THE HISTORY
In mid-1802 Governor King of New South Wales wrote to the Colonial Secretary, Lord Hobart, and others recommending the formation of a new British settlement in New South Wales. Within weeks of the receipt of the correspondence from Governor King, an Act of Parliament had been drafted seeking to have the new settlement established at Port Phillip, now a part of Victoria.
Lieutenant Colonel David Collins was appointed in January 1803 to lead the new expedition. David Collins had formerly been Judge Advocate and Secretary of the Colony of the First Fleet settlement in Sydney Cove, from 1788 for eight years. By mid-January two vessels were commissioned to transport the settlement infrastructure and people.
In April 1803 the expedition departed England with around 600 men, women and children onboard. Initially an attempt was made to settle at Port Phillip, but within a short period that site was abandoned in favour of a location on the Derwent River, first at Risdon Cove, but within a few days the settlement was relocated to Sullivans Cove.
Included in the 460 people were military and civil personnel for the administration and security of the settlement, convicts and free settlers. William Collins (not a relation of David Collins) was a member of this expedition and came out as a free settler with an interest in commerce and whaling rather than farming. William Collins had an important role in the selection of the Sullivans Cove site, which was to become the city of Hobart. He built some of the early infrastructure, and opened the first private shop at this site in August 1805. Parts of this building remain intact on site including a 1806 window, making it the second oldest such feature in Australia.
Stone window. Quinary Investments