The Australian Women's Register

Elizabeth Macquarie was born in 1778 in Scotland. She married Colonel Lachlan Macquarie in Devon on 3 November 1807. In 1809 Macquarie was appointed governor of New South Wales, Elizabeth Macquarie accompanied her husband to the colony and kept a vivacious account of the seven month voyage to New South Wales. The journal describes the voyage from England to Sydney on board the Dromedary and describes several ports of call including Madeira, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. Elizabeth Macquarie comments on the events on the ship and daily activities whilst in port, such as places visited, church services attended and visits to and from friends. Mrs Macquarie also mentions that the frequent topic of conversation on board the ship was the state of the colony including Captain Bligh and the events surrounding the Rum Rebellion. Mrs Macquarie mentions people on the voyage including Judge Advocate Ellis Bent and his wife, General and Mrs Mead and Captain John Pascoe of the Hindostan Rather than recording her experiences on a daily basis, it appears that Mrs Macquarie wrote up her impressions at specific times on the voyage or during port stopovers in Rio or Cape Town.