Dancing for Joy on VP Day

On the 75th anniversary of VP Day we remember those who defended our nation from 1939-1945. 

A request this morning from a cousin for a copy of a photo of my mother on VP (Victory in the Pacific Day) reminded me that I should share the image on my blog again.

When Peace was announced my mother, Elsie aged 22, was at work in Sydney's General Post Office in Martin Place. Mum and her co-workers went into the street to join the crowds celebrating there. This photo that was published in a Sydney newspaper shows the joy on the faces of Mum (in the two-tone shoes) and the others who gathered in celebration.

Trawling in the Lake

Normally when I present a webinar or talk it is on a topic about which I have a reasonable amount of knowledge.

Recently I have been on a steep learning curve as I prepare a talk, Trawling in the Lake: resources for family history research in the Lake Macquarie area, about my new local area. With the support of fellow members of The Lake Macquarie Family History Group I am learning about the history of this area and the resources to support research into the district.

Lake Macquarie LGA is within the red lines on this map

Until I started this exercise I thought that the Newcastle Local Government Area (LGA) was the major LGA in the region. I have since learnt that Lake Macquarie (649km2) covers a greater area than Newcastle (187km2). The Lake Macquarie area's population at 2018 was 204,914 while in Newcastle the population at 2018 was 164,104. The lesson here for genealogists researching in the area around Newcastle is that the Lake Macquarie LGA should be included in your searches. 

Suburbs like Cardiff, Charlestown, Edgeworth, Glendale and West Wallsend that I had thought would be in Newcastle are actually in Lake Macquarie. The Lake Macquarie area also extends south past Morisset to Wyee, south on the eastern side past Catherine Hill Bay and west past Cooranbong and into the Watagans National Park.

If you would like to learn more about resources for researching in this area you are invited to join the Zoom event hosted by The Lake Macquarie Family History Group and presented by me as an outreach activity on August 28th during National Family History Month. 

Bookings are necessary for this free event.

Please email  lakemacfhg@gmail.com  to register. A link to the event will be emailed to participants in the days prior to the event.

Mervyn Percival Hasler 1920-1990

This morning in a private Facebook Group for descendants of our convict ancestor, Elizabeth Phipps,  one of my cousins, a fellow genealogist, posted some photos of her father to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth.

On seeing these beautiful photos of Mervyn Percival Hasler (my 2nd cousin twice removed) I asked my cousin if I could share them in a post to mark this special anniversary. She wrote on Facebook:

"This is my Dad Mervyn Percival Hasler (1920-1990). Great great grandson of Elizabeth Phipps. He was born in Leadville, NSW, 4 August 1920. Today would have been his 100th Birthday."

Below are the photos of a dapper Percival. Thank you to my cousin for her Genearosity.

Trove Tuesday - Cause of Death!

I had no intention of  publishing a Trove Tuesday post this week until I came across this article which I was correcting as part of a project for my local area.

I hope those of my grandchildren who are not too fond of study don't read this post and note the cause of death.   

1899 'CATHERINE HILL BAY.', The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1939), 14 November, p. 5. , viewed 28 Jul 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126338209