ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L Archives

From: Keith Dash <>
Subject: Australian convicts
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 17:09:59 +1000 (EST)

To everyone out there

The term "descendant of convicts" is no longer an effective term of abuse
for Australians. In fact, it is now a badge which is worn with pride,
particularly if one is a descendant of convicts of the First Fleet of 1788.
However the majority of "early Australians" don't qualify for this esteemed
ancestry - we are descendants of free immigrants who came to Australia in
the gold rush years of the 1850s or later.

We have some internal driving force to discover our ancestors and to try and
understand why they left the secure surroundings of their homeland to take
their chances in an almost unknown land on the other side of the world. It
was a decision of enormous bravery, knowing that unless they struck it rich,
which was highly unlikely, they would never see your family, friends or
homeland again. For me, and I suspect for many others descended from these
immigrants, the search for our ancestors is a memorium. It is a passion,
and not something we joke about.

Keith

______________________________________________________
Keith Dash
11A Stanton Road
HABERFIELD NSW 2045
AUSTRALIA
Tel. + 61 2 9797 6246

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