Johnston family photographs and papers

fonds

1838-1870s, 1990s

Graphic Materials, Photographs, Textual Records

9669661

2 albums (93 photographic prints) - albumen, some hand-coloured - album 18 x 14 cm, or smaller
1 photograph - ambrotype, in case - visible image 9 x 6.5 cm, case 12 x 10 cm
0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder)

The Johnstons were a prominent colonial family. George Johnston (1764-1823), a soldier and farmer, sailed with the Lady Penrhyn as the commander of the Marine detachment in the First Fleet. As Commander of the New South Wales Corps, Johnston was amongst the ringleaders who overthrew Governor Bligh on 26 January 1808, after which he assumed the Lieutenant-governorship. He had seven children with Esther Julian/Esther Abrahams (1767-1846), a Jewish convict woman who had also arrived on the Lady Penrhyn in 1788.

The collection includes photographs of a number of George and Esther’s descendants, including their sons Robert and David.

References:
Yarwood, A.T. 'Johnston, George (1764–1823)'. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed 19 April 2023.
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/johnston-george-2277
Library acquisition file

The donor's father Robert Stanley Johnston received the material from the Estate of the late Kenneth George Johnston. The donor is descended from David Johnston’s family.

Series 1: Johnston family photographs
Series 2: Johnston family papers

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder