Central Western Plains: Portrait of Mitchell's acquaintance Ned
John F.H. Mitchell was a pastoralist, whose French grandfather Gabriel Marie Louis Huon de Kerilleau settled in Australia with his wife Louisa, arriving with the 102nd Regiment on the Second Fleet. He had fled to England following the fall of the Bourbons, and it was later discovered that he was member of the French royal family. Huon's only daughter married Captain Thomas Mitchell with whom she had four sons including John F.H. Mitchell. Following Captain Mitchell's death his widow moved to the Murray River with her children. As a lad John F.H. Mitchell mixed with the Waradgery, a Murray River tribe, and acquired a knowledge of their language. Later in life he resided at 'Ravenshoe', Ravenswood, Victoria.
Full catalogue record available online at: http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110365274.
As a child, John Mitchell mixed with the Wiradjuri people of the Murray River area and acquired a knowledge of their language. Mitchell’s wordlists include the meaning and pronunciation of local placenames; oaths and expletives; and male and female Wiradjuri names.
