Andrew Johnston

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Petri Krohn] & http://www.easystreetretreat.com.au/australianroyalty where it is noted:
A group of Presbyterian families from Scotland and Northern England emigrated to Australia aboard the ship 'Coromandel' which departed Deptford on 12 Feb 1802 and arrived at Sydney Cove on 13 Jun. They chose the Coromandel because William Stirling, the uncle of one in their number, George Hall, was her captain. The same George Hall kept a diary of the voyage. They settled along the River below Windsor. Six years after they came to the colony they commenced building a stone church at Portland Head, now known as Ebenezer. This is now the oldest church building in Australasia.
They were:
- George Hall, his wife Mary Smith, children Elizabeth 9, George 7, William 5, John 1. George was the son of a Northumberland tenant farmer, educated, and conversant with 'agricultural machinery'. He was a London carpenter when he returned north in 1791 to Lowick to marry Mary Smith.
- John Howe, his wife Francis Ward, children Mary 2, Elizabeth 2 months. Soundly educated and, by his own statement, brought up to husbandry, he worked in a grocery business in London while waiting for a passage and when in the colony he proposed to become a teacher.
- Andrew Johnston, wife Mary Beard, children Thomas 11, William 7, John 5, Alexander 2 (Died at sea 21 Mar, buried at sea), Abraham 1.
- John Johnstone
- Lewis Jones
- James Mein and wife Susannah Skene
- Andrew Mein (died on voyage 28 Apr, buried at sea)
- William Stubbs, wife Sarah Wingate, children William 5, Sarah 4, Elizabeth 1.
- John Suddis
- John Turnbull, a tailor, wife Ann Warr, children Ralph 10, Mary 5, James 4, Jessica 2.
They had decided to accept the English government's offer contained in the following document of Jan 1798, which George Hall had acquired while living in London.
"We whose names are undersigned acknowledge that, at our own request, we offered ourselves as settlers to go out to N.S.W. with our families on the following terms:
To have our passage found and our families victualled by the Government during the voyage. On our arrival in the Colony we have a grant of 100 acres of land at Port Jackson, or fifty acres at Norfolk Island. To be victualled and clothed free from the Public Stores for a term of twelve months after being put in possession of our allotments, and to be allowed the labour of two prisoners maintained by the Government for the same term. After which term we and our families are to be no further expense to the Crown. Likewise we have the same proportion of stock, such grain and agricultural tools as have been furnished to other settlers, together with such other assistance as the Governor need judge proper to afford us.
Outfit for men: 1 jacket, 1 shirt, pair of trousers, pair of shoes, 1 hat.
ditto for women: 1 Jacket, 1 petticoat, 1 shift, pair shoes, 1 cap, 1 handkerchief,
Children as above on stores.
Tools; I billhook, tomahawks, 1 spade, 1 handsaw, 2 west Indian hoes, 1 cross-cut saw two men), quantity of nails, one iron pot, 1 old musket, quantity of powder and 16 musket balls."
Andrew was awarded a land grant at Portland Head and called it 'New Berwick Farm'. Their home was of stone construction of superior standard, but it was located too near the water and three times during the flood of March 1806 he had to shift Mary and her newborn baby to higher ground. He rebuilt on considerably higher ground.
He was prominent in the affairs of the church and state and was responsible for design and construction of the Ebenezer Church (and in later years its first ordained elder); a constable in 1814; collector for the Waterloo fund, committee member of the Bible Association.

Andrew married Mary Beard on 18 Sep 1789 in Hampstead, Greater London, Middlesex England. (Mary Beard was born on 17 Oct 1767 in Highgate, London, Middlesex England and died on 4 Jul 1859 in Portland Head, Hawkesbury, NSW Australia.)