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

CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT

I trust all members who were present at the February meeting have spread the word that we are now meeting in the Domestic Science Wing of the Swan Hill Technical School. This larger room, with adjoining facilities for supper will enable us to plan more helpful meetings for members.

Despite the close-down over the holiday season, much research work was carried out, with several people being assisted with vital information on former residents of Swan Hill.

The Cemetery Recording team also spent time on the Receipt Books and Registers and the supply of cards in fast running out.

During this period the Society kept a close watch on the Moreton Bay Fig Tree, and Steinway Piano situations.

Finally, I would appeal to all members to furnish the Society with Swan Hill and District items of interest, as we now have 2 members ready to photograph and catalogue those items.

INQUIRIES AND RESEARCH

The Swan Hill Group welcomes inquiries but would appreciate a stamped addressed envelope.

However in the event of research being requested a minimum of $2.00 will be charges to help our officer carrying out research to cover costs.

HISTORY OF THE SWAN HILL CEMETERY

To continue..

....The first set of names sent to the Governor in Council for the Board of Trustees, was not acceptable because there was too many from one Denomination and further efforts had to be made to obtain a balance of Trustees acceptable to the Governor.
The final Board was Messrs. robert Taylor, Pres; Duncan Campbell Pres; Samuel Watson, Church of England; Dr. Benjamin Gummow, Church of England; Donald Cameron and William Bax, Roman Catholic; Abraham Booth, Wesleyan; Thomas Farmer, Pres; and A Woodford Patchell, Church of England.

No Burial Register, or trust Books, in complete order, have survived from those early days, but a letter printed in the Kerang Times on Oct. 5th, 1877 is interesting and illuminating regarding the conditions of the time.

It Reads..."Dear Sir, Had you the opportunity to inspect the Swan Hill Cemetery, you would doubtless agree with me that another burying ground in such a discreditable and neglected condition is not to be found in Victoria.  Within the last two years, the fence surrounding it has been allowed to decay, consequently horses, cattle, sheep and goats are occasionally found grazing in it. Although some very handsome and expensive headstones have been erected, the graves planted with shrubs and flowers, whatever serves as fodder for the animals has been cropped. To see to its better management I understand trustees were elected a few months ago; but up to the present they have made no outward visible sign of their existence. I always believed a cemetery to be a place sacred too the memory of those who lie in it, but really our's [sic] resembles at times a cattle yard. Please give this publicity in you paper and oblige.

THE INTERNATIONAL GENEALOGICAL INDEX

What is it?

The LDS-IGI is the international Genealogical Index of the Genealogical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

It is an index comprising some 2,500 microfiche containing 80 million names.

The fiche are ordered by geographical region then country and state/county, and then alphabetically by surname. It is updated every 3 years and is accessible at LDS branch libraries (one shortly to be established at Swan Hill), and at the GSV.

What does it contain?

Each entry in the IGI has 10 items of information, arranged in columns as follows:

Col. 1:    Name of Individual and Parents or Spouse

Col. 2:    Gender of individual

Col. 3:    Type of event reported, i.e. Birth, Christening, Marriage etc.

Col. 4:    Date of event

Col. 5:    Place of event (Town & Parish)

Col. 6,7,8:  Dates of processing by LDS Church, of no significance to non-members.

Col. 9,10:   Batch number and Page number of the source of the entry (see next section)

 

	1.		2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.
PRYOR, Joseph	Wm. Pryor	Mary	M	C	25 Dec 1810	Redruth	LOS	DAT	ES	C0534111	13602

Is the entry for Joseph Pryor, parents William and mary Pryor, a male, Christened 25 Dec. 1819 at Redruth, Cornwall, England? This entry was obtained from source document C053411 sheet 13602.

There are 5 major sources of information on the IGI as follows:

1.  Entries submitted by church members doing their family history research. Such entries being taken from a single source document (eg Birth Certificate). These will have batch numbers commencing with 7 or 8.

2.   Entries submitted by church members taken from multiple sources and submitted on a Family Group Record. Batch numbers starting with A or T9.

3.   Controlled extraction program of the church, where permission is obtained from governments to microfilm civil and church registers. The names on the registers are then included on the IGI. Most of these entries are of events over 100 years ago. An index of records that have been filmed is contained in the church publication "Parish and Vital Records Listing". Some Australian and many English records are included. Batch numbers will start with M, P, C, 725, 744, 745 or 754. The batch number C053411 refers to an extraction of the Redruth Marriage Register 1717 to 1812.

4.   LDS Membership records and archives. Batches starting with 694, H, M17, M18.

5.   LDS special projects. Batches starting with TO, &66, T99.

The source number (column 9) of the IGI entry can be used to obtain further information. If the source is the controlled extraction programme, the batch number will refer to the parish record that has been filmed, and a copy of that film can be obtained. If the source is a church member's entry, a copy of the entry document can be obtained; this will contain the name and address of the person supplying it. Your LDS librarian will be able to order the necessary films for you.

In some instances, Bishops kept transcripts of Parish registers. In the event where both Bishops transcripts and registers have been filmed, some duplication of entries has resulted on the IGI.

A Detailed stud of church manuals has revealed no direction preventing non-members from submitting names for inclusion on the IGI. Procedure for submitting names for the IGI, although simple, is quite stringent. Anyone wishing to do so is invited to contact Hans Proebsting for details.

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 installment concludes the first letter.

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

.....It is indeed a wonderful country, here is a town only 13 or 14 years old and now there are lying in the port about 170 large ships, a sight only to be seen in London or Liverpool. It is a perfect forest of masts and every day adds to the number, today 7 ships came in from England, the day we came there were also 7 , in fact every day it is the same almost. The captains find great difficulty in keeping their crews, the men all try to run away, this evening five of our men managed to get into a boat and have got clear off, I don't think there is a chance of getting them again, the ships all anchor some way from the shore and don't allow any of the men to go ashore at all, it would be rather dangerous work to try to swim ashore, as there are a great many enormous sharks about, I saw one very large one cruising round the ship yesterday. I have not time to write more at present as I have a great deal to do tonight, we are to put ashore tomorrow and have to get everything ready by 7 in the morning. We have got a piece of ground to pitch our tent on and a horse to cart and fetch our things from the landing place gratis. So we are lucky. The weather is cold and showery, it is the beginning of winter and the rainy season and I am afraid we shall find a tent rather unpleasant at first, but I suppose shall get used to it. Both Charles and myself enjoy very good health and as long as we do so I have not the least fear as to our success. Charles was troubled with boils for some time at seas but has got rid of them now. William Thurley made himself very useful on the voyage, he has acted in the capacity of under steward and I hope will keep to us and not be taken with the running away mania so common to the Colony. We shall write again by the Harbinger which sails 10th. May and shall then be able to give you better information as to our plans and in the mean time with best love to dearest mater and all brothers and sisters believe me. My dear Father you very effec. son.      GSB Back to 2nd. Installment - December 1985 Newsletter Back to 1st. Installment - August 1985 Newsletter

A birth Certificate taken from the Marine Register stating the Longitude and Latitude as the place a boy child unnamed was born on the 14th. March 1861 to Charles Dedman. this boy being the Great Grandfather of Phillip Dedman, contributor of this document as an item of interest to fellow researchers.

....Thankyou for your recent enquiry about the HAYES COMPUTERISED MARRIAGE RECORDS INDEX.
Part 1 of the Index covers that part of the County of Cwlyd which comprised the old County of Flintshire.
Part 11 of the Index will cover the old County of Debighshire and Part 111 will cover the old County of Merioneth. The enclosed list shows the coverage at present provided by the Index which is being updated continually.

The Index has been compiled from marriages recorded in the Parish Registers available at the local Record Office. Various transcriptions have been used to augment the Index where the registers are not available or are incomplete. The following information is contained in the Index:  name of the parish, year of the marriage, full names of the bride and groom and, after 1837, names of the fathers where these appear in the register.

The Index can be used in a variety of different ways. It can be used to:-
 a)  locate a specific marriage; e.g. Edward Williams & Rebecca pre 1675
 b)  search for a marriage where only the name of one party in known; e.g. Edward Williams pre 1675
 c)  list marriages containing any specified name; e.g. all Cartwright marriages pre 1800
 d)  search for all marriages where the father's name is known (after 1837): e.g. the marriages of the children of John
      Davies between 1884 and 1907

The fee for one of the above types of search is £5.00 in any one part of the Index, that is, Part 1 (Flintshire) or in 
Part 11 (Denbighshire) or in Part 111 (Merioneth). This allows for a maximum of 25 entries in any one category. Should a suitable marriage not be found in a) or b), the request remains on file and will [be] periodically re-checked as the Index is expanded. Requests for searches should be accompanied by the relevant fee and stamped self addressed envelope.

If the type of search that you would like is not included in the list above, please let the compilers on the Index know what you have in mind.

Yours Sincerely........

V.A. MASTERS GENEALOGIST AND RECORD AGENT
34 Bryn Awelon
BUCKLEY
CLWYD CH7 2QB
Nth. Wales

Anyone searching for Marriages in these counties should contact Mr. Masters and obtain further information.

SEARCHING IN INDIA

Records of births, deaths and marriages of English persons in India since 1698, and their wills, are kept at the India Office Library, 197 Blackfriars Road London, SE1 8NG. For details see the GUIDE TO THE INDIA OFFICE RECORDS (1966), and I A Baxter, BRIEF GUIDE TO THE SOURCES IN THE INDIA OFFICE LIBRARY (1979). The Society of Genealogists also has an index of English people in India, lists of settlers and early colonial directories relating to the Commonwealth and former possessions. The 1851 census enumerators' returns show that several former residents of Cheltenham were born in India.

INDEXES TO BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES 1837-1895
The above indexes have been released, but the fees for the certificates are to rise from the 24th. February 1986. The new rates will be $19 a certificate where the number is not quoted; $9.50 for a certificate where the number is quoted. The present cheaper rate for entries over 75 years is to be abolished.

WHY DO EARLY GRAVESTONES FACE EAST?
Nancy Gray's answer to the above question is:

"The mystery of the gravestone facing east is as old - or older - than Christianity itself: They faced the rising sun, the symbol of Resurrection in the Christian Religion, but the origin of the practice is believed to be one of the pagan beliefs retained - as so many were like Easter itself, in the transition to Christianity.

Suicides usually were buried north/south since it was a crime to take one's own life: and murderers, who took another's [sic] life, were buried 'beyond the pale' - outside the boundaries of consecrated ground. We did it to bushrangers in early New South Wales, if they were killed while trying to escape.

The East facing graves were adorned with stones from about the middle of the 17th. Century, when the middle class began to make it's presence felt. Before that, the poor had no memorial stones and the Gentry and nobility had vaults either within the Churches or in the Church grounds"

Extracts taken from The Kerang Times & Swan Hill Gazette - Friday February 5, 1886

THISTLE INSPECTOR'S REPORT
At the usual monthly meeting of the Swan Hill Shire Council, held on Tuesday last, the necessity for immediate action being taken for the destruction of burrs and thistles, now growing within the Shire, was fully discussed, and it was considered judicious to appoint an inspector, according to the Act, to serve notices on landholders and see that they clear their holidays their holdings of the noxious weeds. On the motion of the President, seconded by Cr. Hughes, Mr. E.S. Maxwell was appointed Inspector for two months at a salary of £3 per week.

KERANG RIFLE CLUB
On Monday evening, Mr. P. Brans, the representative of Messrs. George & George, Government contractors, Melbourne, attended at Wait's Exchange Hotel to take up the measures of the Members of the Rifle Club for their uniforms. It is interesting to note that the Kerang measurements were fully up to any of the Rifle Clubs Mrs. Brans has taken in the different parts of the Colony; the chest measurements being particularly good.
The members of the Club were mounted for drill the first time on Monday evening, and went through their evolutions [sic] in a manner satisfactory to Drill Instructor Pownceby.
We would remind members that a general meeting of the Club will be held this evening to consider the question of purchasing uniforms.

COMING EVENT

GARDEN PARTY DEMONSTRATIONS & WORKSHOPS, DOWLING HOUSE SUNDAY 23rd. & MONDAY 24th. MARCH, 1986
 

A Garden Party will be held in the grounds of Dowling House Sunday, there will be a variety of stalls, demonstration and exhibits. The Crafts Council of Victoria is providing two crafts people to demonstrate their skills on Sunday and Workshops held on Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Two Bookbinders will be there demonstrating on Sunday and on Monday a workshop will be held doing the following:

• LOOSE PAGES, TEARS IN PAPER, WATER DAMAGE. REMOVING STAPLES,  LOOSE AND DETACHED COVERS, SEWING PAMPHLETS.
• The cost of the workshop in $8.00 and if you are interested, please ring Sandy Trahar at Dowling House on 323719 to put your name down. You can take along books to repair.

• The other craftsperson from Melbourne is a Papermaker and a workshop will also be held on Monday. Any member wishing to attend this workshop may like to take along their own family histories.

BOOK REVIEW - on recent Library Acquisition

MID-MURRAY DISTRICT AMBULANCE SERVICE 1925 - 1975
Compiled by Mr. Bill Buckley - a former member of the Service

The service began under the authority of the Victorian Civil Ambulance Society on 29th. July 1926 when the V.C.C.S. handed over a 1925 four cylinder Ford Ambulance to the Swan Hill and District Hospital committee at a cost of £17.10.1 to be paid quarterly.
Such were sown the seeds of a service which has become a very vital part of our community.
On 29th. July 1953, the present Mid-Murray Ambulance Service came into being.
Bill makes mention of the Kerang and Sea Lake services as well as the fund raising efforts of Dr. Hiram Baddeley of Manangatang who swam down the Murray to Mildura to raise money for the purchase of an ambulance and two-way radio equipment for the Manangatang service.
To w[h]et your appetite - three short excer[p]ts on the cost of using the ambulance :-

"The first case attended by the Swan Hill Civil Ambulance Centre was on the 9th. August, 1926, when a 'travelling gentleman' was removed from the Smith's Coffee Palace to the Swan hill District Hospital. The fee for this case was 10/- which was paid on 25th. May 1927. The diagnosis was recorded as C2 H2 O.

For comparison case number 20 was the first long distance trip. On 1st. May 1927 Mr. John Rogers was removed from Swan Hill District Hospital to the Melbourne Hospital, a distance of 468 miles. The trip took three days with the patient being lodged in the Bendigo Base Hospital overnight. The charge to the patient was £33.00.00 which included meals and accommodation for the driver and assistant, all petrol and nine pints of oil

On 20th. June 1935 case number 274 was transported to Melbourne, a distance of 490 miles, (?) which took 21½ hours. The charge on this occasion was £53.9.0 which included meals, petrol, three pints of oil and two tail light globes.

Congratulations Bill on such a fine book and thanks to John Brereton for the Donation.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE LIBRARY

• Back to Woorinen South 1930-1980 (Yvonne Ward) Guardian Press, Swan Hill Donated by Dot Harvey
• Portland Newsletter
• Mornington Peninsula Group of G.S.V., Member's Interest, 1985
• Ballarat G.S.V. Newsletter No. 3
• Mildura Pioneer Register, form to be filled in if ancestors who lived in Mildura Pre-1900
• Notes on Victorian Family History, from State Library and LaTrobe.
• Copy of diary kept during a voyage to Melbourne in the ship 'Conway' 1858, by Parry Davis Donated by Joan Horsborough. 1985
• 'The McRae Heritage' by Colin Farquar McRae, see also Wheel Family Tree, to accompany book
• 'Remembering Swan Hill' by Francis M. Cureton, printed Castlemaine, 1977
• Official History of Australia in the War, Vols., 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12 by C.E.W. Bean

Every effort has been made to re-create the 
original  MALEE ROOTS  Newsletter.