Her family immigrated to Australia as free settlers when she was nine years old.
He moved to Australia in 1834 as one of the first free settlers.
The first free settlers moved to the district in 1838 and others followed in 1840.
This caused him problems with the free settlers, people who had not been convicts.
Sometimes they sold the stolen things to other free settlers.
In 1838, the area was opened up for free settlers, as distinct from convicts.
A few dozen free settlers settled on the west coast in the following years.
Mary doesn't care much for the free settlers here.
A step up for the convict was assignment to a free settler.
That was the only colony created by the free settlers.