Bussell family

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The Bussell family were a family of early settlers in colonial Western Australia. Four members of the Bussell family emigrated from England to Western Australia in 1831, with more members following in the next few years. On arriving in Western Australia, the Bussells found that all of the good farm land around Perth and Fremantle had already been granted, and were advised by the Governor, Sir James Stirling, to form a sub-colony in the vicinity of Cape Leeuwin. The Bussells first settled in the Augusta area, but met with little success. After a number of exploring expeditions, John Bussell discovered good farm land in the Vasse, and the family moved there in 1834. The town of Busselton is named in their honour.

Many of the Bussells were prolific letter-writers, and much of their correspondence has been preserved. These letters provide an outstanding record of the lives of a class of settler that were largely neglected by contemporary historians and record-keepers. Consequently they have been much studied by modern historians.

On August 14, 2007, The West Australian Newspaper reported that the J S Battye Library had paid a possible WA record $91,000 at auction for the personal diaries of Vernon Bussell.^[1]

Members of the Bussell family include:

• Frances Louisa Bussell
  • her first son John Bussell, explorer and MLC
  • her second son William Bussell (who did not emigrate with the rest of the family)
  • her third son Lenox Bussell
  • her fourth son Charles Bussell
  • her fifth son Joseph Vernon Bussell (known as Vernon Bussell)
  • her sixth son Alfred Bussell, explorer and MLC
    • his wife Ellen Bussell
    • his daughter Grace Drake-Brockman (nee Bussell) of SS Georgette shipwreck fame
  • her first daughter Mary Bussell
  • her second daughter Frances Bussell
  • her third daughter Elizabeth "Bessie" Bussell
  • her niece Capel Carter, after whom is named the Capel River and the town and Shire of Capel.

[edit] References

Shann, Edward O. G. (1926) Cattle Chosen. Oxford University Press, London. Republished in 1978 by University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia. ISBN 0-85564-138-X.