Billy Blue

This article is about the convict. For the tree, see Acacia sclerosperma. For the school, see Billy Blue College of Design. For the British admiral nicknamed Billy Blue, see William Cornwallis.

Billy Blue
1834 portrait of William Blue, by J. B. East
Born
William Blue

c. 1740/67
Jamaica, New York or Colony of Jamaica
Died(1834-05-07)7 May 1834[1]
Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)Sailor, boatman
SpouseElizabeth Williams (1805–1824, her death)
Children6

William Blue (c. 1767 – 7 May 1834) was an Australian convict who, after completing his sentence, became a boatman providing one of the first services to take people across Sydney Harbour. He was also made a water bailiff and watched boat traffic on Port Jackson from a special tower.

Although Billy Blue's place and date of birth are uncertain, convict records suggest he was born in Jamaica, New York, around 1740 or 1767. Other people reading his records believe him to have been from Jamaica, West Indies.

In 1817, Governor Macquarie granted Billy Blue 80 acres (320,000 m2) at what is now Blues Point, which was named after him.[2]

  1. ^ Park, Margret. "Blue, William (Billy) (1767–1834)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Warne was invoked but never defined (see the help page).