JAN
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STRATFORD SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT
Can you help with the mystery of the Dargo brides?
Expert Q&A: our genealogists answer your questions
What’s new online: your guide to the latest family history resources HERITAGE GARDENS
What they reveal about the past
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ISSN 1838-5044
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n Restoring Don Bradman’s childhood home n Find your ancestor in sports club archives n Explore Melbourne’s tennis heritage
Don’t miss our
SUMMER READING SPECIAL Book reviews, interviews + the trial of the 20th century
I will at least have laid down my life for you and my country, which is the greatest privilege one can ask for. Geoffrey McCrae, 16 July 1916
AWM E00030
Discover the First World War through the words of our first ANZACs What Australians endured on Gallipoli and the Western Front, in the mud of Flanders and the deserts of Sinai–Palestine, was almost beyond description. Drawing on their letters and diaries in the Australian War Memorial’s collection, ANZAC voices presents an intimate and revealing account of the First World War.
Free entry. Open daily 10 am – 5 pm Treloar Crescent Campbell ACT www.awm.gov.au Now on display
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Contents
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ISSUE 20, JAN-FEB 2014
On the cover
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Ask our experts Our genealogists answer your family history questions
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Shakespeare, goldfields and brides We spotlight the Stratford Historical Society in Victoria, and the case of the Dargo brides
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Your guide to the latest resources online We discover the new digitised records that will help you with your family tree research
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Housing a legend How do you restore the home of cricket icon, Don Bradman? Architect Ian Stapleton reports
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Sports stars The best places to discover if your ancestor played in local sporting clubs
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Melbourne’s sporting heritage Is Melbourne the sporting capital of our nation? Melbournian Brent Diamond states his case
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Summer reading special We round up the best books to read this summer, from true crime, to 1920s fashion, shipwrecks and gripping historical thrillers
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Our living legacy Adam Woodhams tours two historical gardens to see what they reveal about our past
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Contents your family
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“Good fearless soldiers” When one man signed up for the Great War, little did he know that his letters home would give historians incredible insight into the battle at Pozières. The Australian War Memorial’s Craig Tibbitts explains
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travel 66
Making (historical) tracks Intrepid travellers Dorian Mode and Lydia Thorpe explore the Red Centre and the Top End for the 71st anniversary of the bombing of Darwin
regulars 6
Editor’s letter
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Postie’s here! Your thoughts, your say
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Bob’s your uncle Network with other researchers and break down those brick walls!
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Platform The latest news from the genealogy and history world, including the new project by the NSW Australian Football History Society
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History now Great events you won’t want to miss around Australia and New Zealand
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History apps From Tasmania’s heritage highway, to preserving your favourite family recipes, we look at the latest apps built for historians
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One picture…1,000 memories The story behind one reader’s precious family photograph
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Subscribe or renew with Inside History… …and you’ll go into the draw to win one of three Ancestry World Heritage Memberships valued at $299 each!
our family
PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 Australia PUBLISHER Ben Mercer ben@insidehistory.com.au EDITOR Cassie Mercer cass@insidehistory.com.au ART DIRECTOR Lucy Glover EDITORIAL ASSISTANT AND FEATURE WRITER Sarah Trevor EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Linda Barraclough Brent Diamond Linda Funnell Barbara Hall Shauna Hicks Michael Jongen Tom Lewis Michelle Mclaren Dorian Mode Richard Offen Meg Quinlisk Jayne Shrimpton Ian Stapleton Leigh Straw Mark Tedeschi Lydia Thorpe Craig Tibbitts Mark Webster Adam Woodhams INTERNS Karen Filewood Claire Paterson PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS See page 71 or subscribe online at www.insidehistory.com.au DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS For iPad, find us on Apple Newsstand For Android and PC, find us at au.zinio.com
COVER IMAGE Sir Don Bradman reads a congratulatory telegram for scoring a world record 452 not out for New South Wales against Queensland at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January, 1930. Courtesy Bradman Museum Trust Collection, Bowral. Read our special feature on the reconstruction of Bradman’s childhood home on page 37, by the heritage architect overseeing the project.
Inside History (ISSN 1838-5044) is published six times a year by Cassie Mercer (ABN 13 353 848 961) PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 Australia. Views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright 2014 by Cassie Mercer and Inside History. All rights reserved.
DISTRIBUTED BY Gordon and Gotch Australia PRINTED BY Ligare Pty Ltd 138 Bonds Road Riverwood NSW 2210
Inside History | Jan-Feb 2014 |
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editor’s letter
I certainly grew up knowing who The Don was, and I’m not a big cricket fan. Having said that, my brothers, dad and granddad were a little obsessed with the sport. So it was a terrific experience to work with Ian Stapleton, the heritage architect responsible for the reconstruction of Bradman’s boyhood home. Go behind the scenes of the build with Ian on page 37. Following this, on page 42 Shauna Hicks looks at the best archives to search if your ancestor had some prowess on the sporting field. As historians well know, you can never tell what you’ll find, and where. With this theme in mind, on page 60 horticuluralist Adam Woodhams tours two heritage gardens in Sydney – Vaucluse House and Elizabeth Farm — and discovers more about their living legacy. Adam’s finds include a tree dating back to John and Elizabeth Macarthur’s time, and a replica Wardian box — a little invention that started a revolution in the worldwide exchange of plants and cuttings. This year sees the centenary of the start of World War One and throughout 2014 we’ll be spotlighting commemoration projects that are happening around Australasia. This issue we feature heart-wrenching letters from a soldier fighting at Pozières, as the Australian War Memorial’s Craig Tibbitts explains why the letters are so important to our understanding of the battle (page 32). Plus our favourite travellers, Dorian Mode and Lydia Thorpe, jump aboard The Ghan for a trip through the Red Centre to Darwin . Turn to page 66 to read about their adventures. And we’re featuring a huge special book section, with lots of reviews and interviews, including Mark Tedeschi QC talking about his recent book on the trial of 20th century (page 50). Plus, we have great news for both our subscribers and our readers who buy through their local newsagent — our 12-month subscription is now just $50 , and our cover price is only $9.95! Happy new year, and happy researching!
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Image Courtesy State Library of Victoria.
Let’s face it, we’re a sporting nation. Whether it’s cricket, surf-lifesaving or frisbee in the park, Australians do love (and have always loved) the great outdoors. For this reason I think many of us learn of Sir Don Bradman before we’re even born. Like the British and The Beatles.
our family
Congratulations to our competition winners from issue 18!
This issue we ask our contributors… What book are you reading right now?
S Lewis, from Mundaring, WA; A Macgregor, from Smithfield, Qld; and R McMellon, from Cootamundra, NSW each won a World subscription to find my past!
Mark Tedeschi “The trial of the 20th century”, page 50 Minds on Trial: Great Cases in Law and Psychology by Charles Ewing and Joseph McCann — because I have always been fascinated by the interaction of law and psychiatry. And Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker’s War 1941–1945 by Leo Marks — one of the classics for anyone interested in cryptography.
Jayne Shrimpton “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, page 54 Family Secrets: Living with Shame from the Victorians to the Present Day by Deborah Cohen — meticulously researched and highly readable. Essential for historians, it explores the attitudes and actions of earlier generations regarding illegitimacy, unsuitable relationships, disability and many other family issues.
Adam Woodhams “Our living legacy”, page 60 Right now I’m re-reading Norfolk Island and its First Settlement, 1788-1814 by Raymond Nobbs. It’s part one of a three-part set with each one looking at one of the major periods of settlement. I’m trying to formulate some ideas to pitch a TV documentary on the history of Norfolk Island to a production company!
Inside History | Jan-Feb 2014 |
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letters
Postie’s here!
Share your thoughts with the Inside History team. Like us on facebook.com/ insidehistorymagazine
A CLASS OF ITS OWN
We are so impressed with the production and quality of Inside History. Peachester History Committee subscribes to a few publications, and our members find that the editing, accuracy and overall presentation varies greatly in those magazines. I had taken along some of my Inside History editions, and members requested that we subscribe as a group! The variety of topics and advice is great – there is something for everyone. — Helen Page, Peachester, Qld
STUDENTS OF HISTORY
I take a research class with the Centre for Adult Education (CAE) in Melbourne. I have been showing my students your magazine since it was first brought to my attention in early 2013. Congratulations on Inside History. I think it is an exciting publication with great stories. It looks wonderful! Inside History is not easy to access here yet, though listing those newsagents that do stock it on the website is a great help. — Margaret Geddes, Melbourne, Vic.
Join us on twitter.com/ insidehistory
LOVE THE VARIETY
Inside History has a fantastic spread of historical news. I especially liked the article on the Murray-Darling paddle steamers (“Life on the Murray-Darling”) in issue 18. And I enjoyed your interview with Hannah Kent (“A cup of tea with… Hannah Kent”) in the same issue. I recently listened to the audio version of Hannah’s book, Burial Rites, and I found it fascinating. I can't wait for her Irelandbased book as Irish ancestry is dear to my heart. — Helen Stagg, Mildura, Vic.
IPAD FAN
Want to have your say on “Postieʼs here” ? Write to us at contribute@insidehistory.com.au Each issue our star letter will receive a new history book for writing in! This issue, Helen Page wins a copy of the wonderfully illustrated Those Were the Days: Australia in the Sixties (Exisle, $39.99).
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Image Courtesy State Library of Victoria, ID H2004.61/243.
I love the iPad version of Inside History as itʼs so easy to navigate and I can keep all the old issues in the one place. There’s no need for boxes of paper magazines taking up space. Keep up the good work. — Geraldine Rae, Grays Point, NSW
your family
Bob’s your uncle Are you looking to connect with other descendants or historians? Each issue we’ll feature who and what people are researching.
Images Courtesy David Wilson, Douglas Stewart Fine Books, www.douglasstewart.com.au
CECIL HEALY, OLYMPIAN AND AIF OFFICER Cecil Patrick Healy (1881-1918) was born in Sydney and completed his secondary schooling with the Jesuits at St Aloysius College, Milsons Point. He was a prominent surf lifesaver and a founding member of the Manly Surf Life Saving Club, as well as receiving a number of awards from the Royal Humane Society for rescues he performed in the harbour and nearby beaches. Cecil represented Australia in swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics at Stockholm, Sweden where he won gold as a member of the men’s freestyle team and silver for the 100-metre freestyle event. Cecil enlisted in the AIF in November 1915 and went to France where he served as a Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant in the 2nd Division Base Depot at Le Havre. In December 1917 Cecil was transferred to the officer training unit at Cambridge University where he completed a sixmonth course before being commissioned in May 1918. He was then allocated to the 19th Infantry Battalion as a platoon commander and took part on the Australian Corps’ advance
eastwards from Villers-Bretonneux towards the final German positions on the Hindenberg Line. Cecil was killed in action at Sword Wood near the Somme River on 29 August 1918 while leading his platoon in the opening phase of the battle for Mont St Quentin. He is now buried in Assevillers New British Cemetery, about 10 kilometres west of Peronne. I am seeking Cecil’s relatives believed to be living in Sydney. I have information regarding some 2014–2018 commemoration activities being planned by the Assevillers community in France to celebrate his life and exploits. — David Wilson, AIF Research Services; david.wlsn4@gmail.com; 0416 339 714
JAMES STANLEY FREEMAN
I am looking for information on Private James Stanley Freeman, service number 2029 of the 5th Pioneer Battalion. James was from Wauchope, New South Wales, and joined the AIF aged 21 on 26 October 1915 at Holdsworthy. After returning from the war he lost his life in 1931 in a mining accident at Valla Gold in New South Wales. I would like to hear from anyone with information on James. — Doug Wakeling; coraldale@tadaust.org.au
Lots of researchers are linking up and knocking down their research brick walls via “Bob’s your uncle”. To place an ad, email contribute@ insidehistory.com.au. Adverts are free!
Inside History | Jan-Feb 2014 |
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what’s on
History now
The best events across Australia & New Zealand COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY CLAIRE PATERSON AND SARAH TREVOR
Hostel Stories: Migrant Lives
Until 31 October 2014 In post-war South Australia, hostels housed migrants as they began to rebuild their lives in a new country. Hostel Stories: Migrant Lives is the first public exhibition to give an insight into the lives of those who inhabited these hostels from 1947 to the mid 1990s. The hostels were the government’s answer to a housing crisis after World War Two and this exhibition at the Migration Museum, Adelaide brings together firsthand accounts, artifacts and photographs to portray the great upheaval of mass migration. Visit www.history.sa.gov.au
Above At Gepps Cross hostel, the Curnow children stand in front of the family’s 1939 Ford coupe. From left to right are Steven, Sandra, Beverley and Robert. Gepps Cross operated between 1951 and c.1965. Courtesy History SA and Robert Curnow.
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Planning a genealogy, history or heritage event that you’d like to share with Inside History readers? Email us at contribute@insidehistory.com.au Events are subject to change. We recommend contacting the organisers beforehand to confirm details.
NSW
David Moore: Capturing the Creation of the Sydney Opera House
Until 26 January In celebration of the Opera House’s 40 years as an Australian cultural icon, Sydney Customs House is hosting an exhibition of retrospective photographs taken by renowned photojournalist David Moore. Over the period of construction from 1962–1979, Moore captured rarely seen archival images that showcase the construction of the Opera House and his extraordinary photographic legacy. If you can’t make the exhibition, have a look at new book, Utzon and the Sydney Opera House by Daryl Dellora (Penguin, $9.99). Visit www.sydneycustomshouse.com.au
Capturing Flora: 300 Years of Australian Botanical Art
Until 2 February Capturing Flora brings together three centuries worth of artistic fascination surrounding Australia’s unique flora from 1700–1900. Early exploratory works by William Dampier and convicts from the very beginning of Australia’s colonial history sparked popular interest in
botanical art that has carried on up to the 20th century. The exhibition at the New England Regional Art Museum comprises 350 original drawings and prints from the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s collection that showcase the extraordinary natural beauty of Australia, seen through the eyes of its early settlers. Visit www.neram.com.au
Real Food, Old Ways: Colonial Cooking School
2, 9, 16, 23 February & 2 March Sydney Living Museums, in collaboration with Real Food Projects, will conduct a pop-up colonial cooking experience in the historic harbourside estate of Vaucluse House. Learn the skills needed to operate a kitchen in the 1850s — making butter, pickles, jam, bread and even butchering (note an 18+ age restriction). Real Food Projects is an organisation passionate about the stories behind the food we eat and the classes will be run in association with local artisan producers. Visit www.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au For more on Vaucluse House, turn to page 60
Archives Investigator Explained
12 February Knowing how to use online search tools effectively can mean the difference between finding that key piece of information or labouring for many more hours. At Tuggerah Library, northwest of Sydney, learn how to use the online State Records resources more efficiently by making the most of the archives investigator and search tools. Presented by John Cann, archivist for State Records NSW. Call 02 4350 1560
Left See gorgeous botanical art this summer at New England’s Regional Art Museum. From left, “Banksia ericaefolia” by Henry Andrews, 1797; “Telopea speciosissima” by Sarah Maund, 1838. Both courtesy Art Gallery of Ballarat.
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ACT I’ve Been Working On The Railway
Until 18 May It is not widely known that throughout the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s many Torres Strait Islander, Australian South Sea Inlander and Aboriginal rail workers toiled under the far north Queensland sun to expand Australia’s rail infrastructure. The National Archives of Australia in Canberra presents I’ve Been Working On The Railway on behalf of the Workshops Rail Museum of Queensland. The exhibition shares the stories of these men, separated from kin and country — their life in camps and the ups and downs of working on the hot and dusty railway. Visit www.naa.gov.au
The Digital Publishing Options
4 February Barb Toohey’s presentation at the Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra will revolve around the technicalities of digitally publishing family histories, especially in regards to creating e-books and hot-linking stories to charts and images. Barbara has 15 years of experience in researching family history under her belt, particularly in research involving early Australian records. She has explored the English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch and German branches of her family tree and is very interested in digitising images and charts. Visit www.hagsoc.org.au
QLD
Come Hell or High Water
Until 27 January Northern Queenslanders understand better than most the effects tropical cyclones have on local communities. The Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville, presents Come Hell or High Water, bringing together local stories, photos and artifacts representing how communities in North Queensland have responded and adapted to natural disasters over the past century. Wild weather and natural disasters are a part of life for all Australians. Come Hell or High Water gives us an insight into the time before modern communications and emergency services could be immediately on hand to help communities recover. Visit www.mtq.qm.qld.gov.au
Image Courtesy Eddy Archer.
A Hidden History
20 February The history and culture of Australian South Sea Islanders is unfortunately largely unexplored. Fellows of the John Oxley Library at the State Library of Queensland, Matthew Nagas and Kathleen Mary Fallon, will present their research in a discussion about the
issues surrounding the documentation of the many sacred sites maintained by Australian South Sea Islanders over the past 150 years since they were brought to Queensland. Get an insight into their presence across Queensland from the Tweed to the Torres Strait and their role in the development of the sugar industry. Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au
Genealogical Society of Queensland Open Day
22 February Genealogical societies are one of the best ways to expand the scope of research and seek assistance finding answers. The Genealogical Society of Queensland’s bi-annual open day in East Brisbane is a great way to uncover the society’s resources and community. Free tours of the library and resource centre will be conducted every half hour. Check out the displays by GSQ interest groups or simply have a cup of tea and a chat with one of the volunteers on hand to answer any questions. Visit www.gsq.org.au
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VIC
Capital and Country: the Federation years 1900-1914
Until 19 January Capital and Country is a travelling exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia that focuses on Federation era Australian painting. The exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat brings together works that display a newfound patriotism from the years leading up to World War One, alongside pieces produced by Australian artists working in Europe. Including works from Frederick McCubbin, George W Lambert and Han Heysen, Capital and Country is a showcase of Australian landscape painting and the adopted popularity of European and portraiture. Visit: www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au
Support from the Sky
Until 26 January Inspired from a conference at the NVVM entitled, Choppers: Helicopters and the Vietnam War, the National Vietnam Veterans Museum presents Support from the Sky by photographer Susan Gordon-Brown. The exhibition showcases 23 black-and-white portraits of veterans with the Huey and Bell helicopters on display at the museum, each with an individual short story told to Gordon-Brown about an experience while in Vietnam. The NVVM is the only museum in Australia dedicated to this part of our history. Admission is free with entry ticket. Visit www.vietnamvetsmuseum.org
Researching Property Records
29 January More than just a place of residence or business, stories behind property can explain
SA
Treasures from the Wine Literature
22 January South Australia is renowned for its impressive viticulture, and this one-hour special event at the State Library celebrates its impressive collection of wine-related literature and artefacts. Kick back and enjoy the free, hands-on experience exploring rare books dating back to the 1500s, menus from the 1950s, winemakers’ tasting notes from the 1970s, wine labels from a range of different eras, and quirky Manga comic books from our own decade. A tasty look into how our ancestors wined and dined, indeed! Visit www.slsa.sa.gov.au
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a lot about a family, street or community. There are many ways to approach property research, depending upon the area in which you are looking. This session at the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) will get the ball rolling with property research using the collections available at PROV. Visit www.prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on
Researching Immigration Records
27 February Diving into the realm of immigration records can be daunting for first-time researchers. There’s a lot to consider: assisted versus unassisted immigration, shipping records, passenger lists, exiles, intercolonial arrivals and lots more. The help with the process, the Victorian Archives Centre is hosting a seminar on researching immigration records, presented by the Public Record Office Victoria. The event is free but tickets can be reserved online. Visit www.prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on
Using Births, Deaths and Marriages Indexes Effectively
27 February Navigating registries of births, deaths and marriages, and how to use their indexes effectively in your research, will be the topic on the agenda as part of the Genealogical Society of Victoria’s “Thursday Talks” sessions. Held in the Genealogical Society of Victoria Meeting Room at Level B1 257 Collins Street, Melbourne, visitor entry is $8 while member entry is free. Visit www.gsv.org.au
Good Evening Adelaide: Online Family History
26 February As part of their summer events program, the State Library of South Australia (SLSA) presents, Good Evening Adelaide: Online Family History. The SLSA is an invaluable resource in family history research but with the vast amount of material available, it can be hard to know where to start. These talks are designed to give beginners all the information needed to navigate the library’s family history resources online, without leaving the comfort of your home. Bookings are required. Call 08 8207 7292
WA
Albany Cultural Tours
TASMANIA
Homemade Surfing in Tasmania
22 January to 1 March Explore Albany’s rich Until 28 March Tasmania’s wild coastline is unique Indigenous heritage on this special Perth Festival to Australia, and so is its surfing culture. After tour. Led by Harley Coyne from the Department of proving a hit at the 2013 Mystate Australian Wooden Aboriginal Affairs, this bus tour will visit significant Boat Festival in Hobart, Homemade Surfing in Noongar sites, including the Oyster Harbour Fish Tasmania is now traveling the island state. Currently Traps believed to date back 7,500 years, the Black residing at the Burnie Regional Museum, the Stump and Kalgan Hall. The tour concludes with exhibition features an array of boards, clothes, the opportunity to see the striking Ngallak Koort photographs and firsthand accounts tracing the Boodja — Our Heart Land Canvas. Choose from evolution of surfing in Tasmania. From homemade three separate dates (22 February, wooden boards of the 1920s to the slick 26 February and 1 March). fiberglass models we know today, the See the 1829 journal The cost is $35. exhibition charts the growth of a largely of Mary Ann Friend. Visit http://bit.ly/19Uvglt unknown part of Tasmanian culture. Courtesy SLWA. Visit www.burnieregionalmuseum.net
Mary Ann Friend Journal Exhibition
Until 3 March On her voyage from England to the newly founded Swan River Colony in 1829, Mary Ann Friend — the young bride of the Wanstead captain — kept a detailed journal describing the new lands and cultures she encountered. Capturing the beauty of Fremantle and the hardships this new colony faced, Mary Ann’s journal also contains three unpublished watercolours of the colony. Now that the journal has returned to Fremantle 200 years later, learn about why it is so significant, and how it was conserved, at this free State Library of Western Australia exhibition. Visit www.slwa.wa.gov.au
NZ
Share Your WW1 Treasures
19 January Rotorua Museum is opening its doors to the local community to share family memorabilia, photos and stories for display in a new exhibition opening in June commemorating the World War One centenary. For the opportunity to tell your family’s story in the exhibition, bring your personal items to the museum on 19 January, when museum staff will be on hand to photograph, tell you more about your item and give tips for its preservation. Alternatively, download and complete the submission form available online. Visit www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz/ww1
Roses from the Heart
13 February As part of the Port Arthur talks program, Tasmanian artist Christina Henri presents Roses from the Heart — a memorial art installation commemorating convict women transported from 1788–1853. The original installation was based upon the colonial bonnet, a symbol of the contribution to colonial society by convict women. It has since become a collection of over 23,000 bonnets made by descendents and those interested in the plight of these women. Listen to Christina Henri share her stories of her recent visits to Ireland, sharing Roses from the Heart with the world. Visit www.portarthur.org.au
Celebrating New Year in Chopstick Societies 19 February New Year is an exciting and vibrant time on calendars across Asia. Lai Lam, from Auckland University of Technology library, will lead a discussion at Auckland Library explaining how Chinese, Japanese and Koreans celebrate this special time of year. What ties them all together? How are we similar? Lai grew up in the cultural melting pot of Hong Kong and has done extensive research into Chinese, Japanese and Korean personal names. Join in the discussion to learn something new about some of our neighbours. Visit www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz
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latest resources
? e n i l n o w e n s ’ t Wha Billions of records at your fingertips. Millions more added every month. The only downside to the exciting, ever-expanding wealth of digital history resources is that it can be tricky to keep tabs on recent additions. In this new section, Sarah Trevor discovers the latest genealogical and historical collections available online to keep you up to speed! ANCESTRY.COM.AU
n Australia and New Zealand, Rootsweb Death Index, 1813-2003 n Guinness Archive Index, 1824-2002 n Ireland 1901 and 1911 Census n NSW Index to Deceased Estate Files, 1923-1958 n Perth Rate Books, 1880-1946 n UK WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945 n UK Foreign & Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1627-1965 Visit www.ancestry.com.au
FINDMYPAST.COM.AU
n Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981 n Australia Deaths and Burials, 1816-1980 n Australia Marriages, 1810-1980 n Calais Lacemaker immigrants to South Australia, 1848 n FamilySearch BDM records covering Australia, Ireland and America n Irish Petty Sessions Court Registers, 1828-1912 n New British newspapers, 1710-1953 n Passengers to South Australia on the Buffalo, 1836 n South Australia Boer War Contingents n South Australia Boxer Rebellion Contingent n South Australia lonely graves, 1837-2005 n South Australia remote deaths, 1851-1965 n South Australia unregistered deaths, 1840-1970 n Victoria Passenger Lists, 1846-1899 n WWI Ships Lost at Sea, 1914-1919 Visit www.findmypast.com.au for more
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FAMILYSEARCH
n BillionGraves Index n Cheshire Non-Conformist Records, 1671-1900 n England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 n England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 n England Marriages, 1538-1973 n Norfolk Bishop’s Transcripts, 1685-1941 Visit www.familysearch.org
MYHERITAGE
n BillionGraves cemetery records n Tributes obituaries, 1930s-onwards Visit www.myheritage.com
SCOTLANDSPEOPLE
n Scottish Valuation Rolls for 1920 Visit www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
TROVE
n The Canberra Times, ACT, 1926-1995 n Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners’ Advocate, NSW, 1876-1954 n The Maitland Weekly Mercury, NSW, 1894-1931 n The Longreach Leader, QLD, 1923-1954 n The Renmark Pioneer, SA, 1892-1913 n The Alpine Observer and North-Eastern Herald, VIC, 1916-1918 n Punch, VIC, 1914-1918 n The Myrtleford Mail and Whorouly Witness, VIC, 1914-1918 Visit trove.nla.gov.au for more new titles
STATE RECORDS NSW
n Sentenced Beyond the Seas – Updates to early convict record database Visit www.records.nsw.gov.au
QUEENSLAND STATE ARCHIVES
n Colonial Secretary’s Office Registers of Letters Received, 1859-1896 n Letterbooks, Industrial and Reformatory School for Girls, Toowoomba, c.1881-1895 n Index to Imperial Pensions, 1872-1915 n Index to Transfer of Runs, 1848-1874 Visit www.archives.qld.gov.au
STATE LIBRARY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
n World War 1 Soldiers’ Diaries Visit www.sl.nsw.gov.au
STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND
n 19th Century Queensland Almanacs (see page 15 for details) Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au
STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
n Early experiences in Australasia 1788-1901 (see page 14 for further details) Visit www.slsa.sa.gov.au
GENEALOGY SA
n South Australian BDM indexes Visit www.genealogysa.org.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
n Home Office Criminal Records, Registers of Criminal Petitions (members only) n WA Churches Geo-location map n WA Cemeteries Geo-location map Visit www.wags.org.au
ARCHIVES NEW ZEALAND
n Old Police Records from New Zealand Security Intelligence Services, 1920-1945 Visit www.archives.govt.nz
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NEW ZEALAND: PAPERS PAST
n King Country Chronicle, 1906-1920 n Mount Ida Chronicle, 1869-1926 n Oamaru Mail, 1876-1920 n Timaru Herald, 1901-1920 Visit www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS
n Daily Mail Historical Archive, 1896-2004 (members only) n Sunday Times Digital Archive, 1822-2006 (members only) Access to these two datasets is currently temporary, while the Society offers them on a trial basis until April 2014. Visit www.genealogy.org.nz
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Housing a
legend How do you restore the house of an Australian icon? Go behind the scenes with heritage architect Ian Stapleton, who led the reconstruction of Sir Don Bradman’s boyhood home.
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HE reconstruction model of Australia’s first government house at the Museum of Sydney is incorrect, albiet slightly. On the west side of the front range there should be a door and not a window, because the model makers did not read Mary Putland’s diary. Who is Mary Putland and why would she know? Well, Mary was Governor William Bligh’s second daughter, effectively Sydney’s First Lady in 1808, when she ran out of the door, across the garden, and tried to block the Government House gates to the approaching rebels. u
Top A c.1911 postcard showing Don Bradman as a child and the house before the alterations by George Bradman. Courtesy Bradman Museum Trust Collection, Bowral. Above Sir Donald Bradman at Trent Bridge, England, in 1953. Courtesy State Library of Victoria, ID H2004.100/1435.
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On the book
book reviews
shelf
Long summer days call for good reading matter. Here are some of our favourite books out right now…
For more reviews, visit Newtown Review of Books, www.newtownreviewofbooks.com Looking for Clancy by AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson and Robert Ingpen (National Library of Australia, A$34.99)
Game by Trevor Shearston (Allen & Unwin A$29.99) Trevor Shearston presents a fresh view of bushranger Ben Hall in this spare and beautifully written novel. It is 1863 and Ben is no longer riding with Frank Gardiner. Now he rides with John Dunn and Jack Gilbert, who have each killed a man, thus placing a noose around his own neck if he’s caught alive. Ben wants to quit the game: takings aren’t as easy as they used to be; his own bank is substantial, but diminishing, and troopers and trackers are out in force following his trail and harassing his known associates and family. In his last year Ben contemplates a new life with his son and tries to make an emotional connection with the seven-year-old. While Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang is the story of the struggle between the English settlers and the Irish workers, Shearston looks at the inner struggle of a man trying to gain control of his life and weigh up meaning in his existence. Game is the story of a man who seeks to understand his own life and choices, find his place in the world and foil his destiny; it can speak to us all. — MICHAEL JONGEN
Marking Banjo Paterson’s 150th birthday, this rich publication offers four of Paterson’s ballads accompanied by thought-provoking commentary and evocative illustrations by Robert Ingpen. Ingpen invites the reader to gaze into the liminal space between fact and fiction, to contemplate the character of Clancy of the Overflow and what he means as a folklore figure in defining Australian-ness. This is a beautiful work of contemplation and imagination which will be enjoyed by all ages. – MEG QUINLISK
Pardon me for mentioning… by Alex Kaplan, Julie Lewis and Catharine Munro (eds.) (Allen & Unwin, A$24.99) Those who (like me) read the letters to the editor before turning to the front page of the newspaper will understand the appeal of this book, which reveals, for the first time, letters submitted to the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that were deemed ‘too odd, politically incorrect or kooky’ for inclusion in the nation’s dailies. The wry wit, subtle ironies and cheeky swagger of the letters transcend whatever news item caused the letter writers to put pen to paper. Perfect for reading selections aloud (which is inevitable) to gathered company to share in a belly laugh. — MEG QUINLISK
The Wallpapered Manse by Peter Freeman (Watermark Press, $49.95) Anyone who has restored an historic property will not only know the frustrations and difficulties that can be involved, but also the sheer joy, once the project is complete, of giving an old property new life. Such joy shines through this book, as conservation architect Peter Freeman tells the story of a former Presbyterian Manse in Moruya, New South Wales, and how it was rescued by Sydney Living Museums and given new life as a private residence. In so doing, Peter not only traces the history of a delightful 1860s cottage, but also tells the story of the town and its community in a very engaging manner. Lavishly illustrated, well researched and beautifully written, this is my book of 2013. By sharing Freeman’s story, this book makes it a gift for everyone, reminding us that we can and should be actively protecting buildings such as this one, because they add so much to our sense of place. — RICHARD OFFEN
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Salt Story by Sarah Drummond (Fremantle Press, A$24.99) Salt Story comprises a series of short, visceral and vivid glimpses into a historic fishing community residing along the southern tip of Western Australia. A way of life that has been suspended in a time, untouched by the effects of the global fishing industry and the pressure it places upon livelihoods and ecosystems is revealed in this memoir by fisherwoman Sarah Drummond. Salt, the fictional name of Drummond’s real boss and mentor, ties each segment together as the figurehead of a world gone by, where fishermen worked in tune with the tides and seasons. Drummond describes the wilds of the southern ocean and the equally unpredictable territory of fisherman etiquette with great flair, highlighting the untouched beauty of this remote part of Australia. A beautifully written and eye-opening summer read. – CLAIRE PATERSON
The Reef: A Passionate History by Iain McCalman (Penguin, $45) Passionate is certainly the right word for this enthralling history of the Great Barrier Reef. Eloquently written and comprehensively researched, The Reef: A Passionate History is just as captivating as its iconic subject. McCalman masterfully entwines the Reef’s environmental and social histories, tracing its evolution through 12 diverse episodes: from Captain James Cook’s navigational nightmare, to the instigator of culture contact between Indigenous locals and shipwreck castaways, to a wondrous ecological and ethnographic riddle for generations of scientists and researchers. Here, the Great Barrier Reef emerges as not merely the backdrop but a forceful character in its own right — making the current threats it faces all the more distressing. Overall, a fascinating — and urgent — summer read. – SARAH TREVOR
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (Victoria University Press, A$30) Equal parts ghost tale, suspense thriller, gripping mystery, seafaring adventure, tender young romance and double crossing crime fiction, The Luminaries is a finely wrought epic tale set at the peak of New Zealand’s Hokitika gold rush in 1866. Devotees of history will appreciate (or be agog at!) the diligent research Catton has artfully applied to her portrayal of the characters, hotels, shacks, tents, pubs, theatres, wharves and shopfronts which populate one of the great gold rushes of the antipodes. At 832 pages, its length is daunting, but its breathtaking scope immerses the reader in a gripping yarn, as the unraveling of one mystery leads to the revelation of another. Only the second New Zealand novel to win the Man Booker Prize (the first was Kylie Hulme’s iconic The Bone People), The Luminaries is required reading for any fan of historical fiction at its very finest. – MEG QUINLISK
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Weight of Evidence by Matt Murphy (Hale & Iremonger A$29.95) The notorious and long-running Newtown Ejectment case of the 1850s turned on the ownership of 210 acres of land that now comprises Sydney’s inner-city suburbs of Newtown and Erskineville. Matt Murphy’s lively account is both an efficient description of the main events and colourful cast, and a snapshot of colonial life. It is a story rich in prejudice — class, sectarian and racial — as well as forgery, conniving and drunkenness. The land in question was originally granted to Nicholas Devine, the Superintendent of Convicts. However, in later life Devine became quite debilitated and allowed a convict named Bernard Rochford into his life. And here the complications began. After Devine’s death, his family in Ireland took steps to secure the land. But by then a number of parcels had been sold off by Rochford — many of them to persons of standing in the colony, who fought vigorously to keep ‘their’ land. Murphy includes some ‘Digressions and Postscripts’ of further snippets of local history not directly related to the case, including a fascinating — and damning — analysis of the evidence for local Newtown identity Eliza Donnithorne being the inspiration for Charles Dickens’s Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. – LINDA FUNNELL
The Railwayman’s Wife by Ashley Hay (Allen & Unwin A$29.99) An elegiac tale of love, loss and letting go in the aftermath of war, Ashley Hay’s second novel, The Railwayman’s Wife, shimmers with grace. It’s 1948, and although the war is over, its echoes reverberate. In Thirroul, a small town on the coast south of Sydney, Anikka Lachlan counts herself among the lucky ones. Her husband, Mac, stayed to operate the railway rather than heading off to war like so many of the town’s other men, who left and didn’t return. When Mac is killed in an accident, Anikka’s blissful existence is shattered. Mac’s colleagues suggest Anikka take a vacant position at the station’s library. A lover of books, a frequent visitor to the library, and now raising her daughter alone, she considers the job a tiny blessing. Haunted by a life that’s gone but somehow continues, she and her friends slowly begin to make sense of their new lives. While D H Lawrence casts a sardonic disdain over Thirroul in Kangaroo, the way Hay writes about the town is entirely different. Hay shows us her native Thirroul from many angles – from the beach, from the escarpment above the town, from the window of a train, and, in every instance, it is intensely beautiful. – MICHELLE MCLAREN
Koombana Days by Annie Boyd (Fremantle Press, A$39.99) There is an almost romantic fascination with ships that disappear without trace. The story of the SS Koombana is a case in point. Once described “... as luxurious as the Titanic ...”, this vessel operated between Fremantle and northwest Western Australia from 1909. After only three years of Nor’-West service, the ship and her entire complement disappeared in a summer cyclone off the Pilbara coast. The vessel has never been found and the tragedy remains unexplained. Koombana Days is the enthralling story of a ship and the people in whose lives she figured so large. It is beautifully told by Annie Boyd in a masterpiece which is the result of 10 years of painstaking research. This lavishly produced book is a must for anyone interested in Australian nautical history. – RICHARD OFFEN
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