PETER HIBBS - HMS SIRIUS

- this story is under review by Membership Team

Peter Hibbs was born in Swanage, England in 1761. Family History states he stowed away on board the "Endeavour" with Captain James Cook when he was a young boy. Eventually he joined the Navy and was serving on "HMS Goliath", when Captain Arthur Phillip requested he transfer to the "Sirius" for the voyage to NSW with the first fleet. Peter sailed on every voyage the "Sirius" made and was eventually ship-wrecked on Norfolk Island.

There Peter received a land grant of 60 acres which he farmed. While there he met and married Mary Pardoe, a convict girl from the "Lady Julianna". Mary had been sent from Sydney to work on Norfolk Island.

While on Norfolk Island, Peter helped build the "Norfolk" a cutter about 22 feet in length which peter sailed to Sydney.

Bass and Flinders needed a ship to circumnavigate Tasmania to prove it was an Island. Flinders chose Peter to be the colonial sailing master of the "Norfolk".

Flinders was so impressed with Peter's sailing ability he named several places after him. After that voyage Peter and Mary resumed farming along the Hawkesbury River untilthe floods sent them bankrupt.

Mary died in 1844 and was buried in Laughtondale Cemetery.

In 1847 Peter followed Mary and they rest together beside their beloved Hawkesbury River

Betty Warn