August 2015 newsletter no. 155 What’s Happening Next for our Society:
18th August – The winners of the Townsend Trophy and Bedella award will be announced and the entries will be read by the authors.
15th September – This will be a research tips and sharing experience using the Internet to demonstrate.
20st October – Jenny Harkness from The Church of Latter Day Saints will give a talk on the resources that are available.
Disclaimer: The WFHS Inc. does not accept any responsibility for opinions or accuracy of information contained in this newsletter. Information is reproduced in this publication for educational purposes. Newsletter of the Wodonga Family History Society Inc. PO Box 289 Wodonga Vic 3689 www.wodongafamilyhistory.org Email: [email protected]
Published in February, May, August and November ISSN 1327-3167
August 2015 Page 1 of 12 The Research Room is situated in the Our meetings are held on the 3rd premises of the Upper Murray Tuesday of each month [except Regional Library in Hovell Street, December] at 7.30pm at the Felltimber Wodonga VIC. The opening hours for Community Centre, cnr Felltimber research are Tuesday & Wednesday Creek Road and Melrose Drive, from 10.30am to 3.30pm and Wodonga. Entry is via Ritter Road. Thursday from 1pm to 5.30pm.
Research enquiries: If you wish our Research Officer to do research for you, please include a business sized, stamped, self addressed envelope with your enquiry details. The initial research cost is $20.00. Please include all the details you can: names, areas, dates, any births, deaths and marriage details you may have and what you want the Research Officer to find out. There is no point in paying for what you already know.
Membership Details
Membership of the Wodonga Family History Society Inc. includes the benefits of receiving a quarterly newsletter and allows access to all the resources of the Society’s library which is growing all the time. Your attendance at our monthly meetings will ensure that you have contact with our researchers who share your interest in family history.
Subscriptions: New Members Joining Fee $ 10.00 Annual Membership $25.00 Part Year Membership [join between 1st April & 30th June] $10.00 + joining fee
Membership fees are due and payable in July of each year.
Committee members
President Norma Burrows phone: 02 6024 1591 Vice President vacant Treasurer Sue Jarvis Secretary Wendy Cooksey phone: 02 6056 3220
Barbara Baxter Doreen Gibbs Lyn Larkin Bob Cousins Lynda Cuper Pat Hopkins Heather Lauritzen Dawn Newman Yvonne Wilson Christine Young
President’s Report Well here we are with half the year gone and winter well and truly upon us.
Wendy and I attended the annual GSV Members’ meeting in Melbourne. At this meeting we talk with clubs from all over Victoria and get to know what they are doing. GSV administration people keep us up to date with what is happening in the genealogical world. It was a very informative day. Congratulations to Robyn Wood on her new book “Tug of War”. Robyn gave us an insight into how she put the book together at our May meeting. The book will be available at our library.
Howard Jones has also written a new book “Amazing People of the Border”. The book is available from Howard but will be officially launched at the “Writing on the Murray” Festival later in the year. It will be available in our library at a later date. Congratulations Howard!
We will be having a display in the “Reflections on High” windows again this year in August. This coincides with Family History month.
Recently some of the information in the News Weekly re our library has been incorrect. We have notified them of the correct details and this should not occur again.
I have recently discovered I have a First Fleeter in my family. This opens up a whole new area for me to research. I do think I should sort out and write up what I already have first – before going down that path.
At our August meeting we will be announcing the winners of the Bedella and Townsend Awards. Come along to learn who the winners are and to hear their stories.
A reminder that our Street Stall is in November.
Don’t forget to make the most of the resources available at our library.
Norma Burrows President
We are updating our members' information and would like to include details of a person to contact in case of emergency. The information required is "Person to contact and contact number". Please forward these details to: [email protected], call Wendy on 02 6056 3220 or post to PO Box 289, Wodonga, 3689.
Meeting Notes
21st April - This was a night for members to tell us stories of their families during war time. Howard Jones, Lyn Larkin, Bob Cousins, Yvonne Wilson and Bernice Burgess entertained us with very interesting events which involved their families. Stories of spies and horses were among the subject discussed. Committee member Bob Cousins led a lively discussion on topics members would like covered in the coming year. International research, cemeteries and use of Trove were some subjects discussed.
19th May – Member Robyn Wood gave a presentation on her book titled, “Tug of War”. This is the story of members of her husband’s family during World War 2. Robyn explained how she had used a personal diary, service records, books, websites, newspapers, photos, postcards and maps to put it all together.
Helen Milton told us how she had created several Family Histories using Family Tree Maker. She also showed us how she had used different methods of publication. It was a very interesting and informative night.
16th June – “A letter to an ancestor” was the theme for this meeting. Several members participated, including Doreen, who read us a copy of a letter her grandfather had written to his fiancée in England in 1853. Also, Harry was searching for relatives who went to New Zealand and Wendy wrote a letter telling an uncle, who she never knew, about what has happened in her life. Sue, Glynn and Warren also told us stories about their ancestors.
August 2015 Page 3 of 12 Barry showed us documents about a member of his family who had been in the Police Force. He had received these documents from the Victorian Police Museum. He pointed out that these documents are not available online – you have to write or email the museum for this information. It was another great night with members participating and sharing their thoughts and research. The overall thought at the end was “I wish you had left a trail”!
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The last newsletter advised that the committee was proposing amendments to our fees and that the matter would be put forward for discussion at the Annual General Meeting [AGM] on 21st July 2015.
At the AGM, all members present voted in favour of the proposal to streamline membership fees. The new fees are: Annual membership—all members (1st July to 30th June. Payable by 31ST July each year): $25
NEW MEMBERS: Joining fee $10 + Annual Membership $25 = $35
NEW MEMBERS joining partway through the year (joining between 1st April and 30th June): Joining Fee $10 + Part membership $10 = $20
You can call into the Research Room at the library in our open hours to pay, or, send a cheque to Wodonga Family History Soc Inc, PO Box 289, Wodonga 3689, or pay into the society’s account: Hume Bank BSB: 640000 Account: 340716510 If you pay in to our account, please note your name and send Wendy Cooksey an email to let her know it has been paid [email address is on page 2 of this newsletter].
Members’ stories The WFHS committee are always trying to encourage you, the members, to write short pieces for the newsletter.
The aim is to give you the confidence to keep writing short or longer pieces for yourself and your family to preserve and pass on your family’s history.
It would be great if you wanted to share those stories with fellow members via this newsletter.
They can be as short as 300 words [half a page, depending on the font you use] up to a page and a half [approx. 900 words].
Here is a story from Bernice Burgess. “A Spy in the Family” I thought I would tell you a little about the war effort in Newcastle which was, in many ways, quite different from the war effort in rural areas. My story relates to the 1939-1945 2nd World War. Because it was a steel town backed by coal mines in the Hunter Valley, many men were not allowed to join the armed forces. These industries were considered ‘protected industries,’ their job being to produce the iron and steel for munitions and the repair of ships (many from the U.S.A.) No one in my immediate family could enlist. Because of a shortage of men to staff the industries many women became factory workers. In my family there were only two men who took an active defence role. The first was an uncle who worked on the BHP merchant ships that carried iron ore for steelmaking from Whyalla in South Australia to Newcastle. He was torpedoed twice by the Japanese – swimming ashore after the first time but drowning on the second occasion. However, my interest to-night is in the second relative – a cousin. I was only about nine years of age at the time, and so, was not privy to many of the details. Because of the importance of Newcastle and its industries, the authorities expected any invasion of Australia would take place near Newcastle which also had a RAAF Base and a Catalina Base. There were also many spies or ‘fifth columnists’ as we knew them, operating in the area passing information to the enemy for example, the Japanese submarines knew when the convoys carrying iron ore were sailing and lay in wait for them. Each convoy was escorted by ships of the Australian Navy but it was the heavily laden merchant vessels that were mostly attacked. It was eventually found that a Dutch Catalina crew were responsible for passing that information. They disappeared overnight from the Catalina Base at Rathmines. As a consequence of the enemy spies, many local men became agents for the Australian security intelligence of the time. My cousin was a tradesman working in the industries and he became an agent. His employer must have been informed of his activity as he just left work at any time if he was called out. He lived with my family in Newcastle as his home was in a coal mining town in the Hunter Valley accessible only by steam train. Very few Newcastle people had cars at that time. He worked very irregular hours partly because of his work as a fitter and partly because of his security work so train timetables were not very convenient. Mum knew about his involvement but my father did not. I’m not sure how long this arrangement lasted but one day my cousin advised my mother that he would have to leave as uncle (my father) was being followed in the belief that he was the agent. My cousin returned to his country town and commuted to work by train. He was stabbed on several occasions both on the train and when he was walking home from the railway station through bushland. He survived the war but never spoke about his wartime experiences.
Wendy Cooksey provided the following information in June 2015:
Pages 25 & 26 of the latest GUM newsletter has an article on ‘Google Power Search’. Basically it shows how to search for a specific time range. For example if you are often googling for a particular name, you can check only items that have come onto the internet in the last week or whatever time you want, rather than wading through hits you have already checked.
Pat Hopkins found this wonderful letter written in 1886. This follows on from writing a letter to an ancestor at the June meeting. I hope you can read the writing. Woodstock, New Brunswick,
August 2015 Page 5 of 12 February 19, 1886 Dear Nephew, In a letter from you of January 29th, you requested me to give you a few names and dates concerning our ancestry. I will commence with my great-grandfather, George Chase, one of the three brothers who came to America, My great- grandfather settled in Massachusetts U.S. {see: Ancestors Chase Family} James Chase, his son, was my grandfather, who married a Miss [Elizabeth] Douglas. They also lived for a time in Massachusetts. At the time of the revolution they left the country and came to New Brunswick, settling in Sheffield Queens. [Sunbury Co., Lakeville Corner]. They left four of their children in Massachusetts in care of their grandfather, George Chase. Their names were Seth, James, Elizabeth and Phoebe. Elizabeth, your grandmother, lived in the family of her grandfather Chase for seven years and helped to wait upon him in his last sickness. After his death she came to New Brunswick at the age of fourteen. When eighteen yrs. old she married Abiel Briggs* from Massachusetts U.S. I think she was married in 1789. They had fifteen children - Mercy, Phoebe, Ephraim, Polly, James, Lydia, Elizabeth, Sarah, Abiel, George, Elijah, Diadama, Abel, Sibyl and William. All these, with the exception of Abel married and have heirs. In 1827 your grandfather and six youngest children moved to Jacksontown, Carr Co[Carleton], NB. In 1828 your uncle Elisha Baker and I were married; and in 1830; in Jacksontown at her father's house your mother Sibyl was married by Parson Street. She was born April 5 1813 and died April, 1840 aged 27 yrs. She left 4 sons Harford, Sanford, Nelson and Frederick. Diadama Baker (A transcription of the letter from Abial’s daughter Diadama Briggs Baker to a nephew. Original letter is in the New Brunswick Museum. My source: http:oldsaintjohn.com/abiel downloaded 29/7/2009 )
Barry Pinkerton provided the following information: The Victorian Police Museum [VPM] has a research officer who will help with people researching family history involving Victorian Police. Write, e-mail or visit:- Research Officer Victorian Police Museum
August 2015 Page 7 of 12 637 Flinders Street Melbourne 3005
e-mail [email protected]
www.police.vic.gov.au/museum
Norma Burrows provided the following article:
OUTSIDE THE BOX
My great grandmother was listed on the CD ROM and Microfiche as Ellen Tavistock. She was actually Ellen White from Tavistock. So as you can guess is took a while to find her.
The strangest one I found was in the NSW Pioneer Index. After a long search for a Florence Sweeney I found her eventually through a CD ROM search using only her parents’ Christian names – she was indexed under the surname EY! I can only assume that the person who did the indexing was working from a torn or completely illegible copy.
Here’s one worth thinking about ….. I was unable to find any trace of the death of George Thomas BAKER in the Vic BDM until – I found George THOMAS, with correct dates etc. His surname had been interpreted as his occupation, a baker! So keep the lateral thinking going.
The above article was submitted by Joan Fawcett and published in “The Genealogist” June 2001.
If you have a brick wall you just have to keep coming back to it with new thoughts and hopefully you will find the information you seek.
Robyn Wood provided the following information:
If you are a GSV member, you can obtain a 36% discount on a World subcription for Findmypast.au (12 months). That's a $72 saving. Normal price $199, reduced to $127.
Now it is time to get ready for the second one, the street stall. We have booked Thursday 12th November, outside Coles in High St, Wodonga. We are looking for lots of donations which can be left with Heather Lauritzen at 4 Woodland Street Wodonga or give her a call (02 6024 2493) and offer to help on the day. If you are donating plants could you please name them? Prospective buyers ask about the plants and we don’t necessarily know the names of the plants (some of us are not gardeners!!!).
PROJECTS
The members of the Projects Team were very excited about having their photo in the Australian Family Tree Connections which advertised copies of the CDs and published a report written by Wendy. The Team has been very busy. There are three new CDs ready for publication. The Barnawartha and Tallangatta Cemeteries and the Bethanga Land Claims Records. The Cemetery CDs have photographs of the cemetery as well as the headstones. They also have digitised and transcribed copies of the Registers as well as transcriptions of the headstone information. These CDs will be valuable additions to our resources and, hopefully, add a few more dollars to our funds.
We are still trying to complete the records for the Kiewa and Sandy Creek cemeteries. The smaller cemeteries in our area, currently sold as hard copy, have been retyped and placed on the computers to make research these cemeteries a little easier.
The Yackandandah Rates from 1920 to 1948, currently available on 63 microfiche, are being transcribed and will be added to our earlier records.
The second Part, from 1949 to 1971, will be added at a later date.
The Pupil Attendance records found in Inspector Brown’s Reports have been transcribed. These records, 1861, 1863 and 1864, show the names of pupils who attended school on the days he inspected the school, the teacher and the pupils. It is remarkable how many of the families recorded then are still in the area today.
We would like to thank Mark Grealy for allowing us to use his records of the Wodonga Court. As they are fairly recent records a decision has not been made at this stage to transcribe these records. We are very grateful to Noelle Oke for transcribing the Albury Border Post Almanac Index 1877 to 1892 and allowing us to assist with the publication. Over 9700 entries have been recorded – a truly remarkable effort - and a CD should be available in the near future.
Doug Elms from VICGUM [Victorian Genealogists Using Microcomputers] spoke at the AGM on 21st July. He explained that it is a not for profit organisation that uses the Family Tree Maker software. There is a GUMNET service which is an online chat service for members.
Did you know that if you researched 20 generations over 400 years you would have more than 1 million ancestors. Heaven knows who you could be related too!!!
Shown below are 2 front covers of the CDs that have been advertised in the Australian Family History magazine recently. The information in the CD’s has been recorded by our great hard working dedicated team.
August 2015 Page 9 of 12
RECORDS FOR SALE 2003 Bethanga $9 Bungowannah 1876 $6 -2002 COMPUTER DISCS Burrumbuttock: Public $6 Yackandandah Shire $20 1893-1999 and Trinity Rates 1875-1878 and Bethal Lutheran Church 1884-1891 1885-1999 Wodonga Shire Rates $35 Gerogery : Public 1859- $6 1900-1948 (1938-1941 2002 and St Peters not available) Lutheran Church 1869- Wodonga Burial $35 2002 Records 1861-1937 Glen Wills Register $5 and 1938-2004 1894-1920 and Granite Wodonga Monumental $35 Flat Headstones 1863- Inscriptions up to 2007 1993 The 2 set Wodonga Goombargama $5 Cemetery Records Jindera Cemeteries: $6 available for $65. Public Register 1875- 1977; Headstones Mitta Mitta Cemetery $25 1876-2001; Bethelhem Headstone Inscriptions Lutheran 1875-2001; and Photographs 2010 Lutheran 1863-2001 Yabba Cemetery $20 Kiewa $12 Headstone Inscriptions Moorwatha $5 and Photographs Sandy Creek: Register $9 Yackandandah $35 and Headstones Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions Talgarno $6 All CDs postage and handling an extra Package and postage $5. $2.50 each HARD COPY MICROFICHE CEMETERY RECORDS HEADSTONE Yackandandah Shire $30 RECORDS Rates Barnawartha 1861- $12 Part 1: 1884-1888 and 1920-1948 (63 fiche) Part 2: 1949-1971 (54 $30 fiche) Postage $5 per part Note: New Prices
August 2015 Page 11 of 12 There are times when you discover something new. Perhaps you would like to share that information with the other members of our club. Send your titbits to our Editor Christine, with WFHS Newsletter in the Subject, at [email protected]
Wodonga Family History Society Inc., PO Box 289, Wodonga, VIC, 3689
The Wodonga Family History Society would like to thank Officeworks Wodonga for its support.
Officeworks is a great store with many services and products available for family historians.