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No 15                                                                                                  by  Frodo

In the capable hands?   Well, in the hands and typing fingies of Frodo, anyway. I am sure you will miss Dawn's more-capable hands in the next two months as much as I will, but me you've got for the nonce, so there.

Let me start with a jolly statistic – our HISTORY ROOM VISITORS BOOK was one year old at the end of  September – (how time flies when you're having fun, etc.) - yet another of Dawn's fine ideas, it was I what made the cover and ruled the lines; more importantly, about 120 of YOUSE have signed it in the last year, and all the entries I have read seem very impressed with our room, and very happy with the services we provide.   WELL DONE US LOT!!! (and that's quite a few volunteers, and of course our trusty Library Staff), AND MAY WE HAVE MANY MORE HAPPY VISITORS.

The latest Oral History book I have completed and which is in the system is that of HAROLD & WIF BEDFORD, whom some of you may have known, and who had many connections with the history of Goolwa in the last 70 years or so, not least that Wif's father was Chief Mechanical Engineer on the construction of the Barrages.  The interviews were done by DOROTHY JACOBS in 1999, and both Bedfords have sadly passed on since.

Dorothy's own book was just finished a month or so ago, as mentioned by Dawn in No 13. Husband  LINTON JACOBS has, of course, long had his finished interview in the system, but he has just published a great big book of his own, WHERE THE COMPASS LEADS YOU... STORIES OF MT. COMPASS, a lovely work with lots of fine pictures, the stories behind the street-names in Mt. C., with lots of touching tales, and huge numbers of names dropped, (almost everyone that has ever lived in Mt. C.)  T'will be of great interest to those with connection to, family in, or just fondness for Mt. C.  We of course have copies in the system. (I must confess personal bias – I proofread  - [mostly re-comma-ing , as is my wont] – and a thoroughly enjoyable deed it was.)

Also coming soonish – KING OF THE WINTER GAMES –  GOOLWA FOOTBALL CLUB 1878 – 1900, by BARRY GRIFFIN. Watch for it, or hassle him.

Also also coming soonish – BARBARA SPENCE has interviewed SYD SMITH, who had many stories to tell. Well done, Barbara – an interview done with our small tape-recorder, that the FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY bought for the use of anyone who would like to do some interviewing – we would like to continue this project, so if you know anyone who has a story to tell, you might care to interview them - remember if we don't record them, we may never hear them – the transcribing is another thing – and if anyone would like to do some of that, we would be pleased to hear from you, too. We can always do the transcribing and book-making later, but if we don't record them, we ain't got nothing – (needless to say, it is for the best all round if we can transcribe while the interviewees are still here to read the results, and make their corrections and additions).  So – HELP!!!! 

Before Dawn and Bruce left on their Journey of Discovery into the Semi-Unexplored Wilds of Taswegia, she, HELEN H. and myself were all ably driven by Bruce to the semi-unexplored wilds of  South Terrace, where we had a wonderful time at the FAMILY HISTORY FAIR. We agreed that the event should have been  4 or 5 days long, rather than that many hours, there was so much worthwhile, between two rooms full of stalls of various groups, the State Library, The History Groups of Tea-Tree Gully and Gumeracha – even the Australian Jewish Genealogical Society, and lots more - and then there were all the talks, 4 or 5 at the same time, (very unfortunately), as there were so many interesting topics covered – I heard  Dr. Karen George, from the Oral History Association, and Anthony Laube, from the State Library – he spoke on using newspapers for your family history – really very good , but I am sure the ones I missed were good , too.  I hob-nobbed as much as I could, handed out our CD, INDEXES & INTERVIEWS, and button-holed poor ALAN PHILLIPS of GOULD BOOKS and ARCHIVE CD long enough that I got him to agree to come down to visit us, and display some of the wonderful work Archive CD are doing. More on this next year, as he is too busy till then.  You may want to look at the website www.archivecdbooks.com.au , (which our marvellous HEAD HONCHA, JILL, pointed out to moi), and you will see why I am so impressed, as I very much was with the History Fair.

On the subject of websites, which Dawn is usually so good at popping into this August Publication, I have only one for this October Publication  - a book meta-site, for anyone wanting to find obscure books, or price them, etc. - www.addall.com looks through  Alibris, Abe and a whole heap of other sites.

Enough words for now – here's a piccy, donated by SYD SMITH, of the P.S. RENMARK, which, if I remember correctly, (not that I was there), was the last, certainly one of the last, boats built in Goolwa – if I don't remember correctly, I daresay one or more of you will let me know in no uncertain terms.                

                                                See Yez at No. 16.    Happy Historicising

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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 Frodo, 8554-2434

                                                                                                October 2005

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