Thomas Reeves was born on 29 Feb 1820 in Calne, Wiltshire, England. 

On 11 Aug 1838, aged 18, Thomas was convicted for stealing sheep and sentenced to 10 years transportation. After a year on the Hulk “Leviathan”, Thomas left Plymouth on the vessel “Mangles” on 27 Nov 1839, arriving in New South Wales on the 27 Apr 1840. You can see a copy of Thomas’ Convict Indent below. 

On 18 May 1840, Thomas arrived at Norfolk Island, a cruel penal settlement, where he remained for almost 4 years. Thomas arrived in Hobart on 11 Mar 1844 on the vessel “Duke of Richmond”. Despite repeated charges of being drunk and disorderly during 1844 and 1845, he earned his Ticket of Leave on 4 Sep 1846, and his Certificate of Freedom in Aug 1848. 

In 1852, aged 32, Thomas headed to the goldfields in Bendigo . There he met Ann Stevenson, a 22-year-old Scottish immigrant from the Orkney Isles. It is possible that Ann’s first child, Elizabeth, born in 1852 on the goldfields, was not Thomas’ daughter. Regardless, Thomas and Ann were married on the 18 Nov 1852 in St. Peter’s Church, Melbourne, Victoria .

Thomas’ signature is included on the 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition, which was signed by over 5000 diggers to protest against mining licence fees. Most of the demands were rejected which led to the Eureka uprising at Ballarat in 1854.

On 18 Jul 1856, Thomas purchased land in Tarraville, establishing a farm and a family home called “Green Hills” (Ref 6), where Thomas and Ann had 9 more children.

• Mary Ann                                          (abt 1856 – after 1922)
•  Alice Olivia                                       (1857 – 1896)
•  Thomas                                             (1858 – 1936)
•  James Eldridge                                  (1860 - )
•  Georgina                                           (1862 – 1935)
•  Charlotte Agnes                                (1865 – 1952)
•  William Edward                                (1866 – 1934)
•  Edwin                                                (1868 – 1931)
•  Lavinia Isabella                                 (1870 – 1960)

In 1872, Thomas spent 4 years at the Stockyard Creek diggings.  In 1875, Thomas selected land 6 miles from Bairnsdale, where their last child, Frances Margaret, was born in 1877.  Thomas’ brother James, also an ex-convict, lived with Thomas and Ann during his final days.

Thomas died on 6 Oct 1899, a few months shy of 80 years old. Thomas left land to the value of £300 to his wife Ann.

Thomas and James are buried in the same plot in the Bairnsdale Cemetery.  Their headstone (shown in the photo above) reads, “Sacred to the memory of James Reeves, Died 2nd Nov 1890, aged 80 years.  Also Thomas, Brother of above, Died 2nd Oct 1899, aged 78 years.  “At Rest.” ”

Jacinta Crealy, VIC