This week’s Trove Tuesday article first came to my attention in The Ararat Advertiser. It was barely legible but luckily the Gippsland Mercury ran the same story on February 24, 1914.
OBITUARY FRILLS. (1914, February 24). Gippsland Mercury (Sale, Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 4. Retrieved February 2, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88665863
The obituary of Sarah Jane Wadmore in the January Passing of the Pioneers prompted me to find out more about a booklet she co-authored for the Portland Centenary in 1934, the Portland Pioneer Women’s Book of Remembrance. I had previously read about it in newspaper reports from around the time.
Pioneer Women of Portland. (1934, May 24). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: EVENING.. Retrieved January 29, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64285807
A Google search led me to the State Library of Victoria website and it was pleasing to see it has been digitised and is available online. I was even more pleased that ggg grandmother Margaret Ann Diwell (nee Turner) was among the pioneering women of Portland as well as some of those I have featured in Passing of the Pioneers.
The booklet begins with a forward from Alice Frances Moss, a pioneer of women’s rights. She was the first President of the National Council of Women of Australia and Chair of the Victorian Women’s Centenary Council.
After an offering of appreciation to pioneer women, there is the story of Mrs Stephen George Henty, the first European woman at Portland, to whom the booklet was dedicated. She is often called Mrs Stephen George Henty, but let us call her Jane (Pace).
There are the recollections of Mrs George Godwin Crouch (Marianne Trangmar) spanning from 1840 to 1917. Then, a list of “Worthy Pioneers” compiled by Sarah Jane Wadmore. Included is one of my favourites, Rebecca Kittson (Mrs William Lightbody) and Mrs Fawthrop, Jane Rosevear, wife of Captain James Fawthrop the life boat captain.
Following is the story of Mrs Richard Charlton Hedditch and further on a letter she wrote on Christmas Day, 1848, to her parents in England. Another woman often referred to by her husband’s name, she was Rachel Forward Read.
After some local poetry, comes “Belles and Beauties of the Early Days”. Those included are Misses Henty, Learmonth, Trangmar and Herbertson.
Finally is a list of Portland’s Pioneering Women. Women born or living in Portland prior to 1864 were eligible. This is where I found Margaret. The Diwells lived in Portland for about five years from the time of their arrival on the Duke of Richmond in 1852.
Margaret appears as Mrs William Diwell and her daughter-in-law, Frances Webb, is also listed as Mrs William Diwell. Frances just scraped in as she was born in Portland in 1863 to John Webb and Margaret Smith, who is also listed. This is a useful list as some entries have notes and maiden names.
The oldest pioneer women, recognized separately, include Marion Nunn Jones, Emma Holmes and Anne Beglan.
The photographs in the booklet are of Mrs Jane Henty, Mrs Marianne Crouch, Mrs Janet Laurie, Sarah Jane Wadmore and Mrs Rachel Hedditch.
The booklet also comes as a Archive CD book and is available from the Genealogical Society of Victoria.
After nearly two years of Passing of the Pioneers, I am beginning to have to dig a little deeper for pioneer obituaries but I have managed to find an interesting group for January. There are members of the Black, Herbertson and Guthridge families. Also a butcher, a baker and a newspaper maker. Then Sarah Jane Wadmore, an early Portland historian, and Mary Ann Skilbeck, a member of a family that left a legacy of value to historians today.
Don’t despair, there will still be many more Passing of the Pioneers and if the Hamilton Spectator ever finds its way to Trove, well, my life will be complete.
T.E. THOMAS: Died January 20, 1909 at Casterton. Mr Thomas was the owner of the Casterton Free Press and a former owner of the Port Fairy Gazette and was well-known for his journalism.
Mrs W. DEWAR: Died January 24, 1910 at Casterton. Arriving at Portland in 1861, the Dewars headed to Heathfield Station near Strathdownie where they were both employed. Later they moved to Casterton until their deaths. Mrs Dewar had nine children and lived to 84 years.
Archibald BLACK: Died January 20, 1912 at Camperdown. Son of Western Victorian pastoralist, Niel Black MLC, Archibald was born in South Yarra and educated at Geelong Grammar, Trinity College and Cambridge. He then settled in the Western District and was one of the first landholders in the Hampden area to recognise the potential for dairy-farming, an industry the area is today renowned for. His obituary and photo can also be found at Obituaries Australia
Thomas MORRISSY: Died January 1914 at Beeac. Tipperary born, Thomas Morrissey arrived in Victoria around 1860 and farmed around Ballarat. After two years he moved to Beeac were he farmed for the next 52 years. He was a member of the Colac P & A Society and took a keen interest in the affairs of the Colac Dairying Company.
Mrs George SEALEY: Died January 5, 1915 at Casterton. Mrs Sealey was born in Middlesex in 1833 and arrived in Victoria in 1854. She was a Casterton resident from 1855 to 1875, then Corndale for the next 35 years before returning to Casterton in the years before her death. She had a family of nine sons. One son lost his life during the Boer War. She left 50 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Patrick KINNANE: Died January 9, 1915 at Port Fairy. A Koroit resident for many years, Patrick Kinnane was born in Limerick, Ireland around 1827. He arrived in Portland about 1854 and worked for the Koroit Borough Council. He had a large family of four sons and five daughters and was buried at the Tower Hill cemetery.
Mary Ann SKILBECK: Died January 22, 1915 at Port Fairy. Back in the 1990s, I read The Diaries of Sarah Midgley and Richard Skilbeck: A Story of Australian settlers 1851-1864, edited by H.A. McCorkell. It has a lot about Port Fairy and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, both relevant to the Harman family. Mary Ann was a sister of Richard Skilbeck, and she married the brother of the other diarist, Sarah Midgley. This was a great read, giving an insight into pioneering life in the south-west of Victoria. Finding Mary Ann’s obituary has reminded me I must read it again. It is available online via the Midgley family website, but I think I’ll wait until I get the hard copy from the library. The website does have a lot about both the Midgley’s and Skilbecks for those interested.
Mrs Agnes Jane LEWIN: Died January 5, 1917 at Casterton.
Obituary. (1917, January 8). The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3 Edition: Bi-Weekly. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74488021
John TOOGOOD: Died January 18, 1917 at Hawkesdale. John Toogood was born at Princess Bridge, Melbourne in 1840. He married, for the first time, at Richmond in 1862 and he moved to Port Fairy in 1864. He then moved to Winslow near Warrnambool where his wife died. On to Hawkesdale where he ran a carrying and contracting business for some years before he turned to farming pursuits. He married a further two times, but both wives predeceased him.
Phillip ORMSBY: Died January 12, 1918 at Ellerslie
PERSONAL. (1918, January 17). Warrnambool Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3 Edition: DAILY.. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74043412
Phillip Ormsby was born in Dublin and enrolled in the Dublin University to study medicine. His sense of adventure saw him leave his studies and sail to Melbourne on the large clipper, Champion of the Seas in 1854. He got his land legs in Geelong, then he went on to the goldfields at Ballarat for three years, farmed at nearby Learmonth and then purchased land on the banks of the Hopkins River near Ellerslie in 1865.
Like, Archibald Black (above), Phillip was remembered as one of the first to see the potential for dairy-farming in the area. He was one of the co-founders of the Western District Co-Operative Factories Company and served on the Mortlake Shire Council with two years as President. He was also secretary of the Mortlake Cemetery Trust.
Phillip married Jenny McKellar and they had four sons and seven daughters. Phillip died with the knowledge that is son was killed in France only months before.
Mrs Jane HEANEY: Died January 29, 1920 at Hamilton. Jane Heaney was one of Condah district’s oldest residents. She arrived from Ireland with her husband, Robert in 1856 aboard the General Hewitt . After 10 years at Heywood, the Heaney’s moved on to Condah Swamp, later known as Wallacedale.
Donald McINNES: Died January 9, 1924 at Warrnambool. Donald arrived on HMS Hercules after an horrendous voyage. His first job in Victoria was at the Kangaroo station near Hotspur owned by the McKinnon brothers, uncles of Donald. He never married.
Thomas HERBERTSON: Died January 17. 1932 at Portland. The Herbertson family have a long association with Portland. Thomas was the son of Robert Herbertson an 1840s arrival at Portland. Thomas was 81 at the time of his death and during his years in Portland worked as a saddler, then owned a saddlery business, before purchasing “Wattle Hill”, where he farmed and ran a successful orchard with his sons. He married Jenny Miller of Portland and they had a family of five children.
Frederick GUTHERIDGE: Died January 16, 1933 at Ullswater. Frederick Gutheridge was a member of a large family well-known for their longevity. They featured in this week’s Trove Tuesday post for that reason. Frederick was the son of Richard Guthridge and Elizabeth Pitts. He married Alice Byrne and they had four sons and four daughters. Frederick also left eight brothers and sisters and a 95-year-old father.
Joseph JACKSON: Died January 16, 1940 at Camperdown. Joseph Jackson was a native of Armagh County and spent most of his years in Victoria at Camperdown. A butcher by trade, he ran a successful business for nearly 40 years. He was a committee member of the Camperdown Mechanics Institute and the Camperdown Turf Club. He was the longest-serving member of the Camperdown Bowling Club and had success locally and in Melbourne.
Sarah Jane WADMORE: Died January 1, 1941 at Portland. Sarah Wadmore was a woman after my own heart.
OBITUARY. (1941, January 6). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 1 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64398666
Sarah had a great interest in the history of Portland and with the approaching centenary of the town in 1934, she and two other local’s, Mrs W.F. Hedditch and Mr E. Davis of the Portland Observer produced a booklet entitled Portland Pioneer Women’s Book of Remembrance for the event. She was also the main force behind the Pioneer Women’s statue at Portland. Sarah’s obituary gives a detailed history of her life, including the loss of her father, a Cape Bridgewater pioneer, swept off the rocks when Sarah was only one month old. Sarah was a school teacher and never married.
John Charles HAUGH: Died January 12, 1943 at Geelong. John Haugh was born at Bri Bri around 1866. In his early life he went to Stoneyford, beginning work as a baker. He later worked for Camperdown baker, Mr G. Robertson. John was an original member of the Camperdown Brass Band and performed in local theatrical productions. He was a gate-keeper at the Camperdown Football oval for many years.
From the Portland Guardian of January 4, 1951, comes some longevity facts.
One of the families in the article are the Guthridges of Carapook and Charam. It was the story of the patriarch of this family, Richard Charles Guthridge, that inspired me to hit the microfiche readers around 20 years ago and begin the search for my family. The Herald-Sun ran an article about Richard and his long-lived family. Nana cut it out as it mentioned the married names of the Guthridge girls with Hadden, Nana’s maiden name, one of them.
Of course, we thought we must be related to this great pioneer in some way. Well we weren’t. My Haddens were from Scotland and the Hadden boys, James and William, that married into the Guthridge family were from Ireland. Maybe the Irish Haddens could have been originally Scots, but as I would have to go back to the early 1800s, I don’t think I’m that desperate to find a distant link.
The article gives the total age of ten members of the Guthridge family as 768 years. It also mentions the Humphries family of Hamilton with an average age of 60.
LONGEVITY IN FAMILIES. (1951, January 4). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: MIDDAY.. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64427264
There is no doubt that the Guthridge family, with all 10 siblings alive when the youngest was 68 ( Richard lived to 95), was a big effort, but is the Humphries family average remarkable?
When I look at my families, most of them have had siblings that died at a young age and as far we know, all the Humphries were alive in 1951, with the youngest 50.
When I averaged the ages of the Harman children that came to Australia, using their age in the year of brother James Harman’s death, aged 86, I get an average age of 75. Fantastic, but I cheated because Reuben died in 1883 and I didn’t count his age or the siblings that died before the family left England. The Harmans have, however, also had an article published about their longevity.
Family’s Longevity. (1929, September 10). Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 – 1954), p. 5. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67674788
The Hadden family is a little more accurate. If I average the ages in the year the first sibling passed away, Margaret in 1927, I get an average age of 69. That’s really good. The ages were 80, 77, 74, 66, 63, 55. My gg grandfather William was the 80-year-old and he was still working at Mokanger Station at that time.
Have I sent you scurrying for the calculator? Let me know your best average age.
Helen V. Smith’s brief for the 2013 Australia Day Blog Challenge – Tell the story of your first Australian ancestor.
Easy - Ellen Barry arrived in 1840 on the Orient. But you have heard enough about Ellen and her husband Thomas Gamble, another early arrival (and possible convict). Most of my other ancestors were 1850s Assisted Immigrants. Maybe I could go with a hunch.
My ggg grandparents James Bishop and Sarah Hughes have been difficult to research. I eventually discovered they married in Adelaide in 1852. A few years ago, on the passenger list of the Lysander an 1840 arrival to Adelaide, I found Robert Hughes, his wife and four daughters.
Shipping Report. (1840, September 8). Southern Australian (Adelaide, SA : 1838 – 1844), p. 3. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71619943
As Sarah’s father was Robert, I’ve kept the Lysander filed away in my mind (yes, there are probably better places), occasionally having a search around the records hoping for something new.
For this post, I decided to try to find, the arrival date of either Sarah or James, but I had to choose. Firstly, I would need to cough up, pay $20 for a digital image of a Death Certificate simply because I was short of clues. This was still cheaper and faster than ordering a hard copy of their South Australian Marriage Certificate.
I’ve posted about James before and I know something of him but nothing of Sarah except she gave birth to 11 children, but I did want to know more. Also, as Sarah passed away before her husband, the informant would most likely have been James and, if he was still of sane mind, information would be more accurate than that on his own certificate. He died 10 years later in 1895 and his informant may not have known the detail I was after.
Based on that reasoning , Sarah it would be. So I begrudgingly happily paid $20 and waited, with fingers crossed for the digital image to appear. More often than not when I order a certificate, I end up disappointed. I was, on this occasion, pleasantly surprised. The column I was most interested in was “How long in the Australian colony”. It read, “14 years in South Australia”, in Victoria…almost illegible but it looks like 34 years. What do you think?
It does not prove that Sarah came on the Lysander but it does qualify her as an early arrival, so let the story begin.
I have told much of the Bishop family story in the post Jim’s Gone A-droving but what of Sarah’s story? I know so little about her but with help from Henry Lawson’s “The Drover’s Wife” one can wonder and imagine what life was like for her. While I don’t believe that she felt the isolation experienced by Lawson’s “wife” she must have felt the same loneliness.
Sarah Hughes was born in Brighton, East Sussex, England in 1834 to Robert Hughes and Mary Godfer. Robert was a sailor according to Sarah’s Death Certificate. As a child, Sarah arrived in Adelaide. By 1852, aged 18, she had met and married James Bishop from Dorset, nine years her senior. They lived at Thebarton an Adelaide suburb. Eight days short of their nine month anniversary, Sarah and Jim welcomed a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, named after her two grandmothers.
For most of his working life, Jim was a drover. The following article describes a James Bishop, working as a shepherd near Gawler, South Australia in 1853.
This could well be my Jim, off working early in the marriage. I have often wondered why only one child was born during the Adelaide days from 1852-1855/6, considering the speed of conception of the first child and frequency of the later children. Maybe Jim was away working? Could the gaps between the eleven children be a measure of Jim’s absences?
Baby Mary passed away in 1855 and this may have been a catalyst for a move.
Family Notices. (1855, March 26). South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 – 1900), p. 2. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49308047
Or was it gold? Jim and Sarah next turned up in Ararat where a new lead was found in early 1856.
ARARAT. (1856, June 27). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 – 1918), p. 2. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88050962
Would life as a miner’s wife be any different to a shepherd’s wife? The goldfields were harsh for women, in the minority and left alone while their husband’s sought to change their fortunes. There was the cold (and Ararat can get very cold), the mud, the heat and dust. Home was either a tent or hut. Settled in Ararat, Sarah gave birth to three children in four years, including my gg grandmother Elizabeth, and at best, if lucky, a midwife assisted or another miner’s wife. Disease lurked on the goldfields, a constant worry for a mother with young children.
Seemingly luckless, the Bishops moved to Mount Gambier. Jim would have turned to droving by this time. While they were in Mount Gambier, Harriet was born in 1860 and Ellen in 1862.
By 1865, the family had moved to the Macarthur/Byaduk area and in the same year, after a break of three years, Sarah gave birth to a daughter. She called her Mary after the child she lost 10 years before.
During Jim’s absences, he often took cattle to the Adelaide markets, Sarah would have faced the harshness of the land on her own. By 1870, she had eight children from a newborn to 14. That year, Jim selected 16 acres at Warrabkook, out of Macarthur. At least the older boys could have helped her with daily farm tasks and Elizabeth, 13 and Harriett, 10, with the babies.
Sarah’s relationship with James is something I wonder about. Nine years younger than him and only a girl when they married. Drovers were stereotypically hard-drinking men adapted to long periods alone. Margaret Kiddle in her book, Men of Yesterday, A Social History of the Western District of Victoria described drovers as “…hardbitten, sunburnt and blasphemous.”(page 411) How did Jim adjust back at home? The peace of life on the road with a mob of cattle would be very different to a home full of children. Did Sarah do as Lawsons’ drover’s wife and not make a fuss?
In 1878, one of Sarah’s boys committed an act that would break any mother’s heart. Second son George and two other young men were charged with the rape of Mary Ann McDonald, an incident that rocked the district. That charge was later dropped, however George was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on a charge of indecent assault.
TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES. (1878, May 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 7. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5932114
As Lawson’s “Drover’s Wife” killed a snake that terrorised the family in their home, her eldest son, with some sense of her emptiness, declared “Mother, I won’t go drovin’, blast me if I do”.
For Sarah this was not the case. Eldest son Charles worked as a drover.
PASTORAL INTELLIGENCE. (1890, January 15). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8583931
Third son Robert worked as a drover.
The droving blood ran deep. The 1913 Electoral Roll lists Sarah’s grandson Hubert Nathaniel Gurney Bishop, with the unmistakable name and son of Charles, as living in Longreach, Queensland. I believe this his him.
PASTORAL NOTES. (1913, December 15). Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1885 – 1954), p. 5. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60386074
Sarah died on May 15, 1885 at Byaduk from pulmonary tuberculosis. Buried at only 51 at the Macarthur cemetery. The Wesleyan minister presided. On Sarah’s death certificate her profession was not home duties, or wife or even mother. It was a role that was all of those and more…drover’s wife.
After I wrote this post I watched Australian country singer Luke O’Shea ‘s take on The Drover’s Wife. Pass the tissues please.
SOURCES:
Excerpts of Henry Lawson’s short story “The Drover’s Wife” from Queensland Country Life – EPICS OF THE BUSH. (1936, June 11). Queensland Country Life (Qld. : 1900 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97158517 and Henry Lawson’s Stories of the Bush. (1936, June 18). Queensland Country Life (Qld. : 1900 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97158597
A full version of “The Drover’s Wife” is available at this link - http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/lawson/henry/while_the_billy_boils/book2.1.html
Browsing my Trove tags for this week’s post , the tag “Snake sixteen feet” attracted my attention. The item was this snippet from The Argus of February 29, 1864 (obviously a leap year).
CRIMINAL SESSIONS. (1864, February 29). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 6. Retrieved January 22, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5744916
Since I have seen two snakes this season after going many years without having seen one, the sixteen foot snake seemed like an appropriate Trove Tuesday subject. I searched Trove for “snake sixteen feet”. I then narrowed the results down to 1864 but first I noted how many articles came up with the words “snake sixteen feet”. A lot actually, making me think that just like hailstones are always the “size of golf balls”, snakes were once always sixteen feet long.
I did find more about the snake that was making its presence felt at Mount Fyans Station near Mortlake.
THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. (1864, February 23). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 4. Retrieved January 22, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72513798
I wonder if they ever did get to measure the “monster”?
They should have known something when I suggested we go to Nelson for a few days. Like last year when we travelled to Portland, I had found a destination that would covertly satisfy some of my family history needs while still appealing to the other family members.
Back in April, I received an email from Daryl Povey from the Glenelg & Wannon Settlers site. Daryl had been at the Digby Hall for ANZAC day and spoke to an old school friend, Doug. Doug had purchased a property near Digby some time ago and had found an army issue backpack hanging on a door in the house. It was in good condition and had the name Pte E. H. Gamble written on it. Daryl knew of my Gamble link and asked me if E.H. was a relative. He most certainly was, he was my great-uncle, Ernest Hiram Gamble
Ernest Hiram Gamble was born in 1915 at Hamilton, the third son of Joseph Henry Gamble and Edith Diwell. My grandfather, William Henry, was the oldest son, and was four years older than Ern.
The following photo is L: Ern, Norm, Bill (my grandfather). This is one of my favourite Gamble photos.
There is a lot in the photo. The boy’s shoes – aren’t they great? The boy’s jackets – All different and probably all from different sources, but still Edith ensured her boys looked smart. The garden – I have an interest in Australian gardening history and the photo offers a glimpse into a 1920s backyard. The smiles – it is heartening to see this picture taken in the early 1920s. The boys look so happy and pleased to be together.
In the years earlier, the boys went through a period of separation. Joseph and Edith moved from Hamilton to Moonee Ponds for a short time, living not far from Josephs’ brother Albert. My grandfather and possibly some of the other children, spent some time in Ballarat. He even appears on the Macarthur Street State School records. The family returned to Hamilton in the early 1920s and three more children were born. Life was tough at times but Edith, with her happy spirit, kept them smiling.
In 1940, Ernest married Jean Lillian Watts and they moved to Mt Gambier. Ern had worked as a grocer in Hamilton with Moran & Cato Pty Ltd a leading Australian grocery chain of the time and he transferred to their Mt. Gambier store. A keen musician, a love passed through the Diwell line, Ern got involved with local dances playing with his friend Colin McKinnon. The duo also performed in Amateur Hours such as the following at Mt Gambier in 1942.
Last Amateur Hour on Tuesday. (1942, October 24). Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78118758
Advertising. (1942, October 24). Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 – 1954), p. 5. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78118780
On April 22, 1942, aged 27, Ern enlisted at Mt Gambier for service in WW2. An appointment was made with The Arthur Studio in Mt. Gambier for a photo session for posterity.
Image courtesy of the State Library of South Australia. BRG 347/4359 http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/arthur/04500/BRG347_4359.htm
Ern’s work place gave him a send off and he set off to Adelaide for training in early October 1942.
A month later, Ern was given leave to spend time with Jean before his posting.
PERSONAL. (1942, November 12). Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78119426
At time of his discharge, Ern was a corporal with the 1st Australian Base Ordnance Depot that, from what I can work out, was in Brisbane. By the end of the war there was an Ordnance Depot at Bandiana in Victoria and I have found this referred to as the 1st Ordnance Depot. The role of the Ordnance Corps is detailed below:
Men Wanted For Militia.—No. 7. (1940, August 6). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40949865
After the war, Ern and Jean welcomed a son, John Ernest. They were living in Melbourne by that time.
This is another lovely Gamble photo. Here Edith, surrounded by her family, and with a big smile, looks so proud. Ern is back right and my grandfather, back left. This was from a series of photos taken on a day the family managed to all come together from Melbourne, Ballarat and beyond. My mum and Ern’s son John were only toddlers, so I think it may have been around 1948 and Edith was living at 18 Skene Street, Hamilton.
In 1960, Ern passed away at McKinnon, aged only 44. Jean died in 1971 aged 54 and the following year, only child John passed away, aged 26.
So that was it, I had decided. We were off to Nelson with its great fishing and oh, did I mention we would just happen to pass right by Doug’s house on the way?
We met up with Doug and his wonderful farm dogs. What a great bloke Doug is, realising the backpack might hold some special family meaning and for looking after it until the day he may find some one who knew Pte E. H. Gamble.
For over 60 years, Ern’s backpack hung on a door in a farmhouse, waiting for its owner to return. The story of how it came to be there is not yet clear. The house was previously owned by Ronald Mabbitt, a Digby man. He passed away in 2005. Ron did enlist in WW2, and when discharged he was with the 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion. Maybe their paths crossed during the war or maybe Ron was a musician. Ron must have thought a lot of Ern to keep his backpack so long, hoping one day his friend may return.
Thank you to Daryl Povey for contacting me and passing on Doug’s details. Your help is always appreciated.
Now I have some homework. I need to order Ern’s service records from the National Archives of Australia and I am going to ring my Great Auntie Shirl, Ern’s only living sibling. I picked Mum’s brain for this post but I want to find about a little more about Ern and his family and the instrument he played. My grandfather played the cornet and I assume Ern was a brass player too. I will also continue the search for the link between Ern and Ron Mabbitt.
While holidaying at Nelson recently, we went on a guided tour of the nearby Princess Margaret Rose Cave. It is a fascinating collection of stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years from water seepage from the Glenelg River.
The story we heard of the discovery of the caves could have been straight from a Boys Own Annual. It was found in 1936 by two young men. One was lowered into a 17 metre dark hole with only a candle, matches and string. When he returned to the top his comment was something like “I think I have found Aladdin’s cave” .
Because it is such a great story, I though I would search Trove for articles from the time of the cave’s opening to the public in 1941. I found two worth sharing from the Border Watch of Mt Gambier and the Horsham Times.
New Cave Opened Near Sandy Water Hole. (1941, January 18). Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78138417
The story from the Horsham Times, claims Jack and Keith as Horsham men, but that is not indicated at all in the Border Watch article that states Jack Hutchesson had lived all his life at Caroline, near Nelson. I did check the Electoral Rolls and there were Hutchessons living in Horsham over the years. The Horsham Times does give a good account of the discovery of the caves.
GLENELG RIVER HAS ATTRACTIVE CAVES. (1941, February 14). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72689203
What I did learn from the articles was that Jack and Keith were quite a bit older than the impression given on the guided tour. We left with a picture of two lads, maybe 15 or 16, when in fact they had Jack’s sons with them. Otherwise it was a fun and informative tour and highly recommended.
There has been some negative spin about Blogging awards over the past few days, however I felt that it would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge my third nomination for the Blog of the Year 2012.
Aillin for Australian Genealogy journeys nominated Western District Families. Aillin wrote:
“Many of Merron’s quality posts are obviously the result of many hours research on her own and other families of the Western District of Victoria, Australia”
Thank you so much Aillin. To be nominated by you along with some highly respected blogs was a thrill.
Regardless of what others may think are the negatives of blogging awards, I appreciate every nomination I received and greatly admire the blogs I in turn nominated. It is great to be recognised by one’s peers and, hey, it means I’m doing something right.
That’s enough about awards from for now, I’ve got a Trove Tuesday post to write.
Maybe it was excitement from Pauline s Blog of the Year 2012 nomination or maybe it was the incessant cries of MUUUM! that distracted me, but I somehow managed to overlook a Blog of the Year 2012 nomination from Catherine Crout-Habel from the blog Seeking Susan – Meeting Marie-Finding Family. Last night when she drew my attention to my nomination, once again excitement set in. Two nominations for Blog of the Year 2012. Who would have thought?
Catherine wrote in my comments – “I want to thank you for the information you provide and the pleasure I get from your thorough research. Your Trove searches are brilliant. It therefore gives me great pleasure to nominate you for the “Blog of the Year 2012 Award”…”
Why thank you Catherine, I feel humbled by your kind words. But of course I couldn’t have done it alone. Trove, the resource, many of us know and love, plays a large part in my research and it is the information there , that is so easily accessible and searchable, that makes blogging so much easier and fun.
When I considered who would be my next nominees, I thought I would go for two Trovites. My nominations are:
Branches, Leaves and Pollen – Amy Houston – Since the end of August, Amy has sent many of us scrambling to Trove each week to find a special treasure for our Trove Tuesday posts. Thanks to Amy and her Trove Tuesday idea, I have been able to regularly share some of my Trove treasures. Also Amy has a knack of finding some great treasures and her blog is testament to that. Thank you and well done Amy.
Small History – Chloe Okoli – Thanks to Amy, I found Chloe and her blog Small History. Chloe has also been a regular contributor to Trove Tuesday and her well researched posts and her ability to write about history in a refreshing way, make it a pleasure to read. And she has big things planned for Small History in 2013. Well done Chloe.
Apologies to Catherine again for missing your comment and thank you for your nomination of Western District Families.
THE RULES
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
3 Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5 You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…
