Roger Murley (or Morley), an able seaman, arrived at Sydney aboard the Sirius in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet. He was sent to Norfolk Island in February 1788. As a former master weaver it was hoped that he would be useful in the development of the flax that was believed to be abundant on the island but was later found to be not up to the task. He was, however, found to be useful in constructing the pier at Ball's Bay and helped to make shingles for a granary. He was appointed constable on 16 August 1789.
Murley returned to England on the Waaksamheid in March 1791. He had wanted to return to England as a settler but had perhaps been unable to persuade his wife.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 258
'Murley, Roger (c. 1752–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/murley-roger-31549/text39009, accessed 30 May 2025.
c.
1752
Beaminster,
Dorset,
England
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.