 May 1814, Pamphlett was charged with two others of stealing the windows from Birch Grove House, the first and only building on the Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
Peninsula, on 13 May. His punishment was 100 lashes at the marketplace and six months in the Sydney gaol gang in double irons.
After four months he absconded, only to be recaptured and put in the carpenter's gang, but he escaped again. Finally, on 29 March 1815, he was sent to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, a place of secondary punishment 100 mile north of Sydney and now the second largest city in New South Wales. Within a few weeks, he disappeared once more. On recapture, Pamphlett was given 50 lashes for "absenting from government labour". In October, he received another 50 strokes for "neglect of government work".
Commutation of sentence
On 31 January 1820, Pamphlett successfully applied to the Governor for commutation of sentence, receiving a conditional pardon. He was returned to Sydney, evidently with a wife and three children. They lived in the Hawkesbury RiverHawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
area west of Sydney, where Pamphlett worked on the river in some capacity. He was sentenced to seven years at Port Macquarie penal settlement for stealing from a house at Pitt Town in early 1822 but was let off due to "unsound mind". He was also reported as "occasionally insane".
Cedar fetcher
Pamphlett and fellow "ticket of leave" convicts Richard ParsonsRichard Parsons (convict)
Richard Parsons, a convict of the colony of New South Wales , was one of four men who set off on a timber getting mission from Sydney bound for Illawarra in 1823...
and John Thompson
John Thompson (convict)
John Thompson, a convict of the colony of New South Wales , was one of four men who set off on a timber getting mission from Sydney bound for Illawarra in 1823...
, along with full convict John Finnegan, were hired by settler William Cox
William Cox (pioneer)
William Cox was an English soldier, known as an explorer, road builder and pioneer in the early period of British settlement in Australia.-Early life:...
to fetch cedar from the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
District, or the Five Islands
Five Islands Nature Reserve
Five Islands Nature Reserve is a 26 ha reserve comprising five islands close to Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia. The islands - Flinders Islet , Bass Islet, Martin Islet, Big Island and Rocky Islet - lie between 0.5 and 3.5 km off the coast...
, now known as Wollongong, 50 mile south of Sydney. They set sail on their maiden voyage on 21 March 1823 in an open boat 29 feet (8.8 m) in length and 10 feet (3 m) in beam. On board were large quantities of pork and flour and five gallons of rum to buy cedar from the timber cutters, plus four gallons of water.
They got to within sight of Illawarra when a strong breeze blew them away from the coast. The wind became stronger, heavy rain fell and it got dark. They were blown further out to sea. It was five days before they could use any sail, and they drank the water and the rum. Prevailing winds and currents may have taken them most of the way across the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
toward New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Lost at sea
They were hopelessly lost. They thought they had drifted south and headed northwest to try to get back to Illawarra and Sydney. Pamphlett spotted land on their twenty-second day at sea. Before they could land, Thompson succumbed to the lack of fresh water and the elements, and collapsed and died. They kept his body on board, thinking they would be able to land and bury him, but they couldn’t find a spot free of wild surf so buried him at sea after two days.Castaway
Pamphlett, Finnegan and Parsons finally landed on Moreton IslandMoreton Island
Moreton Island is a large sand island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, on the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. Moreton Island lies 58 kilometres northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. The island is 95% National Park and a popular destination for four wheel driving, camping,...
. Thinking Sydney was to the north, the set off along the beach in this direction with two sacks of flour and a few other items. They spent the next seven and a half months walking around Moreton Bay, island hopping, and following river and creek banks until they could find a way of crossing them. They lived for periods with several Aboriginal tribes
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
who fed them fish and fernroot and thought they were the ghosts of dead kinsmen due to their pale colour.
While Pamphlett attended a series of organised fights with an Aboriginal friend, Parsons and Finnegan headed further north. The pair quarrelled and Finnegan returned to Bribie Island to the south. Pamphlett also returned to this spot. Parsons continued northwards.
Rescued
On 29 November 1823, Pamphlett and some aborigines were on the beach at Bribie Island cooking the day's catch when he saw a cutter in the bay. It was explorer John Oxley who had been searching up and down the coast for a new convict settlement. Only then did Pamphlett learn that Sydney was over 500 mile to the south rather than to the north. He told part of his story to crew member John Uniacke. Next day they picked up Finnegan who was returning from a tribal fight. He showed Oxley the Brisbane River while Pamphlett assisted Uniacke and others with aspects of Aboriginal culture. Parsons was picked up by Oxley on another trip nearly a year later.Moreton Bay convict settlement
Oxley took Pamphlett and Finnegan back to Sydney. A year and a half later, as a labourer at Portland Head west of Sydney, Pamphlett committed another crime. He stole two bags of flour, the very food that had initially kept him alive at Moreton Bay. In a further irony, he was sentenced to seven years’ transportation to the new Moreton Bay penal colony, which had been set up after a favourable report on the area by Oxley, thanks to Pamphlett and Finnegan. The Moreton Bay settlement became Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia.Penrith
In October 1833, Pamphlett had served his seven year sentence and was returned to Sydney. His remaining years were uneventful, and he died of unknown causes on 1 December 1838 at PenrithPenrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
, west of Sydney.