The Bollard Family Crest

Important "Bollards" in our Family Tree

John Bollard 1772-1849

John Bollard was the first Bollard to set foot on Australian Soil.  He was born in Liddington, Bedfordshire, England in 1772.  

John married Hannah Johnson (Feb 1773 - 29 Oct 1852) of Hertfordshire on 30 Oct 1798 in Liddington. Hannah was the daughter of John Johnson and Susan Ree.

John was later convicted of Sheep Stealing.  He was transported to Australia and arrived on 11 Jun 1813 aboard "Fortune".  

Hannah and five survivors of their eight children came over on "Providence" in 1812.  After Release, John Bollard settled in Redbank, Upper Picton, NSW where he died in 1849, aged 77.

William (Samuel?) Bollard 1807-1854

William Bollard was one of the three Companions of Captain Hovell on the 1824 Hume and Hovell expedition from Sydney to Melbourne.  The other two were Thomas Boyd and Thomas Smith.

They left Yass on October 19, 1824 and crossed the Murrumbidgee river by using tarpaulins to convert their carts into punts.

Apparently the expedition leaders, Mr Hume and Captain Hovell argued constantly, and the story goes that one argument over a frying pan was so vicious that the pan in question was split to settle the difference.  The two leaders continually argued over directions and eventually split with one going west and the other going east.  Captain Hovell eventually doubled back and rejoined Mr Hume.  A similar split and rejoin occurred 150 miles later, after they'd abandoned their carts and reached the head of the Murray River.  Mr Hume was willing to cross the river but Captain Hovell would not.  Eventually Captain Hovell again complied.

Upon reaching Geelong, yet another argument broke out between the expedition leaders with Hovell claiming it was the Western Port, while Hume asserted that it was part of Port Phillip.  With the matter still unresolved, the expedition returned home and the leaders were granted 1200 acres each by the governor in recognition of their services.

Amongst other things, they found the Murray River six years before Sturt "re-discovered" and renamed it.  

William Bollard married Anne Upton (1809-1891) at the Heber Chapel at Cobbitty (see picture below) on 27 July 1829. They had 11 children,  the fifth of whom (and the eldest male, Thomas Bollard 1842-1919 is my ancestor).

Some Bollard Pictures

"Milton Villa" Upper Picton, N.S.W. built in the 1830's by William Bollard