No 32
Gosh! I can’t believe the month is almost over and the newsletter hasn’t been done. I don’t have to tell you that as usual it’s been busy. We are always finding a new project to index, plus about eight years of back editions of the local papers that we cut, paste and file. Anyone want to volunteer to cut newspapers?
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On 18th March, 23 of us enjoyed a visit to the National Treasures exhibition at the State Library. I was amazed at the variety of objects and also how popular the exhibition was. I don’t think I have ever been to a Museum/Library where I have had to jostle to view the objects. ! Congratulations to those who organized the Treasures Exhibition.
After seeing all the beautiful copperplate handwriting it does make you wonder about those who will view our records in 100 years. Very little is handwritten now, and what is, certainly isn’t copperplate.
How many of us correspond with our friends by letter writing. The art of penmanship seems to be a dying art in these days of email. Don’t get me wrong, email is great and almost instantaneous – an answer from overseas the same day!!
Gone are the days of pen and ink and fancy writing paper – when correspondence was an art, and you waited for the postman’s whistle (twice a day, mind you!), and rushed to the letterbox for your long awaited letter from a friend or relative.
And what about the identification of records, through handwriting analysis ?
Quite often in family history research, identification of the writer can be made by the handwriting style, whereas an email could be typed by anyone – if it has survived at all. So much for progress!
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There has also been a lot going on in the town of Goolwa this last month, what with the Wooden Boat Festival and prior to that, the Goolwa Airshow. Also we had the representatives from the Cittislow organisation in town and in the Library. It is great to receive our accreditation as a Cittislow town, the first town outside Europe to do so. It was all due to the hard work of Lyn Clark and her volunteers.
It seems that the Cittislow delegation were driven around town in the electric car owned by Edward Booth who along with Rod Muller have converted their cars to electric power. For the full story see the Sunday Mail 25th March 2007 p37.
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(The Advertiser Review 9/9/2006)
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Some time back a gentleman asked me if I had heard the story of ‘Lousy Jack’s Hut’ on the Coorong.
Apparently some friends were staying at the hut whilst fishing on the Coorong. One of the men died, and the only means the others had to take the body back to Goolwa, was
their dinghy. They only had a small dinghy and could not fit themselves and the body on the boat. What to do next? They tied a rope around the body and towed it behind the boat to the Barrage, woke up the Barrage Master to open the gates, and then proceeded to Goolwa, tied the body to the root of one of the big gum trees while they went to fetch the local policeman.
I’ve asked around, but can’t prove the story but it sounds logical for the times!
If anyone has heard the story and can give us anymore information we would be glad to hear from them.
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Websites:
www.ancestorsonboard.com immigration from Britain & Ireland 1890-1909 with lists up to 1960 to come.
www.qappha.com.au Queensland Penal Historical Assoc (research on St Helena Island, Moreton Bay Qld.)
www.kentarcheology.org.uk/Research/Libr/Mis/Mislist.htn Monumental Inscriptions from many small churchyards in Kent.
www.sog.org.uk/library/surnames_intro.shtml this is an alphabetical listing of surnames compiled by volunteers from the Society of Genealogists. Information of birth, marriage and death certs. etc are always welcome.
If you have any information about a juvenile who was in Parkhurst Prison, Tony Cocks at Southampton University would like to hear from you. He is compiling the life histories of the juvenile prisoners of whom 1700 were transported to Australia.
If you have any information please contact him at 22A Westwood Gardens, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire S053 IFN England or email bac3@soton.ac.uk
His story is featured in the March edition of Australian Family Tree Connections p25.
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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 me, Dawn Juers on 8555-2885.
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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