Hassall Family History Association
Updates in Progress
About the Hassall Family
Rowland and Elizabeth Hassall landed in Tahiti in 1797 as part of the London Missionary Society’s first expedition to the Pacific Islands. In 1798 they arrived in Sydney seeking refuge from the immense difficulties they had experienced in Tahiti.
Uncertain as to what the future might hold, the couple steadily gained a foothold in the young penal colony of New South Wales. They established a general store at Parramatta and commenced farming at Camden to the south and over the Blue Mountains to the west.
In time Rowland and Elizabeth’s four sons and four daughters had families of their own, who spread to Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand. Some sixty grandchildren produced a fourth generation of approximately 300 great-grand-children.
Projects and News
01
Newsletters
Newsletters are released 3 times a year:
Feb, July, and Nov.
02
Heritage
The Heritage projects report on old Family homes, furniture, clothing and other artifacts, and the places they might be buried.
03
Transcription
The transcription team gets together on a regular basis (over Zoom) and then logs in to the State Library site and transcribe the letters in the Hassall Collection.
04
Research & Publications
Relevant family books may be reviewed, and a number of books and publications of interest to the Family are listed here:
05
Genealogy
While the Family Tree is maintained privately, a viewable version is available here for display – in general, personal details of living members are not displayed.
06
Historical Perspectives
‘Historical Perspectives’ is a working group of the family Historical Association, that commenced in 2023 with a goal for future Truth-telling and the family’s interactions with Indigenous groups.
Events
The HFHA organises a number of events such as reunions, tours to places of interest, and online Zoom meetings for the different family lines.
You are welcome to join these – follow the link for details of times, costs, and other information. Notes and recordings of past events can also be found here.
Newsletters
Three newsletters are created each year and emailed to members. You can also access the PDF newsletters at the following link:
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the Newsletters?
Newslettersare produced at least 3 times per year and emailed to Members.
What events are managed by the association?
Events range from reunions, tours, and zoom meetings of family members. Check out the Events page for upcoming events and recordings and details of past activities.
How do I become a member?
View the details on the Membership page and ontact the Association. You can join for $10 per year or become a Life member for $200.