First Polish Settler in New South Wales
(From the book Poles in Australia and Oceania 1790-1940)
by Lech Paszkowski, Australian National University Press - 1987)
Konstantine Alois Drucki-Lubecki was the first known settler in New South Wales. Lhotsky
and Gordonovitch were earlier visitors to the Antipodes, but as they returned to England
the term 'settler' can hardly be applied to them. There may have been other Poles in New
South Wales before Alois Lubecki, but there is no documentary proof.
Alois Lubecki arrived in Sydney on 17 October 1838 on board the Eden as a steerage
passenger. The ship of 419 tons, was under the command of Captain George Noble and loaded
with merchandise. She had a very rough passage from England: 'The Eden sprang her foremast
and crossjack yard just before she went into the Cape. She was 42 days from Cape of Good
Hope to Cape Howe, having encountered very severe gales during that passage'. The cabin
passengers also included "Rev. John Duffus, Episcopalian Minister, Mrs. Duffus and 5
children'.1
Although Lubecki and his wife came to Australia as steerage passengers, he was a Prince
and a descendant of the famous Norman Prince Ruric, who was invited to govern Russia and
went with his troo