Out of everywhere in the world Britton Jones could have been transported, Norton Jones is glad it was Australia.
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From humble beginnings as a convict, Britton Jones built Franklin House and founded a line that resulted in the 42 people that gathered at the house on Saturday.
Norton travelled from Queensland for the occasion, and others came from Western Australia and NSW as well as Tasmania.
"We're a young country, and we've achieved so much," he said.
"We have to think about how lucky we are.
"I'm retired, and I'm enjoying life in the beautiful country as a free citizen.
"I reckon to have an Australian passport today is one hell of a big bonus."
Saturday was the 200th anniversary of Britton Jones arriving on Tasmanian shores.
On January 10, 1820, he was on the HMS Dromedary along with 350 other convicts.
"We believe it was a significant day," Norton said.
"We obviously felt it was significant enough to all meet here today.
"It was 200 years out of the 232 since Sydney, and we all felt that we should do something about it and celebrate."
Two books have documented the history of the family, both for sale on Saturday: Britton Jones, a Convict Who Became a Colonial Entrepreneur by Lucille Gee, and Keeping Up With the Joneses - the Story of a Tasmanian Family by June Gee.
Lucille Gee also gave a talk at Saturday's event.
The books detail how Britton Jones received his certificate of freedom in 1825 and became employed as a licensee, brewer and innkeeper of the Sir William Wallace Inn.
The inn was located opposite what is now Franklin House, and Britton decided it would be a prime location for a stately home.
"But he never lived in it," Norton Jones said.
"He leased it.
"As someone said to me last night, it was possibly one of the first spec homes in Van Diemen's Land," he laughed.
Britton Jones lived in his substantial home of Greycliffe, near the Kerry Lodge Bridge, which he had built within nine years of earning his freedom.
He then purchased the land opposite his hotel, and in 1838 built himself a fine house that is today known as Franklin House, Norton said.
Franklin House is now Launceston's only house museum.
After being used as a residence, it went on to accommodate one of the colony's leading private schools which operated from 1842 until 1866.
In 1960, it became the birthplace of the National Trust in Tasmania, which was formed to save it.
It is located at 413 Hobart Road, Youngtown.
