Lilian's Tree

  A true and confusing story about one person and their two names, with other people also having that name, but using another. Confused? Read on. (Disclaimer, all persons are deceased.) Where to start this story, the end, the beginning or random? No matter where I start, you will be confused by the end. Forty years ago, I started researching my family history, especially my dad’s side. I discovered all sorts of interesting facts, dates, and people over the years and this added colour to the family tree. Dad had been married, before he married my mum and with is first wife had three children, Mavis, Leslie, and Patricia. I never got to meet them, nor they me. I did meet Patricia’s husband and some of her children, (I’ve now meet all on them.) Mavis I was able to trace and was in contact with her daughter, June, for several years before she passed and during that time, she gave me information and photos about Mavis and a photo of Leslie. Leslie was the mystery, I couldn’t...

 Having been to the NSW & ACT Family History Conference, several weeks ago, I've been researching names, people and ships. The name, CHASMAR. I've found that is isn't a Hugenot surname, nor is it a Norman one. It is an Early English one, so that is good to know. The people, John Eyde MANNING. Charlotte Chasmar was assigned to his house, Ultimo House, in 1839 on her arrival from Kent. Well by 1841 she had had her first child, with Henry Vaughan, so what happened to her position? From reading through the newspapers, John Eyde Manning became insolvent, not long after she started working for the family. John went back to England in a bit of a disgrace, Charlotte and Henry got together and here I am! The ship, the   Cornwall ,   while I knew the size of the ship, I really wanted to know why 327 people from Kent came out at that time. A search for the ship lead me to a blog on WeAre.xyz and contact with a lady called Heather. She had family come on that ship, too and w...

The year is flying by and I'm still reading heaps. Another eight books this month and two that I didn't finish, more about them later. Well September starts with S, and I had to find an author with the surname starting with S. Enter Trish Stringer and Something in the Wine.   St in the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia it is a delightful read. Keely Mitchell is holidaying in Perth when a medical emergency has her contacting a person she met on the plane to Perth. What follows is a story about family, wine and love.  I then found The Ravenmaster, my life with the Ravens at the Tower of London   by Christopher Skaife. Chris looks after the ravens in the Tower of London. He explains the birds, the history of why they are there and some of the things that happen, surrounding the birds. A wonderful read about a special part of history. Fiona McArthur released her new book, The Lightening Ridge Ladies.  Set in the New South Wales town of Lightening Ridge...

 In my last post  Rabbit Holes, (or Wombat Holes)  I mentioned that I was ordering several transcripts, with the hope of answering questions.  While I was away, at the State Conference, the transcripts arrived, via email. I hadn't taken my laptop, so I just looked at them on the iPad. The three death ones were sad.  Little Peter Barry Galbraith, only 2 died from heart disease, the heartache that his parents must have gone through. William Cameron Galbraith, (my Grandpop's brother) died of stomach cancer. Both his parents are listed on the certificate but not as deceased, which they both were. Eugene Elizabeth Galbraith, nee Martin, (wife of William, mother of Peter) died of  lung cancer. I also ordered William and Jean's marriage certificate. It has William's mother deceased, when it should have been his father.  The mystery is why did Jean change her name to Eugene?  Looking at the births of the first four children, Jean, Geoffrey, Willian and Al...

 With no early morning wake-ups, I still woke around 6.00am. I finished my packing, read and  did my usual things in the iPad. I decided to go for a small walk, before breakfast, near my hotel. Towradgi Creek. Towradgi is derived from the Dharawal word Kowradgi, meaning "guardian of the sacred stones." Back at the club in time for the 9.00am start, the atmosphere was still upbeat, with many conversations taking place, before our M.C., Chris called us to order.  Betty O'Neill was up first with Unlock Your Family's Story: A Writing Workshop. To quote Betty, Everyone has a family story worth telling-what's yours? She talked of using building blocks for stories, like developed characters, using the senses, detailed scenes were just some of them. A writing exercise, for us to get us thinking about our ancestors. I managed about 3/4 of a page and think I will expand it further.    Jeffrey Madsen, gives wonderful talks about using maps and how much they can tell you. H...

 1.30AM, WHOOP, WHOOP, WHOOP, THEN EVACUATE NOW, EVACUATE NOW! Is NOT how one wishes to be woken from a deep sleep. Down three flights of stairs and joined everyone out the front, admiring the variety of 'evening wear.'  It wasn't that cold and it wasn't raining, so not to bad to be outside at that time.  (it seems it could have been one of two things, someone smoking in their room or going out the fire door, either way the $1600 fine, from the Fire Brigade would hurt.) Day Two dawned bright and sunny and this was the main day. Six scheduled talks followed, by the Conference Dinner.  After a welcome from the Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Tania Brown and the Association President, Gail Hanger, the John Vincent Crowe Address was delivered by Dr Richard Reid, Patron of the Illawarra Family History Group Inc. Dr Reid's address was title Fairy Meadow So Far Away: Tales of Lost Illawarra, continuing with the conference theme, They Came from Where? He spoke of his arrival in t...

 Having woken on Thursday morning to more heavy rain, I was not looking forward to my drive, down, either Bulli Pass or Mount Ousley, to Fairy Meadow. By noon the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to shine, by 2.00pm we had blue sky and when I picked up two friends, I opted for the most scenic route, down the escarpment; Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the spectacular  Sea Cliff Bridge.   For more information about the wonderful feat of engineering, see this link;  Sea Cliff Bridge   Friday dawned with blue sky and we adjourned to the Fraternity Club for the first day of the conference, hosted by Illawarra Family History Group Inc.  This was their open day and I was thrilled to see so many non-conference attendees, (those of us with lanyards) there.  The Society had organised four speakers, for the day along with an array of exhibitors. It was wonderful to see so many friends and receive hugs.  The theme for the conference was They Came Fro...

 I have been busy with my One-Place Study, that my own family tree has been neglected. This past Saturday saw me do a Tree Check on my Ancestry tree. I found a strange name and had no idea where she came from, time to dig deeper and find out. The name I had was Lola Jean Galbraith and I had her as a daughter of William Cameron Galbraith and his wife Jean (or Eugene). William and Jean have a daughter Jean Kathleen but here is where it got interesting. Facts I had 1) William was the son of Arthur Galbraith and Mary Ann Grant. Born 17 March 1890.                       2) Little brother to Arthur Alfred Victor Galbraith, born 1885                       3) Married in 1913, Jean Elizabeth Martin.                    4) Had five children, Jean 1913, William 1916, Alfred 1918, Geoffrey 1923 and Peter c1935. In my ...

 I have read seven books this month with a new author, Hira Arikawa being my featured author. I didn't have any books by an author, with the surname starting in A, so I asked a good friend, Wendy and she made the suggestion.  The book she suggested was The Travelling Cat Tails,  by Hira Arikawa. Set in Japan, it tells the story of Satoru and his cat Nana. Satoru takes Nana to visit several friends, with the hope that they will take Nana for him. The story is told from Nana's point of view and you learn about Satoru at different stages of his life, through this journey. Beautifully written but have your tissues ready. 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff, was mentioned by a friend, Kerry Farmer and I found my copy and read it. It is a series of letters between Helene and a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road. A delightful read. Two more of Jane Bettany's were also read, Murder at Maple Grange and Murder on Bluebell Hill.  Featuring Violet Brewster as the amateur sle...

 The Society of Australian Genealogists ran a five week course on WeAre.xyz, starting in July. I was wary of a new genealogy platform BUT I'm converted. I've been doing my One-Place Study on the cemetery at Mummell for several years and hadn't found the right platform for what I wanted to do, i.e. list and write about the people buried there. This program has given me the opportunity to do just that and I have spent weeks collecting facts and information on the people and entering it into the relevant sections. It has also allowed me to connect people to each other, through creating family trees. I've enjoyed it so much that I've started another study, this one on the Kootingal-Moonbie General Cemetery, but it will take a bit longer to do. This link is to the WeAre.xyz site. you do need an account but it's up to you if you want a paid one.   WeAre.xyz This is the link to the Mummell Cemetery site.   Mummell Cemetery

 In July I started a five week course on the genealogy platform, WeAre.xyz. It is a website that you can create your own family site on or do a One-Place Study. (OPS) I played with the family tree side of it but decided to move my Mummell Cemetery One-Place Study to the site. (more in another post) We also did a six night Outback Safari, going as for as Cameron Corner, where South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales meet. It was by 4WD Landcruiser and was wonderful. We went to places that I wouldn't drive to, because of the roads or the distance. Had a wonderful time, exploring our state. Macquarie Marshes Cameron Corner Mungo National Park Back home and we had to get the red dust out of everything! I have been doing heaps of research into the people on my OPS, did a class on Excel and one on Artificial Intelligence, interesting. August has been, wet, wet, wet, and now it's windy!  I did a talk for the Hawkesbury Family History Group on 13 August on the City of Sydney Ar...

 Since I did the April A-Z Blogging Challenge my blogging mojo has been missing. I've done my book posts but nothing else. May saw Paul and I do a cruise on the Murray River onboard the P S Murray Princess. It was so relaxing, gliding along the river, looking at the bird life and the stunning scenery. Did some shore excursions and wandered around Mannum and Swan Reach. We had time in Adelaide both before and after the trip and caught up with friends. Big Bend Our boat. June was cold and wet, so we stayed close to home and I read, knitted and worked on the family tree.  

 Well the Sydney weather has been cold, wet and windy, just right for curling up with a book. As you know I try and read a book, whose author's surname starts with the letter of the month. Well have three months start with J stretched my author list.  January I did Penelope Janu. June was Rachel Johns, could I read more of their books for July. No, I told myself that would be cheating. This is where it's good to have friends that read and  Deb  recommended a book by Catherine Jinks, Traced. Set in both 2020 and 2015, you soon become gripped by the story. 2020, Jen, a Covid contact tracer, makes a call and the woman on the other end panics. Her partner doesn't like her having visitors or going out, he has her phone and calls several time a day to make sure she is home, how can she explain this. Jen tries to reassure her that something can be done and asks the partners name. Jen  immediately flashes back to 2015, when the same person did the same thing to Jen's fa...

 It can't be the end of June already! This month I finished a vest I started in 2024, it is warm and will be going away with me on our next trip. My reading has been wonderful because I have just sat and read since we came home from our trip. Rachael Johns was my J author and her book The Bad Bridesmaid was my choice. Set in Fremantle and Norfolk Island it is the story of Winifred (k/a Fred) Darling is asked to be bridesmaid at her mother's sixth wedding, she will do anything to stop it. She enlists the help of the groom's son, Leo and what follows is hilarious. A really fun read. These two little books, above were also on my list, recommended at the Church House party they are about Lady Jane Grey and Hugh Latimer and their strong faith. Both were during the English Reformation. Interesting reading. Medivac Midwife (The Pregnant Midwife) by Fiona McArthur was a free read from Book Funnel. I enjoy reading Fiona's books and this one was no exception. Karly Lane was anoth...

 It's been a slow reading month for me, only five books. BUT I did spend a lovely relaxing time on the Murray River in South Australia, cruising on the Murray Princess. My author of the month was Michelle Montebello, you can go to her website here  michelle The first book I read was the Quarantine Station, set in Sydney at the old Quarantine Station on North Head. This is the link to more information about the  qstation   or here  Quarantine Station The book is set both in 1918 and 2019, featuring Emma, whose grandmother, Gwendoline, was born on the quarantine station and now has dementia and wanders and from the past Rose Porter, Gwendoline's mother. Emma enlists the help of Matt, who works at the station and together they unravel the mystery. An excellent read, with twists and turns, that have you wanting more. I then found another new author, recommended by a friend, Deb, who writes a book blog,  debbish   The author was Darcy Tindale and the book w...

 Well I hope you enjoyed my travels around New South Wales. In 2023 and 2024, Paul and I did nearly 6,000klms around our home state. It is a diverse state for scenery, flora, fauna and fun. Don't bye-pass a small town, to get to the bigger one. Small towns are often the best and now towns have bye-passes, pull in and enjoy the town, minus the traffic. Take the long way to a place, rather than the most direct route, follow the Silo Art Trail. But don't forget to have fun.

  Wednesday 30 April   Z –  ZETLAND (Co Cumberland) 33°90’S 151°20’E Zetland is an inner-city suburb 0.8km 2 (0.3 sq mi) in size and is 4km south of the Sydney CBD. Zetland was named for Thomas Dundas, 2 nd Earl of Zetland. Zetland is an archaic spelling of Shetland. I have gone to the City of Sydney Archives site for photos of Zetland .  Archives Royal South Sydney Hospital, Joyton Avenue, Zetland, 1916. Tram, Bourke Street, Zetland, 1954. This photo is from the ANZAC War Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney. It contains soil from Zetland, indicating the a soldier at lived their, at the time of his enlistment.

 This month I read six books, of which three were paperback ones. But there was one paperback one I didn't finish, something I don't do often. In The Dead Of Night, by Greg Haddrick, is about the murders of Russell Hill and Carol Clay in the Wonnangatta Valley, Victoria. The book tells the story of how the investigation took place and how the police painstakingly put their case together. Very interesting read. The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge, by Janet Gover. Set in the Hunter Valley Region of New South Wales, it is about Bree Johnston, a former city lawyer, leaving that life behind and doing something very different, in Wagtail Ridge. There is a love interest, a controlling grandmother, family struggles and the townspeople. An easy read. A Bird In The Hand, by Ann Cleeves. (Ann writes the Vera Series, that I enjoy reading and her new Two Rivers Series, that has got me hooked.) This book is the first featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones. Set in Norfolk, it is about a birdw...

  Tuesday 29 April   Y - YASS   (Co. Murray) 34°51’S 148°54’E Aboriginal, a corruption of Yarh or Yahr meaning running water. On the Yass River, established c1830. Town gazetted in 1837. Yass Cemetery Yass River

  Monday 28 April   X -   X marks the spot. There isn’t a place in New South Wales, that I can find, that starts with X. So, mark your map with an X to show where you are going. Yes! A paper map. The blue dot is where I'm heading, sometime this year, Broken Hill, in the far west of New South Wales.

  Saturday 26 April   W –   WARIALDA,   (Co. Burnett) 29°07’S 150°35’E Aboriginal, place of wild honey.   On Warialda Creek, established in 1837, village gazetted in 1850. Warialda   This link for more information on the town, and others in the area.                                                                           Cranky Rock Nature Reserve.                     WALLERAWANG,  (Co. Cook) 33°25’S 150°04’E Aboriginal, plenty of water. On Adams Creek, settled in 1821   Wallerawang  This is a link to more information.  We had morning tea in the bakery, delicious.                        ...

  Friday 25 April   V - VILLAWOOD  (Co. Cumberland)   - 33°53’ S 150°58’E Looking at the map of New South Wales, I realised that I hadn't been to any of the places starting with V, so picked the suburb of Villawood, where an aunt and uncle lived.  A suburb of Sydney, some 27 klms west of the CBD. This link  Villawood  give more information of the suburb, both good and bad. Villawood Train Station      Villawood Shops

  Thursday 24   April U –  URALLA   (Co. Sandon) 30°39’S 151°30’E Aboriginal, in a little while, big hill or red wood. On Uralla Creek, surveyed in 1849 by John Galloway, laid out and gazetted in 1855. Situated between Tamworth and Armidale in the New England Ranges. The bushranger Thunderbolt is commemorated  in Uralla.