Mary Ann Parker facts for kids
Mary Ann Parker (born around 1765 or 1766, died 1848) was an English traveler and writer. Her book, A Voyage Round the World, in the Gorgon Man of War, was published in 1795. It was the first time a woman had written about an Australian colony in a published book.
An Amazing Journey
Mary Ann Parker traveled to New South Wales and back between 1791 and 1792. She sailed on a ship called the HMS Gorgon. This ship was a frigate, a type of warship, and her husband, John Parker, was its captain.
The Gorgon was carrying important supplies, some people, and convicts to the new settlement at Port Jackson (which is now Sydney). Philip Gidley King, who was the Governor of Norfolk Island, was also on board with his new wife, Anna King. Anna was the only other woman on the ship and was a good friend to Mary Ann during the trip.
At that time, this journey was considered one of the longest and most dangerous voyages in the world. However, Mary Ann Parker didn't focus on the difficulties. Instead, her writing showed a cheerful and positive attitude. She wrote lively descriptions of their stops in places like Tenerife, the Cape of Good Hope, and Port Jackson. She enjoyed meeting new people, exploring new places, learning about local customs, and eating fresh food.
She did mention feeling scared when they saw a shipwrecked vessel, which reminded them of the dangers of their own journey. She also described the beautiful but threatening ice islands near the Falklands on their way back home.
About one-third of her book, A Voyage Round the World, is about Port Jackson and the areas around it. Mary Ann Parker generally liked the settlement and how Governor Phillip managed things. However, she was worried about the number of convicts who died there. She loved the natural environment and was very interested in the new plants and animals that were being sent back to England.
Her meetings with the Aboriginal people have been described in different ways. Some say her views were "mixed," while others say they were "kind and hopeful." Another writer noted that her feelings towards the local people were complex, but she believed in being polite and treating everyone with kindness.
Her book was important because it was not only the first description of the first Australian colony by a woman, but also the first personal story about Port Jackson published by someone who wasn't an official. The Australian Association for Maritime History said her book offered a "refreshing human perspective."
Publishing Her Story
Mary Ann Parker's husband, John Parker, passed away in 1794. This left her in a difficult financial situation. At the beginning of her book, she explained that she wrote it because her family needed money. She said that "nothing but the greatest distress" would have made her publish it. The title page of her book clearly stated: "A Voyage round the World, in the Gorgon Man of War: Captain John Parker. Performed and Written by his Widow; For the Advantage of a Numerous Family."
In 1795, the year after her husband's death, some important friends helped her publish her work. Her neighbor, Joseph Budworth, convinced a publisher named John Nichols to ask people to subscribe (pay in advance) for the upcoming book. Budworth, like John Parker, had fought in the Siege of Gibraltar and even wrote a poem about it to help create interest in A Voyage round the World. Many naval officers and supporters subscribed to the book.
John Nichols also wrote a good review of the book in the Gentleman's Magazine. He hinted at the exciting things described in the book, like rose-apples at the Cape and kangaroo meat at Port Jackson. He also shared that Mrs. Parker had given birth to a baby boy just a few days after returning home in June 1792.
The book was well-received, meaning people liked it. However, Mary Ann Parker's money problems continued. She had to ask for help from a charity fund. She eventually lost her house and faced serious financial hardship that affected her freedom.
Mary Ann Parker's Life
We don't know much about Mary Ann Parker's early life. However, it seems she had a good education. She had also traveled to France, Italy, and Spain, where she lived for three years. Her ability to speak Spanish fluently and her knowledge of Spanish customs were very helpful in Tenerife, where she acted as the group's "interpreter general." The names of her mother and her father, who was a doctor, are not known.
Before the voyage on the Gorgon, the Parkers had two children, a girl and a boy. They stayed at home with their grandmother. Mary Ann said she chose to go with her husband even though she knew she would miss her children and her mother. She had never been away from her mother for more than two weeks before. Sadly, her little boy died while she was away. Besides the baby born right after her return from the voyage, she had another child in 1794. Two of her daughters survived, but both of her sons died young.
Mary Ann Parker faced many money problems in the late 1700s and early 1800s. She passed away at her son-in-law's house in London in 1848.
Images for kids
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The 1795 book A Voyage Round the World, in the Gorgon Man of War by Mary Ann Parker
