SWAN HILL GENEALOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P.O. Box 1232 Swan Hill  3585

A Group Member of
Genealogical Society of Victoria

Office Bearers

Newsletter Committee
Linda Annear, Jenny Clutterbuck, Janette Power, Betty Van Der Stoel

Research Directory Co-Ordinator
Hans Proebsting

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 1986
 

February 14th	]
March 14th	] No topics decided as yet - this will be done at the December Meeting

[NB] Venue to be decided at General Meeting on December 13th. Proposal is for a move to the Technical School Dining Room for General Meetings.
 
 

THANKYOU
Our Committee wishes to extend its thanks to Russell Annear for his artistry in designing our logo for Mallee Roots and for the other drawings within this newsletter. 

HISTORY OF THE SWAN HILL CEMETERY

Although Swan HIll is now celebrating it's 150th. year, there was no official cemetery prior to July 1860. People who died during the early days of the tiny settlement were buried in a plot of ground near the corner of Curlewis and Pritchard Streets, where the Flour Mill was.

According to Arthur Feldtman's documents, it was known that one man was buried there after cutting his wrists whilst in the throes of the D.T.'s: an un-named young Welshman, employed by the Grocer, Sparkes & Perkins, was buried there when he died of Jaundice, and James Dunn a coach driver for the Bill & Deakin line was interred there after the horses bolted and careered into the lake at Boga, drowning him.

It was said that this site was chosen because there was a Blackfellow's Oven there, which made the Sexton's job much easier. The fact that the Minister (at least on one occasion) had not only to conduct the Burial Service, but also had to be the grave digger, made this deduction very feasible.

It was not until 1858 that something official was done about a cemetery site for the growing township, when Mr. Robert McPherson, the first resident Clerk of Courts in Swan Hill, selected the present site at the north-east corner of Coronation Avenue and Wattie Street. The necessary red tape was set in motion, but it was not until July 1860 that the public meeting was held to elect Trustees to control the newly proclaimed Public Cemetery, was held.

However burials had taken place on this site, with Robert McPherson having the dubious distinction of being the first person to be buried as his marble tombstone testifies. He and his wife had sailed from Scotland hoping this climate would be good for his constitution; after some fruitless searching on the Goldfields, he accepted in 1857, the Clerk of Court's position, travelling from Melbourne to Swan Hill by bullock wagon a  journey of two weeks. Financial worries, living conditions and the compulsory monthly visit to Kerang Court, at his own expense, in all types of weather, severely taxed this genteel Cambridge Graduate's health, and returning from one of his Kerang trips, he collapsed from his horse, and died from a sever hemorrhage, less than two years since his arrival in Australia......

OCTOBER MEETING REPORT

Guest speaker for the October Meeting was Mr. John Baulderstone of Cygnus Computers, Swan Hill. John brought along and Australian produced Family History Program to demonstrate to Members.
This program is produced by Ken Coles and Wendy Mesley for Projectree and is called Family Tree and Family History, designed for use with Apple Computers.

Whilst not a Genealogist, John gave a very comprehensive demonstration of the capabilities of the program, arousing interest amongst the members.

Since most Family History computer programs come from America and Canada, and whilst they all have their own particular charts and information, I feel this program is quite adequate for most family historians.

Thanks John for speaking to us.

Kerang Branch of the Genealogical Society of Victoria are holding an English Family History Workshop to be conducted by the Council of Adult Education (Joan Wills GSV)
 
 

Date:	1st. February 1986 (Saturday) 9 am - 5 pm 2nd. February 1986 (Sunday) 9 am - 2.30 pm
Venue:	Kerang Primary School, Victoria Street, Kerang. (Entrance, Albert Street)
Closing Date:	Tuesday, 14th. January 1986
Cost:	$45 - includes morning and afternoon teas Lunch not provided, but there is a shop next door to the School.
Applications and Money to:	Mrs. Judy Woodlock, 59 Bendigo Road, Kerang, 3579 Phone: 054 522541

If you are interested, get in quick as only a couple of vacancies left.

REPORT ON TRIP TO WALPEUP RESEARCH STATION

On Sunday 17th. November, seven members of this society travelled to the Mallee Research Station at Walpeup at the invitation of the Ouyen Group.

Morning tea welcomed us upon our arrival just after 11 am, and gave us an opportunity to browse at local historical photos, and lots of interesting books and genealogical charts on display - some of which were for sale.

Following a barbecue lunch, the Guest Speaker Mr. Ben Eggleton of Hattah was introduced.

Ben has been a Mallee farmer, apiarist, rabbit trapper and is author of several books based on his life experiences in that area. His Literary works, and the motivations for each are as follows.
 

THESE BARE HANDS	- growing up an a Mallee farm
BULL ANT COUNTRY	- reminiscences of the swaggies Ben came across during the depression
LAST OF THE LANTERN SWINGERS	- about the various rabbit trappers in the area
LITTLE PEOPLE OF THE KULKYNE	- children's' book
CALL OF THE KULKYNE	- children's' book
MALLEE COCKIE - WARTS AND ALL	- about the Speed and Turriff areas
A VISION AND COURAGE	- memories of the pioneers of the Mallee

Ben rounded off his talk explaining his present work in cross-pollinating native plants to produce new species.

Afternoon tea rounded off a very pleasant day and we thank the members of the Mallee Group for their invitation. We look forward to our next meeting.

ST. CATHERINES HOUSE INDEXES

Recently I wrote to the L.D.S. Church in Northcote asking about the St, Catherine's Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths. I received a reply from Mrs. Olive Moore, part of which I quote:-

"In reply to your letter to the L.D.S. Branch Genealogical Library at Northcote, enclosed is the list of St. Catherine's House Indexes held permanently at our library, we can order in other indexes up to 1900, as our main Microfilm Ordering Centre, where all our Microfilms are stores has a complete set of St. Catherine's House Indexes up to 1900 that I know of.

Yes, I will search the Indexes for you at $6 per hour. We also have a microfiche copier and now charge 20c per page if any of your friends are interested....."

Mrs. Olive Moore
30 Karingal Street
CROYDON NORTH  VIC  3136

Whilst on the subject of St. Catherine's House Indexes, the following extract appeared in the ESSEX FAMILY HISTORIAN (August 1985) and was brought to our attention in the Geelong Group's THE PIVOT TREE, October 1985.

"The St. Catherine's House scheme is a means of enabling members to obtain birth, marriage and death certificates from St. Catherine's House without having to travel to London. There are postal facilities offered by St. Catherine's House, but the fee for using them is 10 pounds per certificate versus five pounds if you apply over the counter. 
If you apply via me, you pay 6 pounds 50 pence (7 pounds 50p if you are overseas) and I will apply over the counter for you. Furthermore, St. Catherine's House will post certificates on to you free of charge, but it will take 3 weeks to reach you. I collect 2 days after application and send it to you immediately. So, it is a cheaper service than the official route and unless I am very busy, it is also a quicker service. I should also explain that this service is freely available to non-members of the society. In busy times, members get priority.

Page 7

But members of other Societies who get to read this magazine need not hesitate to reply.

So, having read the above, you decide that you want to use the scheme. What do you do? My address is listed below. Write to me for an application form. I will send it back to you. Fill it in and send me the fee. I get your certificate and send it back to you, with another form for the next time around. In quite a lot of cases, it is not possible to reconcile the indexes at St. Catherine's House with the request and so I have to write for further instructions or clarification in cases of ambiguity. However, usually we agree on a certificate and the postman drops it on your doormat. If there is really no way our, you get a refund of 5 pounds 50p.

There is one point in resepct of marriage queries. When requesting a marriage, unless you have certain knowledge of the date, please can you advise me of the birth dates of the earliest and the last known children of the marriage, together with any information about the birth dates of the bride and groom.

Please keep the requests coming in. The scheme is there to be used. My lunch hours are yours. Proceed too the E.F.H.S."

MICHAEL GIMM
49 STATION ROAD
BILLERICAY  ESSEX
(The above applies to certificates from England and Wales from 1837 to the present day)
 

Letters of Times Past
Copies of letters written by George & Charles Baumgartner in 1853 have been donated to our Group by John and Joan Eyles of Pental Island. John's Grandmother was Alice Baumgartner born 1859. 
This is the second part of the serialisation of the first letter

Continuing.........(On board the 'Woodstock', 29th. April 1853, off Williamstown, near Melbourne.)
 

.......Luckily the sea was smooth and beyond some unpleasant bumping, we suffered no injury; after a great deal of hard work we managed to get off by taking an anchor out in a boat and dropping it some way ahead, and then all pulling on the cable.  What vexed us most was to see the five or six ships pass us whilst we were hard aground and we had to come to an anchor for the night very soon after we got off, so we were very much afraid they would all get to Melbourne before us, but the next day we had the satisfaction of beating all but two which arrived before us. I have not been ashore yet, as I have been busy getting our luggage together, but Charles went and got dear Master's welcome letter which came by the Harbinger steamer, she passes us on the 21st. whilst we were becalmed in the straits. She made the fastest passage ever made, I believe 62 days.  We were so glad to hear from you and are looking anxiously for the next mail. The unfortunate Adelaide which sailed before we did, has not arrived yet and is said to be an utter failure, she is expected every day. Everybody gives an odd account of Melbourne and I long very much to see it, the mud in the streets is up to one's knees and everybody in one part of town, called Canvas Town lives in tents. Also in the principal Streets several of the shops are in tents and it must be curious to see written up on them Dr. So and So Physician, Mr. B. Grocer & Tea dealer etc. Everything is dreadfully dear, the 4lb loaf is eighteen pence, potatoes 3d a pound or £14 per to. Flour is £27 per ton. A small load of wood 55/-. Coal is about £7 per ton. House rent enormous, lodgings almost impossible to get, they ask 6/- as week for board and lodgings in a miserable wood hovel. Meat is cheap about 4½d. lb for beef and mutton, tea and sugar are also reasonable. 2/6 and from 6d. t0 10d. per pound. Horses enormously dear from 60 to £100 for a good one, but the worst of it is that hay and oats are almost impossible to get, £40 per ton for hay is the present market price and 20/- p'bushell for oats. Luckily wages are proportionably high, common labourers working on the roads for Government get 10/- p'day. Carpenters, bricklayers blacksmiths all get from 20/- to 30/- p'day. Brickmakers are more required than..... Page10 ..... any other men, they are paid £3.10 p'thousand and I believe a man can make from 1500 to 2000 p'day. Several men who came out on this ship have already taken situations, a cooper has got a place at a boiling down establishment at £5 p'week and his board and lodging. But the great majority of those who came out, go to the diggings and the accounts are very encouraging still. Of course many come back disheartened but the majority are doing well. Two lucky fellows who came out in the Great Britain a very short time ago, got one nugget which weighed 126lb. and more than 50lb. besides out of the same hole. They came back to Melbourne and have gone home to England again where they intend exhibiting this monstrous nugget and I have no doubt they will make good of it. Should we be fortunate at the digging as soon as we have repaid you the money advanced, I think of getting foods out of England to sell here. Everything sells well and the market is very far from being overstocked, but freights at present are very high. The brokers of this ship have about 60000 bricks on board and they will make a nice profit on them as they are selling here at 15 p'thousand. I very much wish we had brought 50 - 60 pairs of long boots with us, we bought 2 pair a piece in London and they cost us 30/- p'pair, here they sell readily at 4 - but we were told that the market would be overstocked before we got here ........ Back to 1st. Installment-August1985 Newsletter (to be concluded in Newsletter No. 5)

 

FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Business Address of the Genealogical & Heraldry Society is:

LIBRARY HOURS are:		Tuesdays 10.30 am - 2.30 am
	2nd & 4th weeks	Tuesdays 7 pm - 9.30 am
	2nd & 4th weeks	Wednesday 10.30 am - 2.30 pm
		Thursday 10.30 am - 2.30 pm
		Saturday 1 pm - 4.30 pm
	2nd & 4th weeks	Saturday 10.30 am - 4.30 am

LIBRARY CHARGE: There is a charge to non-menbers visiting the Library of $2 per visit
There are reciprocal rights at the S.A.G.H.S. for members of the Genealogical Society of Victoria

AROUND THE NEWSLETTERS

FASCINATING DATES   (Mid Gippsland, December 1984, No. 19)
If you want to know the exact day of the week on which an ancestor was born, and you know the date, you can find out:

Example: 29 April 1770

1.	Take the last two digits of the year born	70	.
2.	Add a quarter of this number and neglect any remainder	17	.
3.	Add the date of the month	29	.
4.	Add according to the month   Jan  - 1  (or in a leap year 0) Feb - 4 (or in a leap year 3) Mar- 4 Apr - 0 May- 2 Jun  - 5 Jul   - 0 Aug - 3 Sep - 6 Oct - 1 Nov- 4 Dec - 6	0	.
5.	Add for:    18th Century  4 19th Century 2 20th Century  0	4	.
6.	Divide the total by 7                                                                          7 )_	120	.
..	..	17	+1
..	The remainder gives the day of the week as follows: 1 = Sunday 2 = Monday 3 = Tuesday 4 = Wednesday 5 = Thursday 6 = Friday 7 = Saturday Thus, the 29th April 1770 was a SUNDAY, the day Captain Cook arrived at Botany Bay.	..	.

MORE FROM THE NEWSLETTERS

To put our research into perspective, it must be remembered the boundary changes from 1986 - 1926

Produced for the Mid-Gippsland Group G.S.V. by the Newsletter Committee: Frank Robins & Lyn Sephton

COLLATING YOUR INFORMATION

A good filing system is only good if the person using it can find things quickly.
Everyone is an individual and so is their filing system

The following is one way of collating information on ancestors
 

1. WORKBOOK
	(a)		Costing Book
	(b)		Pedigree Chart (use pencil until information is confirmed
	(c)		Current Research
		i.	Letters Outward
		ii.	Certificates applied for
		iii.	I.G.I. to be done
		iv.	Newspapers to be checked
		v.	Directories to be checked
		vi.	Photos to be taken
		vii	Wills/Probates to be located
		viii	G.R.D. to be followed up
		ix.	Land plans
		x.	Census
2. PEDIGREE FLOW CHART			Write in pencil. Information can be located by their number
3. MAIN BOOK			All Valuable information in kept in this book
	(a)		Contents
	(b)		Flow Chart
	(c)		Birth Certificates or I.G.I.
	(d)		Marriage Certificates and Newspaper Cuttings
	(e)		Death Certificates, Inquests, Obituaries, Photos of Grave, Probate Listing or Wills.
	(f)		Parish Plans from Central Plans Office
	(g)		Shipping - Manifests, photos and other information
	(h)		Obituaries - other than direct line
4. MISCELLANEOUS			Maps, School Certificates, letters postcards, discharge certificates, Newspaper Clippings, Apprenticeship forms, house plans.
Page 14
INDIVIDUAL FILES			Name, year of birth and death Work Chart and progress with research Biography Collected Information, as much as possible, school records, directories, military records, information on towns etc.
CORRESPONDENCE			All letters with no significant information on them
LETTERS FILE			A file with letters from or to other researchers.

INDEX OF INDEXES
(from "You found WHO in Your Family Tree" - Nick Vine Hall, The LAND MAGAZINE 5th December 1985

One of the golden rules for genealogists chasing records of their ancestors is "Always check and index"!

It is easy, quick and can save years of wasted time

An enterprising family historian in Queensland has just published a very handy little 14 page booklet called "Specialist Indexes in Australia"

Some 48 different indexes are listed with contact addresses and access costs if any.

The topics have a wide and fascinating scope, and include for example, the Arndell Index to Hawkesbury Pioneers, Australian Biographical & Genealogical Record, Narrabri Early Residents Index, Lithgow Families Index, Webster Index, Sea Captains' Index, & even a Ships' Logs Index.

You can get a copy of this book for $2.80 posted from the author, Miss Judy Webster, 77 Chalfont Street, SALISBURY, Q'LD. 4107

ADDITIONS TO THE SWAN HILL GENEALOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S LIBRARY

Gould Books Catalogue No 6, 1984
Supplement to Gould Books Catalogue No 6, 1985
Public Record Office Genealogical Sources
A Link with the past - Avon Plains - from Memoirs of John Holland
Tourist Guide to Swan Hill 1969
Kerang Branch GSV Members Interests 1984
Planning Your Family Reunion - 1985 - Linda Barraclough & Debra Squires
Cemeteries in Australia - edited by Faye M Young
Compiling Your Family History - Nancy Gray
John Knox Presbyterian Church Swan Hill 1871-1971
History of Tyndynder Methodist Church 1972 - W.E. Pickering
Letters from Highland Emigrants in Australia 1852
"Golden Grain" - Borung School Centenary - 1877-1977
Charlton Through the Yea
Quambatook - A Story of Progress
Back to Quambatook - 1949-1971
Shire of Gordon 1885-1935
Wychitella - the First 100 Years - 1982
Boort State School Centenary - 1877-1977
Mitiamo Football Club - 1894-1979
The Liersch Family 1847- 1970
Adamthwaite Centenary - 1878-1978
Samuel Chivells Descendants - 1839-1977
Thomas and Hannah Roberts Family History
Notes on Joseph Cato and Family
 

HAMPSHIRE

Hampshire Genealogical Society:

The Secretary  (Mrs. J.K. Hobbs) 12 Ashling House Chidham Walk HAVANT (Post code illegible)

VIVIAN FAMILY REUNION

A reunion is planned for the family of William Vivian and Elizabeth Jane Cook who were married in Cornwall in 1855 and came to Australia in 1856

 

Date:	Sunday 9th March 1986
Venue:	Botanic Gardens, ADELAIDE

Any photos or memorabilia would be welcome - if you have some to bring, please name them so they don't get lost.

As 1986 marks 150 years since the birth of William Vivian in 1836, it seems like a good time to get together.

As March 1986 is the time of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, it is suggested that you book your accommodation early.

For further enquiries - please write or phone -

 

Kevin & Joan Vivian "Karingal" R.S.D. MANANGATANG  VIC.  3546 Phone 050 353243