ALEXANDRINA LIBRARY SERVICES
news
July 2009 by Dawn Juers
No 60
Wow – this month is the 5th anniversary of producing this newsletter! Where has the time gone?
The History Room is still continuing on at a steady pace even though we have temporarily lost Bill and Peter to the warmer climes we welcome our new volunteer Heather Masters.
On Wednesday, Bruce and I went and had a look at the regulator being built at Clayton. There has been a lot of politics spoken about this and I won’t go there as I don’t know enough about the rights and wrongs – does anyone?? But it made me think of this newspaper cutting given to me. I have no date or source of the cutting but found it interesting.
“There are lots of ways to cross the lakes going back in time. Possibly in the earliest of our stages, the bark canoe cut from a tree trunk, such as the trees on the side of the road at Currency Creek and at the Finniss River crossing.
Then came the paddle steamers, and the true story of a man rowing across the lake to woo his lover only to find out on arrival that she was betrothed to someone else, so he rowed home in a rage.
Then there were houseboats, speedboats, and now wind surfers, jet skis and the like but…
The smartest one of all was a local lad from Point McLeay, named Sidney Beck, who was shearing in the Currency Creek area. On one occasion he was having difficulty getting back to Point McLeay for the weekend, so he had to use some ingenuity.
He managed to get a wine barrel to the end of Point Sturt (no one knows how) and with the aid of an umbrella and an assisting westerly breeze, he boarded his wine barrel and peacefully sailed across the lake to the amazement of all the locals who came out to cheer him home.
Unfortunately Sidney had his share of alcohol, and the Meningie Police came in a horse and buggy to escort him to the station.
Sidney asked to relieve himself on the edge of the scrub and immediately ran off.
The policeman unshackled his horse and took off in pursuit but the last the policeman saw of Sidney on this occasion was the escapee swimming away across Lake Albert.
It was said to be his greatest marathon.”
Rob Linn launching the oral history of Bun BASHAM
It seems apt to list the Oral Histories that have been completed up to date.
BAKER Ron & Margaret LIEBELT Dawn
BARTLETT Roly LUNDSTROM Bert
BARTON Joe McHUGH Lance
BEDFORD Harold & Wif McKINLAY John
BRISTOW-SMITH Jeffrey MICHELMORE George
BRITTAIN George MILLS Vic
CARLE Athol NEIGHBOUR Fay, Keith & Betty Spencer
CLARK Nobby NEWELL Walter Frederick
GALPIN Roy PRETTY Walter A.
HUSSEY Rod SCOTT Helen
INNES Dean SKEWES Brian
JACOBS Dorothy SMITH Syd
JACOBS Linton SPENCER Richard
KEMPE Betty STONE Glen
Dora TUCKWELL’s book is in production and will be released soon.
***
This week I had the pleasure to be a guest of the July Thursday Lunch Group at the Alexandrina Centre for Positive Ageing. I had a very tasty lunch of Vegetable Bake & Salad, followed by Apricot Crumble & Cream – Delicious! Later, I spoke to the very attentive group on what we have in the History Room and some of what we do.
Thanks Pam & your helpers.
One of the hardest decisions in life is when to start middle age.
Happy Researching
Dawn
Genealogy help is available by appointment on Thursdays, to guide you through your research. Please phone the Library on 8555-7000 to make an appointment. For comments, suggestions or to receive this newsletter – email
historyroom2004@yahoo.com.au or phone the Library on 8555-7000.
Back copies of this newsletter can be sourced on the Alexandrina Council website –
http://www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au/site/page/cfm
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