Benefits Upon Joining

Our Association is a respected Historical Association founded in 1974 with members residing in Tasmania, Interstate and Overseas, who commemorate and promote interest in First and Early Settlers of Hobart Town and facilitate contact between their descendants.

Your membership annual subscription to the Hobart Town (1804) First Settlers Association Inc. of $30.00 per household, covers a myriad of advantages. Firstly and most important is belonging to our respected history association whose members are proud of having traced ancestors back to the First and Early Settlers of Hobart Town. Members have at least one ancestor (some have more) who arrived in Hobart Town and up to the end of transportation in 1853. We also have a category for "Interested Persons" to become members but are not allowed to hold office or vote.

Interstate and Overseas Membership

Interstate and overseas members have the satisfaction of keeping in touch with our Association through our newsletters and emails. Recently one of our English members visited the burial place of Gov. Arthur Phillip and provided us with information and photos. This is of particular interest to the Association as Gov. Phillip, was governor of New South Wales at the time of European settlement and responsible for both the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land and the person Gov. Collins was required to report to upon the founding of Hobart Town..

Access to our "members only" website pages are where you can catch up with what we are doing or maybe you would like to submit your own ancestry for other members to read.

Members receive our quarterly Newsletter with information about our activities both current and planned. Historical Articles and stories are included, often with reports on the information provided by guest speakers at our monthly meetings.

For the purpose of exchanging research we can put members with common ancestors, in touch with each other with a view to expanding family histories. This only happens if consent is given on the application for membership forms. (Most members do tick this box).

On special occasions we have produced booklets covering special events or conferences, however we do not publish family histories.

Local Membership

In addition to all the above, members meet monthly (except January) with guest speakers providing interesting topics and presentations relating to the history and settlement of early Hobart Town. Following each meeting all enjoy the companionship of likeminded people over a welcoming morning tea where you may meet a long lost cousin or even a cousin you never knew you had. We quite often have members from overseas and interstate joining us at our meetings. Members are welcome to bring along other family members or an interested person to our meetings.

On 20th February each year we meet at the Annual Floral Tribute Service held at the Hunter Street Memorial, when we pay tribute to our ancestors who came with Lieut. David Collins in 1804 and all our other Early Settler ancestors.

Outings and visits are organised to historical places, museums, homes, gardens (many of which are not open to the public) and townships.

We have an extensive library of books available to local members only, to borrow. We also hold articles/files/memorabilia/paintings etc on early Hobart Town and families.