~ April 2009 ~  

MEETING DATES 2009

Meeting held 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10am in the Tebbutt Room, Windsor Library

INFORMATION

10th June 2009 MEETING

Note - there will be no meeting on the 10th June 2009 as the group will be on an excursion. Tour of Ebenezer Church & Cemetery with Ted Brill cost $7.50 includes morning Devonshire teas. Bookings essential. Ring 4560-4460

The Making of Modern Australia

From the ABC “The ABC has contacted ALIA to spread the news throughout the library network about a social history documentary series called ‘The Making of Modern Australia’ http://www.makingaustralia.com.au   They believe that it is a project that will be of interest throughout the library network around Australia, in both regional towns and city centres, where there are local historians and community groups with an interest in telling their stories.  The ABC has just launched an online social history project called ‘The Making of Modern Australia’  and the next part of the project is to make a social history documentary series – with the same name, The Making of Modern Australia – spanning the post-war period, from 1945 to now.   They are looking for stories that are particularly interesting, unusual, uplifting and perhaps heartbreaking. They want stories of romance & relationship, faith and religion, parenting and childhood, and the Australian home/a sense of place – all set against the broader picture of Australia’s changing social history.  To help tell the story, they would also like to have photos or home video of key people and events in people’s past.First love, weddings, mixed marriages, divorce, dating again… Finding faith, sectarianism, religious divide, losing God… Traditional family life, living in community, the ‘dream home’, blended families, school life, adoption, sibling rivalry…  Anyone who wishes to  be considered for the documentary should get in touch with Elissa McKeand elissa.mckeand@essential-media.com at Essential Media & Entertainment by mid April 2009. Or people can indicate their interest on the website and add their story by mid April. http://www.makingaustralia.com.au

ENQUIRY - Sprayleigh Pitt Town - soldiers home

Rod & Wendy Gow (authors of the excellent newspaper index books) are interested in finding out about “Sprayleigh Farm, Pitt Town” which was a home for "nerve shocked soldiers" in the 1920s. Does anyone have any information on this establishment, particularly its exact location and how long it operated ? Please contact Rod Gow on rgow@gownewspaperindexes.com.au or Michelle Nichols c/- Hawkesbury Library 300 George Street, Windsor 2756

PITT REUNION

There will be a reunion of the descendants of Mary and Robert Pitt of Dorset UK at 'Pitt House' (Coorah), Blue Mountains Grammar School, Wentworth Falls NSW, on Saturday 3rd October 2009, commencing at midday. Widowed in 1787, Mary Pitt (nee Matcham) arrived in Australia from England on the 'Canada' in December 1801 and settled in Richmond.  Five of her children Susannah, Lucy, Thomas, Jemima and Hester accompanied her, whilst two more sons went to the USA and died young. Their children married into the Faithfull, Wood, Laycock, Forrest, Jenkins and Wilshire families. Please contact Salli Chmura (ACT) 02 6282 0386 or Libby White (Sydney) 02 9889 0335 for information or email : mary_matcham_pitt@yahoo.com

Charles Darwin Down Under 1836

Charles Darwin Down Under 1836 - A free exhibition 4 April - 26 July 2009 at the State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street, Sydney For more details contact the library on 9273-1414 or website at http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/2009/darwin/docs/darwin_flyer.pdf

SHEATHER REUNION

A reunion is planned at Taree, NSW on the 7th & 8th of November 2009 for Stephen & Hannah Sheather who arrived in Australia 1839 on the Neptune with two children, James and Mary Ann, Stephen took his family to Maitland, NSW where a further 8 children were born of which all ten children married and added to the tree of about 3000 family members that are known to me, and we were hoping that you might like to advertise this in your newsletters or journals. Brian Burnett 0410571246 or www.sheatherfamily.com for more details.

Historic Bicentenary Ebenezer Church celebrations

Friday 19 June: Static Displays by church archivists will be open in the pavilion. Devonshire teas available during the day. Saturday 20 June: Main Day - Displays open, Food stalls, Souvenirs, Re-enactments, entertainment and Outdoor Service. Sunday 21 June: Family Picnic Day - Displays open, Musical Entertainment, Barbecue, Devonshire teas, Historical walk-and-talks in church grounds and to the nearby quarry and beach. Keep up to date with celebrations by online newsletter www.ebenezerchurch.org.au/bicentenary.htm  

BACK TO ST BARTHOLOMEW’S DAY 2ND MAY 2009

Friends of St Bartholomew’s are holding the above celebration on Saturday 2nd May 2009 9.30am to 4pm. Gay Hendriksen of Parramatta Heritage Centre will be talking about “Convict Women” and at 1pm Dr Stephen Gapps will giving a demonstration on firing muskets. contact Sharon Wicks on wickgs@ozemail.com.au 

NEW HILL END BOOK

The following book is now available for sale. Hill End Histories & Tambaroora Tales written by the members of the Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group and edited by Lorraine Purcell. The book is A4 96 pp and costs $25 + $5.50 P&H. Enquiries heatgg@yahoo.com.au or send to Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group, 12 Granthan Street Carlton 2218

FAMILY HISTORY AWARD

The 2009 Lilian Watson Family History Award for a book produced/published dealing with family history and having a significant Tasmanian content closes on the 1st December 2009. For further info and entry forms contact the Award Co-Ordinator, TFHS Inc. PO Box 191 Launceston 7250 or email secretary@tasfhs.org

ENQUIRY

The following researcher is keen to make contact with any other researchers working on these Hawkesbury families:  Benson, Ezzey, Hough, Lamrock, Cobcroft, Wood and Dick…to name a few. She has done considerable research on the Benson tree and is interested in contacting people who are related to these families. Carolyn and Ray Stanford, PO Box 188, Katoomba NSW 2780 E: stan@hwy.com.au

NEW LOCAL STUDIES ITEMS

New Local Studies items now available to consult in the Local Studies Collection at Hawkesbury Central Library. To check the Library catalogue online go to http://catalogue.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/amlibweb/

• Tracing your Northern Ancestors / GREGSON RL929.1072041 GRE
• Tracing your Yorkshire Ancestors / BELLERBY RL929.1072041 BEl
• Cite your sources : manual for documenting family histories and Genealogical records / RL 929.1 LAC
• My ancestors were : Londoners / WEBB  RL929.3421 WEB
• Ships from Scotland to Australasia 1820-1860 / DOBSON\RL387.209411 DOB

Surfing the internet……. Sites for family historians

Members with internet access should check out the following interesting sites. The Library has free access to the internet, contact 4560 4460 for bookings at Windsor & 4578 2002 for Richmond bookings.

• Land in Victoria http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/PROVguides/PROVguide023/PROVguide023.jsp
• Manchester http://www.manchester-family-history-research.co.uk/

~ Let us know of sites, that you have tried with (or without) success ~