Anna Josepha King

[2] She was the first person to act as spouse of the governor of New South Wales, a territory that was then part of the British Empire and now forms a state of Australia.

[4] He had recently returned from Norfolk Island, where he had been in charge of establishing a penal settlement for two years under the direction of Captain Arthur Phillip.

[3] King needed to resume his duties as Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island, and just four days later, the newly weds set sail on the frigate Gorgon.

[5] Anna King and the captain's wife, Mary Ann Parker, were the only women on the outward journey.

These two children, named Norfolk and Sydney, were born to Anne Innet, a female convict who was King's mistress during his previous term as Governor on the island.

[5] In 1798, it was decided that King would go to New South Wales to succeed John Hunter as governor in the event of his death or absence from the colony.

[5] In the following year, in August 1799, Anna and her husband with their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, sailed in the ship Speedy for Sydney.

He saw his new role as a reformist and his first task was to break the control of monopolist traders in the colony and the traffickers in liquor.

It was opened in 1801 and although it was officially called The Female Orphan Institution, informally it was known as Mrs King's Orphanage.

[22] Unfortunately King died in September 1808 before the pension was granted and Anna was left in difficult financial circumstances.

In 1812, Anna Maria married Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur who had already settled in NSW but was staying in London for a short visit.

The couple returned to NSW after their marriage and resided at Hannibal's recently purchased farm near Parramatta called "The Vineyard".

[27] In 1832 her son Philip decided to retire from the Royal Navy and return to NSW to reunite with his wife Harriet.

Anna decided to accompany him and was met at the dock in Sydney by her son in law Hannibal Macarthur and taken to their home "The Vineyard" to live[28] She remained here for the rest of her life.