Overview

My mother, Nell Hand (nee Mitchell’s) forebears that migrated to Australia, all have either Scottish, Welsh or Irish heritage. They came as convicts or as assisted migrants as farm labourers, miners or servants. All lived in the Hunter area at some time but were concentrated in the Newcastle and Wallsend/ Plattsburgh area. 

Our earliest Australian ancestor was Mary Kennedy, who was born in 1809 at Parramatta. She was also the youngest to marry which she did at age 13. The largest family was Margaret and Dennis Culla with their 16 children.

Notably, Nell’s grandfather Hugh Buchanan lobbied to have a municipal council in the area where he lived in Wallsend. He became an alderman of that Council. His brother Henry was Mayor of Newcastle in the 1890s, a publican and property owner in Newcastle and Wallsend.

On Nell’s side of the family, she and her mother lived in Sydney but most of her forebears lived in Newcastle, Wallsend or several in other parts of the lower Hunter. It is somewhat of a paradox that I only came to live in Newcastle at age 60. Lynsey, my sister has lived in the Hunter Valley for most of her life. The circle is completed.

I set out to find out: Who were the first members of our family to come to Australia? When did they come? Where did they come from? Where did they settle? And Why did they come?

Nell’s family has wonderful stories. They are in part the fascinating story of early convicts and settlers, especially those who came to Newcastle, where we now live.

Key family names: Mitchell, Buchanan, Culla, Williams, McCormack, Kennedy

Marion Bannister 2025 marioncbannister@gmail.com

Published 2025

Copyright @ Marion Bannister 2025