…as with all family histories, this is an ongoing project with much more still to be told. I hope it goes some way towards accurately documenting the lives of those who had a hand in the making of Errol Flynn.

Much has been written… based on the story that Errol Flynn was descended from the Bounty mutineer, Midshipman Edward Young. Those who promote and prolong this story are doing so at the expense of the real men and women who survived famine, poverty, war, and the fall of the judge’s gavel, only to be faced with the hardships of settling in a new country.

They all deserve to have their story told and quite often the truth is the best story of all.

Debra Fasano

In 1826, Bernard Hughes and Ann Goldie spent Christmas imprisoned at the Tollbooth of Glasgow in Scotland. Bernard was a 48 year old weaver living in Crossmyloof with his wife Ann and their six children, when they both stood trial for receiving and selling stolen goods. Also tried, accused of theft, were John Reid, an 18 year old carter of Cowcaddens, Robert Gallacher, a 17 year old labourer from Broomielaw, and Joseph Sinclair, a 25 year old carter of Tradeston. All had long been suspected by the local authorities of carrying on a trade of thieving and reselling. Reid and Gallacher had been previously convicted of theft and were described as being ‘of very bad character’.

On 28 September 1850, nine vessels laden mainly with cedar left the Richmond River together, bound for Sydney. Five turned back due to ‘stress of weather’, but the schooners Bramble, Heroine, Lucy Ann, and the Anna Maria continued. Shortly after clearing the bar, they were struck by a storm, described by the experienced traders at the time as the most fearful squall they ever had to contend with. Large trees were torn up by their roots on the shore, and even though the schooners had prepared for the impending storm, it ‘burst upon them with such fury that it threw them clean over’.

Hennessy and O’Brien were ‘men of the worst character, capable of any infamy, and unfit to wear the King's uniform’, but Herbert had fought as a gunner at Waterloo and was well spoken of by his officers. One explanation given for the men’s behaviour was simply ‘slaves to drink, they knew no other master’.

In 1927, Wilfred was married to Norma Jessie Lee, and in the 1930’s they raised their family at South Solitary Island off Coffs Harbour. Wilfred was the lighthouse keeper, and his children regularly featured on ABC Radio as the ‘lighthouse children’.

The ship’s boat approached the island, and the natives came out with the yams which were traded for tobacco and beads. There were also women present among the natives, and this was usually seen as an indication of friendly intentions. ...one of the females on the beach exposed herself and began to entice Robert ashore. He jumped overboard, against the orders of the coxswain Nelson, expressing a desire to have a ‘connection’ with a woman. After about five minutes the natives began firing on the boat, which quickly retreated leaving Robert behind to be killed and eaten.

In November 1912, Theodore joined the ship Aurora for a one month scientific expedition to Macquarie Island and the Auckland Islands in the sub-Antarctic. The Aurora was equipped with deep sea sounding and dredging gear, and Professor Flynn was appointed to supervise oceanographic research during the voyage. After returning to Hobart at the completion of this short expedition, the Aurora was to sail to Antarctica to bring back Douglas Mawson and members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition who had spent twelve months on the continent.