SWAN RIVER SETTLEMENT One Man's Journey

Michael Le Page studied the early history of Western Australia in addition to his family history for over twenty years and found certain areas were shrouded in mystery. He finally discovered after much research that he is a fifth generation Australian on his father's mother's side of the family. Little was said of this side of the family over many generations. His great, great grandfather, John Arnold, was a convict who was transported in the 1850s from Victorian England to the remote colony of Western Australia. His wife Mary and their two young children sailed halfway around the world to reunite with him years later. Despite the mystery, John and Mary they left enough footprints on this world for him to follow.

This is their daunting tale from growing up during the devastating potato famine in rural Northern Ireland to the shores of a nascent colony at the bottom of the world. Through the slums of Victorian England and the exploitation of the working class during the industrial revolution, to the brutality of 19th century prisons and their predilection for suffering, John Arnold also endures months shackled in the freezing hold of a sailing ship.

But his determination coupled with the love and support of his wife and family transcended the distance, the severe punishment and the solitude. It was a life, that while cruel, offered glimmers of hope, for a new life not just for himself but for his wife, family and descendants. In many ways this is a fascinating story spanning many decades, countries and hardships that are incredible to comprehend.