14th June 2021

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80th (Staffordshire Volunteers) Regiment of Foot

From relicmilitaria.com

In 1836 the regiment started escorting convicts to Australia, arriving from October that year with 25 further detachments over the next two years. They had a long deployment, serving for around seven years in NSW, Melbourne, and Norfolk Island. The small detachment in Melbourne was called on to try to quell sectarian rioting that took place in 1846. From 1841-4 a detachment was sent to New Zealand, were they cleared land, built a barracks and organised a treaty. They returned to Sydney to leave for India.  A terrible shipwreck occurred on the way to Calcutta …

The Sentinel (Sydney), 25th June 1845 page 2.

 

51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot

The regiment traveled to Australia in detachments as escorts to prisoners in 1837. The first detachment arrived in January 1838 to relieve the 80th in Sydney.

The Colonist (Sydney), 19th October 1837.

They served in New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania before leaving for India in 1846.

The Courier (Hobart), 18th March 1846 page 3. This article shows examples of how British regiments were moved from colony to colony, and country to country, depending on security concerns.

Library NSW. An officer of the 51st Regiment, c.1845-55.