Community Starters: French

Australia prides itself on being a multicultural society. But it wasn't always that way. Each new culture that flourished here had to start with one adventurous individual or family who took the plunge and crossed the oceans to reach Australia. In this series, we're trying to find those first pioneers. In this episode, we hear the story of Francois Fieudard, our candidate for the first French person to ever call Australia home. He was sentenced to transportation to Australia by a British court in 1808 after being found guilty of homosexuality.

The Sydney market not far from the house of Francis Fieudard in 1842 Source: Supplied / John Rae/State Library of NSW

Each episode is about the earliest documented person to settle in Australia permanently from each community that we managed to identify. If you are aware of someone who settled even earlier, or the first migrant from any other community, we would love to hear from you and welcome your story. Please write to us at [e-mail]

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