Julia is my great great Aunt.

Julia (1824) and Martha (1826) were born in Scotland to father William Ferns and mother Ann Ferns nee McIntyre.

Julia and Martha Ferns travelled to Van Diemen's Land with their mother aboard the MELLISH female prison ship arriving in Hobart Town on 22 September 1830.  Martha and Julia were not shown on the shipping list, the number of children belonging to the convict women the only indication that children were on board. (It is listed in records on Prisoners & Survivors website that Ann was accompanied by two children on the trip out to Van Diemen's Land.) They were subsequently transferred with their mother to the Cascades Female House of Corrections.

As their mother Ann was incarcerated in the Cascades Female House of Corrections when they arrived in Hobart Town, Julia (6) and Martha (3) would probably have been transferred to a female orphan school in Hobart Town.

On 25 February 1832, Julia, aged 8 years, was admitted to the King's Orphanage in Davy Street, Hobart Town, her name registered as Julia Fann.   Julia was transferred to the King's Orphan School in New Town when it was opened at the end of 1832. Martha was soon after transferred with 40 other children by cart from the Female Factory to the King's Orphan School on 9 January 1833 and reunited with her sister Julia.The transfer was noted through a minute of the Committee of Management of the Orphan School.

KING'S ORPHAN SCHOOL
MINUTES OF THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
APRIL 25th 1828

Committee Room 10th January 1833  
Present: Revd. W Bedford
Mr Moodie
Mr Yeoland  

The Secretary reported that he had late on the previous day between the hours of four and five o'clock received an intimation from the Master of the Female Orphan School that 41 boys and girls in 4 carts with some bedding had arrived at the school from the Female Factory and that he wished to know if he was to admit them and that he (the Acting Secretary) had by a note requested the master to receive them as they must have been sent by some authority however irregular.  

The Committee regret that the management of this affair had not been entrusted to them more particularly as such a large increase required corresponding arrangement and accommodation especially at the commencement of a new era in reference to the Establishment at New Town.  

The Committee would remark that in reference to this proceeding the children were detained in the carts at the building for several hours, the master not conceiving himself justified in receiving them in the absence of higher authority without the usual order of admission from the Committee of Management .The Committee requested His Excellency's sanction for the retention of these children and in which case that the Committee may be furnished with a statement of the names, ages of other necessary particulars respecting these children in order that they may be registered in conformity with the regulations.    

12 January 1833.

Julia died in King's Orphan School Hospital on 20 February 1835. Julia Ferns was buried under the name of "Julia Farrel" as an orphan child in Parish Trinity, County of Buckingham, on 24 February 1835, aged 12 years.