Hi All, I have been following the information on the Railway Navvies with interest. My husband is a descendant of Thomas Bray and his wife Sarah nee Landeryou who also came to Australia in 1855 on the 'Blackfriar". I have a copy of an speech titled 'Waratah and the Original Grants by T.A Braye read to the Newcastle and Hunter District Historical Society on the October 1st 1936. The speech was published by the society in their Journal Vol 1 No1 in 1936. In the article T A Braye talks about the history of Waratah and surrounding areas, the vegetation of the area what the area was used for, and the lander owners of various times. On page 120 he talks about some of the men that were engaged in timber getting for the Northern Railway. These families settled on the land somewhere in the region of Smart and Bridge Streets.The families that he mentions are Drinkwaters, Brayes (Brays) , Paynes, Ellis and Jacksons. Mr Braye said that the Brayes arrived there in August 1857. In the Article Mr Braye mentions other names associated with the settlement of the Waratah area. Regards Anne Eccles researching Bray/e, Jacobson, Landeryou, Williams and Wrightson in the Newcastle area > > I have four ancestors arriving in Newcastle on the "Blackfriar" in 1855. > Two > of the male adults had the occupations of excavator and labourer. The > Maitland Mercury, 14/3/1855 records that there were 137 adults and 47 > children aboard, also > > "They have had a very fine weather passage, and the emigrants are > remarkably > healthy, and are for the Hunter's River Railway Company." > >