This book is the story of one man, Jacob Pitman (the eldest brother of Sir Isaac Pitman) and of his wife Emma, who left England in 1837 on the long journey to the newly founded city of Adelaide, and of the four relatives who followed them.

The Australians of a Branch of the Pitman Family, 1954, Pitman Press, p ix

This 1954 publication was the result of a visit to Australia from England in 1949 by the Head of the Pitman Publishing Company.

He was interested in finding out what had happened to the Pitman families who migrated to Australia in 1838, 1840 and 1851.

Miss Haidee Pitman was enlisted and her research contributed significantly to the final publication.

In 1984 and 1986, two Pitman reunions attracted large numbers, and generated a renewed interest in the family book.

The book was reprinted in 1987 in time for the celebration of the 150th year of Pitman Shorthand.

Discussions began regarding the possibility of updating the book to the present time, as its contents were nearly 40 years out of date. The Pitman Reunion Committee began the task by contacting as many descendants as they could locate.

By the time of the third reunion in 1988 many responses to these requests had been received, and the task of collating and editing this new information began.

In addition to substantially extending the original material, the descendants of several other Pitman immigrants, not directly connected to the branches of the first book, were also included.

The updated and extended book Pitman Families in Australia: 1838-1990, was launched at the 1990 Pitman Reunion, with over 300 people present to share the experience.