Biography

Mary Ann (Bird) Tame - Phillips was born c1826 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Her parents were Samuel BIRD and Lucy PICKETT.

NOTE: There is some dispute as to Mary's parentage. It has been reported that she was an aboriginal girl Mary Ann Palawa adopted by Samuel and Lucy. {Source 2002 Aboriginal Tribunal regarding Private}

Mary married Edward TAME on April 24, 1843 in Hobart. Tasmania, Australia.. Together they had the following children:

• 1844 Herbert Alfred George ;
• 1846 Sophia Ann ;
• 1848 Emma Ann ;
• 1850 Mary Ann ;
• 1855 Edward Alfred .

The marriage broke down sometime after 1855 and before 1861

Mary married George PHILLIPS on September 18, 1869 in Franklin, Tasmania, Australia. Together they had the following children:

• 1861 Charlotte Lucy ;
• 1864 given name not recorded - female;
• 1864 Louisa ;
• 1867 Alfred Ernest George ;
• 1869 Lillie Anne .

Mary died 18 June 1909 in Franklin, Tasmania, Australia

PHOTOS OF MARY ANN

PHOTOGRAPHS OF MARY ANN'S CHILDREN

Herbert Alfred George Tame

Sophia Ann Tame

Mary Ann Tame

PHOTOGRAPHS OF MARY ANN'SGRANDCHILDREN

Elsie Norris (daughter of Sophia Ann Tame)

Eveline Norris (daughter of Sophia Ann Tame)

Laura Norah Norris (daughter of Sophia Ann Tame)

Harold Gordon Norris (son of Sophia Ann Tame)

Ernest George Thorp (son of Charlotte Lucy Phillips)

Victor Michael Gallagher (son of Louisa Jane Phillips)

Latham children (children of Mary Ann Tame)

DNA

DNA evidence connecting Mary Ann BIRD (who married TAME and PHILLIPS) to Lucy PICKETT and Samuel BIRD (see documents)

• descendants of Mary Ann BIRD dna match to descendants of Jane PICKETT (sister of Lucy PICKETT who married Samuel BIRD)
• descendants of Mary Ann BIRD dna match to descendants of Alfred Thomas BIRD (son of Lucy PICKETT and Samuel BIRD)

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2002 Aboriginal Tribunal

142. Robert William Thorp is the father of Jay-Darren Thorp, Jodi-Leigh Thorp, Justin Drew Thorp and Jana Louise Thorp. Robert Thorp gave unchallenged evidence that he and his children all identify as aboriginals, and Mr Bowen in his closing submissions fairly and in our view correctly conceded that Mr Thorp has acceptance as an Aboriginal person.

143. Robert William Thorp says that his Aboriginal ancestor was Mary Ann (Palawa) Bird who was born in about 1825 and married a George Phillips. Mr Thorp's parents were William Ansell-John Thorp and Vera Mary Cordwell. His grandparents were John Herbert Thorp and Mary Anne Rebecca Phillips. His great grandparents were Alfred Ernest George Phillips and Rebecca Mansfield. Alfred Ernest George Phillips was the son of Mary Ann Bird.

144. Mr Thorp said he had been taught from the time he was four years old that he had aboriginal blood and heritage. He was taught this by his parents, his grandparents and his great grandparents.

145. Mr Thorp was seven or eight when his great grandfather Alfred died and he remembers him telling him that he goes back to 'old black blood'.

146. After his great grandfather died, Mr Thorp's grandmother Mary Ann Rebecca told him that his aboriginality went back to Mary Ann and that she was an Aboriginal lady who George Phillips had married. His grandmother who Mr Thorp described as 'very, very dark' told him 'not to go spreading it around the district'.

147. Mr Thorp said his grandmother told him that she remembered Mary Ann who taught her to hunt and gather, and that Mary Ann always cooked outside on an open fire even though she had inside facilities for cooking.

148. The archival evidence is that there was no record of the birth or baptism of Mary Ann Bird, but according to her death certificate she was born in Hobart in 1826. It is suggested that 'she is most likely' the daughter of Samual Bird and Lucy Pickett who married in Hobart in 1823, Samuel Bird being a free settler and his wife the daughter of a respectable settler late of New South Wales.

149. It is possible that the archival evidence is correct, but in our view the oral history handed down directly by those with living memories is so strong that it is more probable than not that the Mary Ann Bird described by her son and her granddaughter was an Aboriginal person.

150. Mr Thorp gave evidence that his children all identify as aboriginal persons. Indeed his daughter Jana was taught by Mr Thorp's grandmother Mary Ann of her aboriginality.

151. Given the closeness of the relationship between Mr Thorp and the other applicants in this group, we take Mr Bowen's concession as to Mr Thorp's community acceptance to carry over to them.

152. For the reasons we have given in the general parts of these reasons and for the reasons given above we find as

• That they and each of them are persons of the Aboriginal race of Australia.

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SOURCES

• Link to Land Purchase Cornwall Chronical Wednesday 3rd November 1869 page 4
  • https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65986479?searchTerm=Geor...
• 1828 census https://stors.tas.gov.au/CSO1-1-918_034?fbclid=IwAR3UoFa_XEYprSVaov...
• Mary and her two brothers were admitted to the orphan's school at the same time
  • https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/tas/search/...
• 1828 Census - Samuel George BIRD age 4, Mary Ann BIRD age 2, both parents living - Protestant
• 1834 Queens Orphanage - George aged 11, Mary age 9 and Edward age 4 placed in Queens Orphanage
• 1839 children removed from orphanage
• 1843 Tasmania Marriage Record - Edward JAMES (age 23) married Mary Ann BIRD (age 18) on 24 April 1843 Hobart
• 1844 Tasmania Birth Record - George TAME, born 25 June 1844 Hobart, father Edward TAME, mother Mary Ann BIRD
• 1846 Victoria Christening Record - Sophia Ann TAME baptised 24 December 1846 St James, Melbourne, Australia, father Edward TAME, mother Mary Ann
• 1850 Victoria Birth Record - Mary Ann TAME born 1851 Melbourne, father Edward TAME, mother Mary Anne
• 1855 Tasmania Birth Record - Edward Alfred TAME born 17 April 1855 Hobart, father Edward TAME, mother Mary Ann BIRD
• 1861 Tasmania Birth Record - Charlotte Lucy PHILLIPS born 8 October 1861 Franklin, father George PHILLIPS, mother Mary BIRD
• 1864 Tasmania Birth Record - given name not recorded PHILLIPS born 23 March 1864 Franklin, father George PHILLIPS, mother Mary TAME
• 1869 Tasmania Marriage Record - George PHILLIPS age 37 and Mary Ann TAME age 44 married 18 September 1869 Franklin
• 1870 Tasmania Birth Record - Lillie Anne PHILLIPS born 25 February 1870 Franklin, father George PHILLIPS, mother Mary Anne TAME
• 1909 The Mercury - Mon 21 June 1909 Page 1 - PHILLIPS - On June 18, 1909, Mary Ann, wife of George PHILLIPS, of Franklin. A Patient sufferer at rest.

LINKS

• https://gw.geneanet.org/alisontassie?lang=en&p=mary+ann&n=bird&oc=2
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/vitals/LZJ4-T8R