People

Reg has written extensively on various characters who have contributed to the history of Tasmania and beyond.

Andrew Inglis Clark

Father of Federation and the Hare Clark Voting System.

View Story – (PDF)

Betty King

Arriving with the First Fleet, Betty King was the first white woman to step foot in Australia.

View Story – (PDF)

Bishop Francis Russell Nixon

Bishop Francis Russell Nixon was the first Anglican Bishop of Tasmania who was good looking with coal black hair.  Clashing with members of his own church together with the Governor of Tasmania and those in favour of continual convict transportation saw his time in the colony controversial.  Nonetheless, he was also a humane man, a scholar and toured extensively throughout the colony even to the Bass Strait Islands.

View Story – (PDF)

Canadian / American Rebels in Van Diemen’s Land

In 1840, 93 Canadians and Americans, but mainly Americans, were transported as convicts to that place of penal servitude, Van Diemen’s Land

View Story – (PDF)

Captain James Cook

There is some discussion of late regarding Captain James Cook and the first European discovery of the eastern coast of Australia then known at New Holland. On the 6th of May 1770, after landing at Botany Bay some days earlier, he left to continue his amazing voyage. His visiting of Botany Bay promoted Governor Arthur Philip to first go to there and then on the 26th of January 1788 settle at Sydney Cove.

View Story – (PDF)

Catherine Wade

Catherine was an early Tasmanian pioneering woman.

View Story – (PDF)

Chubbie Miller

Chubbie Miller has now been virtually forgotten. Yet, she was the first woman to fly from England to Australia and the first to fly across Bass Strait

View Story – (PDF)

Lieutenant Governor David Collins

David Collins was the 1st Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania)

View Story – (PDF)

Critchley Parker Junior

As a bushwalker, he had once proposed a Zionist Socialist settlement in the rugged beauty and remoteness of Port Davey on Tasmania’s south west coast to be the new Jerusalem for Jews, persecuted and exiled from Europe during World War II.

View Story – (PDF)

Dolly Dalrymple

Dolly was a half-caste Tasmanian aborigine. Having a white husband, she made her life among the settlers. For her courageous actions, Governor Arthur gave her a grant of land. Dolly was certainly a pioneer for her people adjusting successfully to life in a new world.

View Story – (PDF)

Frederick Augustas Gow Packer

Frederick Augustas Gow Packer was a brilliant Tasmanian composer of secular and religious music. At the time he was widely recognized as one of the most important organist, pianist and composers. He was known far and wide outside the colony of Tasmania. Over the years he has been virtually forgotten, but he deserves to be re-discovered.

View Story – (PDF)

General John Gellibrand

Major-General Sir John Gellibrand was an amazing son of Tasmania. He was what made this State and nation successful and would be one of the greatest Tasmanian heroes of the Great War. He was outspoken, loved Tasmania and was a man of high moral character.

View Story – (PDF)

George Adams

The history of Tattersall’s and TattsLotto can be traced back to George Adams.

View Story – (PDF)

H.B. Marriot Watson

Henry Brereton Marriott Watson (H.B. Marriott Watson) was a prolific author. His novels and collections of short stories gained him a reputation as one of the better and best-known writers of his time.

View Story – (PDF)

Irish Exiles to Van Diemen Land

These men were not convicts but rather political prisoners and comprised of John Mitchel, William Smith O’Brien, Thomas Francis Meagher, Terrence Bellew McManus, Patrick O’Donohoe, Kevin O’Doherty and John Martin.

View Story – (PDF)

John Batman

The Batman bridge over the Tamar River is named after John Batman and he is also recognised as the founder of Melbourne.

View Story – (PDF)

John Robertson

Tasmanian Police Trooper John (Jock) Roberson was tragically killed while on duty in a motorcycle accident involving a train.

View Story – (PDF)

Joseph Darling

Joseph ‘Joe’ Darling was an exceptional cricketer, captaining Australia in 18 Tests. Born in South Australia, he made further careers for himself in Tasmania as a politician and pastoralist.

View Story – (PDF)

Joseph Sweeney

“Private John Joseph Sweeney’s war service and execution is reasonably well documented. His story is familiar to military historians. To the general public at large, their fellow Tasmanian, it is not – and it is now time for it to be widely told – and for him to be exonerated.” – Reg. A. Watson.

View Story – (PDF)

Kenneth Hudspeth

Lieutenant Ken Hudspeth captained mini submarines during World War Two.

View Story – (PDF)

King Charles III

King Charles III the man and his achievements.

View Story – (PDF)

Matthew Brady

A Tasmanian Bush Ranger. Brady was considered a gentleman, who rarely robbed or insulted women.

View Story – (PDF)

Martin Cash

Martin Cash is considered another “gentleman” Bush Ranger.

View Story – (PDF)

Sammy Cox

First white man in Tasmania – fact or myth?

View Story – (PDF)

Sir Richard Dry

Certainly, one of the most esteemed people in Tasmania’s history would be Sir Richard Dry. A philanthropist, he was a humane and understanding man. Although he knew great wealth, even though he went through very difficult financial periods, the general community loved him

View Story – (PDF)

Stuart Crosby Walch

Flight Lieutenant Stuart Crosby Walch was the only Tasmanian to die in the Battle of Britain along with twelve other Australians.

View Story – (PDF)

Trooper Frederick Henderson

On October 11, 1922, a triple murder occurred at Swansea, Tasmania’s east coast. One of those who was murdered was that of Police Trooper Henderson.

View Story – (PDF)

William and Margaret McIntyre

William Keverall McIntyre gynaecologist and Margaret Edgeworth McIntyre (1886- 1948), community worker and first women Tasmanian State parliamentarian were husband and wife.

View Story – (PDF)

William Porden Kay

William was many things; architect, surveyor, engineer and Tasmanian public servant. His legacy to Tasmania was his master piece, Tasmanian Government House.

View Story – (PDF)

William Paterson

Colonel William Paterson was the founder of Port Dalrymple on the West Tamar in Northern Tasmania in 1804. This colony and Sullivan’s Cove in the South amalgamated in 1811 on the orders of Lachlan Macquarie with the capital being established in the south.

View Story – (PDF)