People Australia

William Goodall (c.1745-1828) was a corporal of marines in the 6th (Plymouth) Company when he arrived at Sydney aboard the Scarborough in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet. He was attached to Captain James Meredith's Company in the colony. In 1808 he was described as being 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey eyes, grey hair and a round face.

Goodall was sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790, returning to Port Jackson in December 1791 to enlist in the New South Wales Corps. He lived with Ann Powell. Their son William (b.1793) died as an infant; their daughter Margaret (b.1797) also died as an infant.

Goodall received a 270 acre grant of land at Toongabbie in October 1799. Seven acres were sown in wheat by 1800 and he had no stock. He was still on stores but was supporting his wife, a servant and a child (his wife's son from a previous relationship). Transferred to the Invalid Company in 1810 he was recorded in 1818 as a private in the NSW Veteran Company doing duty at Windsor. He was still doing duty in 1823.

William Goodall was buried on 10 July 1828 at St Matthew's Church, Windsor; his age was given as 84.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), pp 143-144