Richard Fitzgerald
Arrived 1791 on William and Anne
Soon after arriving in the colony in 1791, convict Richard Fitzgerald showed ‘remarkable activity and regular conduct’ and, using his knowledge of agriculture, he successfully took on responsibilities connected with the public farms.
With a seven year sentence, Fitzgerald sailed on the William and Anne and arrived in Sydney on 28 August 1791. The following year he was appointed superintendent of convicts at Toongabbie, extended in 1795 to include Parramatta. By 1798 he had been appointed superintendent of public agriculture and in 1802 Governor King appointed him inspector and director of all government agricultural settlements. Benefiting from the opportunities available to skilled and hard-working convicts, Fitzgerald amassed considerable private assets. After receiving three land grants and purchasing land Fitzgerald held 350 acres (142 ha), where he grew wheat, and bred sheep and other livestock. Governor King later dismissed him from his government positions for his ‘neglect of duty’. When Macquarie decided to recommence public farming in 1819 to employ the large numbers of convicts arriving, he appointed Fitzgerald as superintendent of agriculture at Emu Plains. Macquarie praised the ‘zeal, vigilance and integrity’ of this ‘most honest upright good man’.
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Dr Fiona Starr
Former curator
Fiona claims her love of history is hereditary – passed on by her mother and grandmother, each interested in Australian history, genealogy and world history, with a passion for visiting and learning about heritage sites around the world. Her interest took root with degrees in historical archaeology and museum studies, and through internships at the Museum of London and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris. Work on archaeological digs, with museum collections and on numerous exhibition and site interpretation projects inspired her PhD research into encouraging the private sector to help conserve cultural heritage sites. As curator of the Hyde Park Barracks Museum and The Mint (Macquarie Street Portfolio), Fiona combines her curiosity for colonial and convict history with expertise in managing and interpreting archaeology to help bring the fascinating stories of these sites to life for visitors.
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