I love hearing these stories 🙂
I've been lucky that my mothers ancestors kept detailed information on where they 'came from'.
My great great grandfather came to Australia on a boat in the late 1800's (during the gold rush). He was a Swiss Italian, born in Lake Como. Apparently the family kept switching their residence from Switzerland to Italy. In fact they lived so close to the border they'd pick up washing in Switzerland and carry it over the bridge to Italy to wash (laundresses) so the story goes.
On my maternal grandmothers side of the family we have an amazing document - a typed page from a diary her ancestor wrote during the voyage from England to Australia in about 1845. Basically it reads like this:
Hot, no wind. Two died today. Thrown overboard. Saw sharks eat the bodies. Bosun and ships captain got into a fight. 3 died today. Thrown overboard. 4 died today. Thrown overboard. 1 died today. Thrown overboard.
Not sure if he was a convict but it certainly sounds like it was a convict ship.
My kids are half British. I met their father while I was on a working holiday in the UK.
I guess we are all rather glad we came, too.
) 
