Family members are expected to travel from Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia as well as all parts of Victoria for the reunion, which will kick of at the Great Western Hall tomorrow at 10.30am.

John Thomas Coates (1812-1874) and wife Anne Kennedy (1922-1900) were the first of the Coates family to arrive in Australia and they settled on a farm near Great Western.

Their children were John Rodney, John Thomas, William Rody, George Stillman, Sarah Anne, Mary Elizabeth and Samual James.

This weekend's reunion will begin at the Great Western Hall and after a meet and greet a convoy will leave to visit the original farm settled by John and his wife Anne.

Family will also visit the Great Western Cemetery and at the Ararat Cemetery on Sunday a plaque will be unveiled marking the graves of John, Anne and their daughter Sarah who was only 15 when she was died.

As part of the weekend, organisers hope to continue to gather family history.

"The reunion is a way of getting all the family together and getting more information," one of the organisers Elizabeth Coates said.

"We hope to get more people enthused and then produce a book."

Any family members who would like to attend should contact Elizabeth Coates on 5574 2221 or Susan Mason on 0408 528 781.