James Woodward Turner 1780-1862

In 1829 James Woodward Turner, builder, architect and surveyor sailed from England to Western Australia with his second wife Maria and seven of his his eight children aboard the ship "Warrior", a ship of 485  tons. With a grant of 20,000 acres of land from Governor Stirling, the Turners together with fellow passengers Captain John Molloy, wife Georgiana, and the 4 Bussell brothers, on 2nd May 1830 established the settlement at Augusta.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The story of J W Turner and his children has been told many times through books, letters, historical articles and  family tales, it is one of sacrifice, courage and failure. 

James W Turner, whilst a successful and wealthy businessman in London, was considered to be "in the trade" and not socially equal to the gentry and aristocracy of the day, including his fellow pioneers - the Bussells and Molloys. 

This is what probably motivated him to move to Australia where he could become a land-owner and a gentleman! 

He thought in his later years that success had eluded him, and maybe in the material sense this did occur however through his children and into the generations that followed  it comes to light that his strength and sense of purpose pervades and manifests itself in the sheer amount of talent of the Turner generations who are artists, authors and surveyors.  

 Check out this link to for  JW Turner's 1829/30 diary of the voyage, with passenger lists, and shipping records of the Warrior:

  http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/shipping/warrior.htm 

SURVEYORS in the Turner family contributed to those early days in Australia. They stood side by side with some of our great as well as lessor known explorers. They officially mapped for the Governments of Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and well as Queensland.

Surveyors in general were men of extraordinary vision and diligence. They set up camp sites which were completely self sufficient. They arrived in huge wagons pulled by bullocks filled with supplies and  equipment . They never saw their family for months on end.  They developed friendships that lasted a lifetime and beyond that with their families' children . They are the reason why the 36th parallel, our state lines, mountains and waterways within those territories are mapped with precision today.

The Turners were great contributors as surveyors, this is reflected by their stories and pictures and letters. Overall there were 14 members of the family employed as government contract surveyors during the 19th and early parts of the 20th centuries. See attached page for their individual histories. Around about the time of the 2nd World War, no further involvement by their younger generations took place. The softening process of civilization had evidently enticed them into easier ways of earning a livelihood.

The life of the government contract surveyor was hard; long hours in the field; endless calculations and office work at night. He had little home or social life and was called upon to endure the discomforts of camping out in all kinds of weather and in all sorts of conditions and places. He was a sort of professional labourer, both as regards his work and his remuneration, with his experience, training, and knowledge thrown in for good measure.

Check out another link for more information of JW Turner:  

http://www.wanowandthen.com/James-Turner.html