November 2016newsletter no. 160

What’s Happening Next for our Society:

15th November – This will be a Trivia night. You do not have to make a team. Come along, it should be an entertaining evening.

20th December: This will be the end of year function with our Christmas Party at the Felltimber Community Centre. Partners of members are most welcome. We will start between 6pm and 6.30pm.

17th January 2017 – This will be a Show and Tell evening.

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.

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Newsletter of the Wodonga Family History Society Inc.PO Box 289 Wodonga Vic 3689 www.wodongafamilyhistory.org

Email: secretary@wodongafamilyhistory.org

Published in February, May, August and November

ISSN 1327-3167

The Research Room is situated in the premises of the Upper Murray Regional Library in Hovell Street, Wodonga VIC. The opening hours for research are Tuesday & Wednesday from 11am to 3pm and Thursday from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

Our meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month [except December] at 7.30pm at the Felltimber Community Centre, cnr Felltimber Creek Road and Melrose Drive, Wodonga. Entry is via Ritter Road.

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 $ 10.00Annual Membership $25.00Part 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 1591Vice President Heather LauritzenTreasurer Sue Jarvis Secretary Wendy Cooksey phone: 02 6056 3220

Barbara Baxter Bob Cousins Lynda Cuper Pat Hopkins Lyn LarkinHeather Lauritzen Dawn Newman Christine Young

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

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Researchers please note that you cannot gain access to the Research Room until you have signed the attendance book at the front Desk – signature & membership number is required. If you are a visitor, your postcode and phone number will be required.Items cannot be returned through the Library after hour’s chute or to the Regional Library staff. They must be returned to the Research Rooms during the designated opening hours mentioned above.

forward these details to: secretary@wodongafamilyhistory.org, call Wendy on 02 6056 3220 or post to PO Box 289, Wodonga, 3689.

President’s Report - AGM September 2016

This year has been another very successful one and we continue to be in a good financial position. This is due to the hard work and participation in all our events by members.

Meetings are well attended and we have had some very interesting guest speakers. These included Michael Rumpff from the International Settlers’ Group (which is based at Genealogical Society of Victoria), Tony Stewart from Tallangatta who talked to us about how to include photos in our stories and members of the VANISH (Victorian Adoption Network for Information and Self Help) organization who informed us about the ways we can look for adoption information. Other meetings have included member participation with stories and ideas about how and where we might research. Helping each other to cast our research nets wider is the aim of these meetings. Thanks to Bob and Barbara for their efforts.

Members continue to transcribe records which are then transferred to CDs and DVDs. Pat Hopkins is our Project Officer and she continues, along with Lyn Larkin our librarian, to find new items to be processed. This year we have sold about $1000 worth of these items. Thank you to Dawn, Doreen, Lynda, Pat, Lyn and Heather for their continuing support in this very important enterprise. The sale of these items together with the funds raised from our Bunnings Sausage Sizzle and annual street stall gives us the means to continue to add to our resources.

Wendy Cooksey and Jenny Manguy attended the annual GSV meeting for member clubs. This meeting gives us the opportunity to meet with members from other clubs across Victoria.

Seniors’ Week 2015 was very successful and we are conducting a workshop again this year. During the Family History Month of August we had a display in the “Reflections on High” windows in High Street, Wodonga. A big “thank you” to Leanne Jenvey who organised the display this year. We continue to have our display on the big screen in The Cube courtyard. All these events keep our name in the public domain.

The Bedella Award was held this year and the winners were Leanne Jenvey (Novice), Pat Hopkins (Intermediate) and Wendy Cooksey (Open). Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to more entries in 2017.

Thank you again to Lyn our librarian for keeping our resources up to date and to Wendy for keeping us in touch with everything that is going on in the genealogical world. Thanks also to Sue for keeping our finances in order, to Christine who produces our Newsletter and all other members of the committee. A special “thank you” to Harry Leggatt who does such a great job as our research officer.

Another special thank you to Doreen who has been a committee member for many years and has decided to retire this year. Doreen has been minute secretary and treasurer among the many jobs she has carried out over the years. Also thank you to Yvonne who has done such a great job as Fund Raising Officer over the past two years and has decided to retire. Though they won’t be attending committee meetings these two ladies will still be very valuable members of our club.

Please continue to join in our activities and enjoy the resources available at the library – that way our club will continue grow and be the great club that it is.

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Norma BurrowsPresident

We would like to say a big "thank you" to Doreen Gibbs for all her support and input to the club over many years.  Doreen has retired from committee this year but will continue to be one of our very valued members.  Over the years Doreen has held many committee positions, including treasurer and minute secretary.  She is also part of the "Monday" team which transcribes records.  Her local knowledge is very valuable to the team when trying to decipher some of the old records.  We will miss her as a committee member but look forward to her company at our monthly meetings.  Well done Doreen!

Thank you to Yvonne Wilson who also retired from committee this year.  Yvonne has been our fund raising officer for the past two years and has done a great job of organising our sausage sizzle and street stall during that time.  Yvonne will continue to be a member of our club and we hope she will return to committee in the future.  Thank you Yvonne.

**************************************Street Stall 12th NovMany thanks to those who contributed to our street stall.We made a profit of $860.00.

The Wodonga Family History Society will celebrate its 30th Birthday in May 2017. It that was a wedding anniversary I would be expecting pearls or diamonds!!! If you have any ideas about how we should celebrate this then let a committee member know. We will keep you informed about the celebrations.

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Howard Jones donated some books to the Research Library recently – thanks Howard. One of them is titled: “The Cornish in Australia” by Jim Faull which was published in 1983.My great grandmother’s father [on my paternal side of the family] was born in Tregony which was a parish of Truro in Cornwall in England. He was a stonemason and his name is John TONKIN. He migrated to Australia with his wife Jane between 1852 and 1855 – I can’t get any closer than that, at the moment.

I didn’t know much about Cornwall so I borrowed the book. The book concentrates on the miners of Cornwall as they were the best in the world at that time and Australia needed the miners to extract the copper and other ores. The book indicates that most of the miners immigrated to South Australia [SA] and that most migration occurred between 1840 and 1880.

In Cornwall most of the miners only lived to 40 years of age due to the harsh working conditions:

1. They died from Phthisis which was a contamination of the lungs from ingesting dust particles. They endured impure air and poor ventilation in the mines.

2. They died from climbing up and down the ladders into and out of the mines. It could be hundreds of metres to the pitch [place of digging] and then back up to the surface again. They were going from contaminated air in hot damp conditions in the mine to the cold and wet conditions on the surface. The strain on their hearts and chests weakened their bodies and caused them to be susceptible to anything.

In England, the Cornish people were mainly agricultural labourers, fisher folk, farmers and miners.Cornish people were sometimes referred to as the West Welsh people and the men were often called Cousin Jacks and the women were called Cousin Jennies.

The families lived in 2 room stone cottages, with up to 4 rooms as the family grew. Many had small plots of land next to the cottage to grow food and keep pigs.

When the mining declined in SA many of the miners travelled to Victoria in the 1850’s during its gold rush. Some stayed in Victoria and some went back to SA after the gold rush.

Unfortunately the book does not have an index of names but it does have pictures so you may recognise an ancestor.They were devout Methodists with First names such as: Absalom, Gabriel, Isaac, Israel, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, Malachi, Methuselah and Solomon.

If your ancestor was lucky enough to come to Australia on the ship called Adamant there is a great story about the passage to Australia starting on 16th July 1864 from Plymouth. It arrived in Port Adelaide on 13th October – 89 days. It was the only ship, in 1864, to arrive in Australia with no deaths recorded amongst the 370 emigrants.

The book is only 115 pages and there is a chapter about the attraction to the Goldfields for the miners and another about the non-mining immigrants.

TONKIN is in the book so I am going to investigate that further.Other surnames are:BENNETT, BURROWS, CARTHEW, DEEBLE, EDE, FAULL, HUTCHINS, JEWELL, JOLLY, KILLICOAT, KNUCKEY, LEAN, MEDLER, MITCHELL, OATS, ODGERS, PROUT, ROBINS, SKINNER, THOMAS, TONKIN, TREGONNING, TRETHOWAN, TREWARTHA and VEAL.

There are many other names in the book. It is an interesting read.

Christine YoungMembers’ stories

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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].

The chart of words, shown below, provides you with a variety of words to use to enhance any stories that you are writing.It could be very useful when writing your Townsend and Bedella stories.

St. Matthews, Windsor Bicentenary Notice

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In October 2017, St Matthews Anglican Church, Windsor, will be celebrating the bicentenary of the laying of the foundation stone by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on 11 October 1817.

St Matthews and its associated graveyard are historically significant to the state of NSW and to the Hawkesbury area. The church has been the centre of spiritual life in the district since it was consecrated by the Reverend Samuel Marsden in 1822, with many families marking marriages, baptisms and deaths over several generations.

The cemetery at St Matthews has been in use since former convict, later appointed Chief Constable and magistrate, Andrew Thompson, was buried there in 1810. There are a number of First Fleeter grave sites and twelve of those are marked with plaques from the Fellowship of First Fleeters.

These grave sites are:Name Status Ship DiedARNDELL, Thomas Assistant Surgeon Friendship 1821BARNETT, Daniel Convict Friendship 1825CROSS, John Convict Alexander 1824CUSLEY, Benjamin Marine Private Friendship 1845DALTON, Elizabeth (Arndell) Convict Lady Penrhyn 1843also (Burley / Burleigh)FORRESTER, Robert Convict Scarborough 1827GREEN, Ann (Bladdey / Bladdy)Convict Lady Penhryn 1820HOLMES, Susannah (Kable) Convict Charlotte 1825KABLE / CABELL, Henry Convict Friendship 1846MARROTT / MERRITT, John Convict Alexander 1812MILES / Moyle, Edward Convict Scarborough 1838ROBERTS, William Convict Scarborough 1820

During the lead up to the bicentenary, family societies and descendants of those who have current or former connections with the church are invited to celebrate their association with St Matthews by holding reunions, commemorative services or family get – togethers at the Church. Interested individuals, family groups or associations are invited to join the mailing list to be kept informed of events leading up to the bicentenary.A commemorative service will be held on Sunday 15 October 2017. A community and schools service will be held on Wednesday 11 October 2017. Several concerts will also be held in the church. As well as open days for the whole of the church precinct ie, church, graveyard, stables and rectory. If you would like to be kept informed email stmatthewsbicentenary@windsoranglican.asn.au

Feel free to distribute this notice far and wide.Helen Palmer,Restoration Committee,St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Windsor, 2756

Please note: The last Research day at the Library will be Thursday 15th December and will reopen on Tuesday 17th January 2016.

R ECORDS FOR SALE

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CD and DVD RECORDS FOR SALEThese Records have been produced by the Wodonga Family History Society Inc. and may be purchased by contacting the Secretary at PO Box 289 Wodonga VIC 3690 or by email at secretary@wodongafamilyhistory.orgPlease Note: a full list of all our Records can be found on our website.Barnawartha Cemetery (DVD) contains copies of the original registers as well as photographs and transcriptions of the cemetery records and headstones.

$25.00 + p&p

Bethanga Cemetery (DVD) Includes Burial Register, Sextant’s Records, Headstone Inscriptions and Photographs of the Cemetery and Headstones

$25.00 + p&p

Bethanga Land Claims Records (DVD) contains a digitised copy of the original Register and transcriptions of the Register entries. Some loose certificates found in the Register have been included.

$25.00 + p&p

Courts of Petty Sessions (CD) Transcriptions of original records for convictions in the North East. (Bright 1890-1967; Milawa 1910-1915; Mitta Mitta 1928-1964; Rutherglen 1895-1948; Tallangatta 1892-1965; Walwa 1922-1965).

$20.00 + p&p

Mitta Mitta Cemetery (DVD) Cemetery photographs and headstone transcriptions to 2010.

$25 + p&p

‘Out of the Box’ (CD) A compilation of early residents from our local region obtained from records over many years. A valuable resource for family historians with a connection to the local area as it contains information relating to over 800 families.

$20 +p&p

Pupil Registers (CD) for some Schools in the Indigo shire close to Wodonga. (Baranduda 1903; Carlyle 1925-1952; Cornishtown 1865-1955;Dederang North 1914-1953; Lake Moodemere 1907-1952; Gundowring 1910-1952; Lockhart’s Creek 1906-1941; Prentice Freehold 1913-1950; Red Bluff 1910-1952; Tallandoon 1902-1971; Tangambalanga 1912-1952; Upper Gundowring 1910-1952; Kiewa Consolidated (1953-1983)

$20.00 + p&p

Talgarno Cemetery (CD) includes Headstone transcriptions, transcriptions of the Cemetery Register and photographs of the cemetery and headstones.

$20.00 + p&p

Tallangatta Cemetery (DVD) contains photographs of the cemetery and headstones and transcriptions of the burial register and headstones.

$25.00 + p&p

Wodonga Monumental Inscriptions up to and including 2007 (CD)Wodonga Burial Registers: 1 June 1861-Dec 1937 and 1938-2004.(Many internments were not recorded from 1861-1871). A Plan of the Cemetery is included.

$35.00 each + p&p OR$65.00 for the 2 sets + p&p

Wodonga Rates 1900-1948 (1938-1941 are not available) $35.00 + p&pYackandandah Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions (CD) $35.00 + p&pYackandandah Shire Rates 1875-1878 and 1884-1891 (CD) $20.00 + p&pYabba Cemetery (CD) Headstone Transcriptions and Photographs $20.00 + p&pNote: Additional cost for p&p - $5.00 for 1 or 2 CDs and/or DVDs. $10.00 for 3 or 4 CDs and/or DVDs unless otherwise stated.All CDs and DVDs are Word and Excel compatible.

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 chrisyou@bigpond.net.au

On behalf of the Committee we wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and look forward to seeing all your enthusiastic faces in 2017 for another great year of

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tracking down ancestors, filling in your family trees and writing lots of stories about your family members.

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.

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WODONGA FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Inc.

PO Box 289, WODONGA 3689