The Douglas Archives

A collection of historical and genalogical records

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Australian immigrants

We are looking for the ancestry of early immigrants to Australia.

Location: Australia
Members: 23
Latest Activity: Oct 30

Early arrivals

Many Australian families can be traced back to early arrivals in Australia, but making the connection back to Britain is often not so straight forward.

I am keen that we should use this forum to identify those key people, and then work together to trace their ancestors back to Scotland (or Ireland, or England).

A starting point is the list in The Douglas Archives of 'Australian arrivals', and 'Douglas convicts shipped to Australia'. Suggestions for additions to these lists would be very welcome.

Please make your contributions as full as possible, with dates and places included, as appropriate.

Discussion Forum

Bombay Douglas.

Started by stephen light. Last reply by William Douglas Mar 20, 2018. 4 Replies

John Charles (convict) Douglas

Started by Sue Burville. Last reply by Alison Christine Hodgkiss ( born Jan 23, 2018. 3 Replies

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Comment by Russell Lynn Drysdale on July 31, 2024 at 21:02

Joy Davis extraction from pdf territory remembers select reading material on Darwn evacuation WWll. Credits and ownership belong to proper  owner[s] .

Joy%20Davis%20territory%20%20remembers%2021569906%20%28pdf.io%29.pdf

Comment by William Douglas on April 27, 2024 at 14:30
I hope that some clansmen and women may have an insight into my family in Australia, and also in New Zealand.
My Uncle Ronald had a few wives he married - and a few he did not. I am hoping to track down some lost cousins. Well, I hope that they are not lost, but the connections are.
Ronald George Sholto Douglas was born in 1926, in the UK. His first two marriages were in the UK, and I am in touch with my cousins from them.
He married Heather Grey Law in New Zealand in 1983, as her second husband. I dont think that there were any children of this marriage, but would be happy to be told different.
He has a relationship with Anne, known as Nell, in Australia, possibly in St Lucia, Queensland and had one child, possibly more. I record two, but that has been challenged. (Jeremy; Alistair, bc1970). She had been married previously with two children apparently brought up as Douglases.
There were other relationship(s), I think, but whether I have cousins from them, I don't know.
Ronald served in the British Army during the war, and thereafter had a wide variety of jobs, including selling speed boats and mining and selling opals.
He appears on the elctoral roll in 1977 in Ryan, Queensland and also in Moreton, Queensland. [Is that possible?]
Some of the family may be in The Netherlands, my search area is broad.
The photograph is of Ronald and Heather in 1983.
Comment by William Douglas on February 26, 2024 at 20:02

I have begun the process of bringing together articles about the Douglas families of Australia.

Having started, I am now taking a break!  If there is anything that you would like to see in this section, please let me know.  It may be a couple of weeks before I can get back you.

All contributions are, as you know, welcome.  The home page is a bit thin at this stage, but I hope to develop it further - with your help.  At the moment it is lurking in my templates folder while I work it up. In time, it will be given more prominence.

William

Comment by William Douglas on February 17, 2024 at 13:43

Who were the early arrivals in Queensland?

Robert Douglas, of Kangaroo Point, Brisbane arrived in 1836.  Was he the first?

Originally of Redbank Plains, squatter, and latterly Sergeant-at-Arms in the Legislative Assembly in Queensland, first settled in the Hunter River district of New South Wales, and subsequently in Queensland. 

Who went on the make a significant impact on the history and heritage of Queensland?
Are these people, events and places marked in some way?

I am keen to make a section of the Douglas Archives, as I have for other states and counties, that acts as a central point for research for Douglas family historians.
I know that "Douglas! A Douglas!" and "Never Behind" by Mary Smith and Janet Shaw, originally published in 1986 and updated in 2000, contain an incredible amount of research and information, but I am not sure that they are still available.
I am looking for early photographs, stories and more and hope that you can help.
Perhaps the easiest way to contribute is by posting here, but you can also reach me through here>>>
Comment by William Douglas on July 17, 2018 at 21:14

 I was interested to find this: https://sites.google.com/site/kipioneers/first-8-ships/emma/henry-d...

Henry Douglas landed on KI on 3rd Oct 1836 off the "Emma" and with Wilkins (his man) and Mrs Wilkins they built a bush hut near the salt lakes. Wilkins was later employed in the garden the SA Company were making on KI. Henry became "Foreman of the Yard", his duty being to see that timber and cargo of incoming vessels was stacked and stowed and guarded at night. He left KI for the mainland four months later on the "John Renwick" to take up his land options there.

Comment by William Douglas on January 10, 2017 at 11:39
Comment by William Douglas on September 5, 2016 at 11:04

Good to be in touch with Clan Douglas Association of Australia again today. It must be Newsletter time again soon! Always a good read. www.clandouglas.org.au 

Comment by Lauraine martinus on January 19, 2016 at 14:11
Great book and a great story. Builds a bigger picture of the Douglas family
Comment by William Douglas on January 19, 2016 at 10:43

Thank you, Kim

It is stories like this that brings family history alive.

Comment by Kim Douglas-Reid on January 19, 2016 at 6:20

Hi  I have found a book called "The Battlers of Butchers Hill" in it there is a reference to Sam Douglas.  I have found him because I believe he is my Ancestor John Black Douglas' first son Hugh Samson Douglas named after his rogue Grandfather who was transported Hugh Douglas.  Hugh Samson Douglas or Sam would have been my Great Uncle brother to Buchanan Douglas.  Anyway, the story goes that they moved to a place called Maitland Downs in Queensland (Hugh Sholto Douglas lived in Maitland NSW and Buchanan was born in Maitland NSW and that is where John Black Douglas took his family when he arrived in Australia) Sam had one Son John Buchanan Douglas who while trying to cross a flooded river and save his half brother or friend (bit sketchy on that bit) drowned.  The story is that when at the homestead horses can be heard racing into the yard and stopping at the barn and the local legend is it's just the men bringing Johnny Douglas home.  Worth googling for a look at the extract re: John Douglas in that book.

 

Members (23)

 
 
 

Making conections

The more information you can give about the people you mention, the more chance there is of someone else connecting with your family.

Dates and places of births, deaths and marriages all help to place families.

Professions also help.

'My great-grandmother mother was a Douglas from Montrose' does not give many clues to follow up! But a bit of flesh on the bones makes further research possible. But if we are told who she married, what his profession was and where the children were baptised, then we can get to work.

Maybe it is time to update the information in your profile?


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