From Distress to Deliverance

In Covid times The Hawkesbury Family History Group has been holding its meetings both in person and via zoom and inviting interested genealogists to attend their meetings virtually. When I lived in Sydney I attended their meetings in person but, as I have moved away from the big smoke, I have not attended recently. One of the benefits of Covid is that I can now take advantage of the Group's excellent program. Their September speaker was Heather Garnsey and in November it will be Kerry Farmer who are both excellent, established presenters.

Yesterday Stephen Gow, a descendant of a Hawkesbury convict, spoke about the new book he has written about the life and times of that ancestor, William Gow. Stephen gave a most informative and interesting presentation in which he shared some information about the Gow family and discussed the planning, writing and publishing process of his book "From Distress to Deliverance". Stephen's Powerpoint presentation was rich in relevant images and light on text, it demonstrated how a slideshow can enhance a verbal presentation. I learnt some valuable tips on producing a high quality publication from Stephen's talk.

At the conclusion of his talk Stephen indicated that, as a self-publisher, he didn't have a formal distribution network for this book. Some copies are available from the Hawkesbury Regional Museum, alternatively intending purchasers can email Stephen at wptgowdescendants@gmail.com to organise delivery. I immediately emailed Stephen as I wanted to ensure that I snagged one of the three hundred copies from the limited print run.

I was surprised that I got an immediate response from Stephen, who said he would be passing close to Lake Macquarie today on his way home to Armidale. He offered to deliver a copy of the book to save me postage on the item. It's just an hour since Stephen popped in to deliver the book and have a chat.

Image: Courtesy Stephen Gow

I haven't had time to read the book yet but I am already impressed. "From Distress to Deliverance" is a solid tome, weighty in both form and content. A thing of beauty, it has a hardcover and is larger than A4 size, printed on thick paper, the layout is well executed and it is overflowing with colourful and clear illustrations. What warmed the cockles of this old librarian's heart are the features that make it easy to access and understand the information within its solid covers: a contents' page, conversion tables, references at the end of each chapter, a bibliography and source list, family history pages and a detailed index. This book will be too weighty for bedtime reading, I may even have to place it on a table to read comfortably but I know that it will be a rewarding experience. 

Congratulations, Stephen, on producing such a superb work. It is a testament to your passion for family and local history.

SAG at Hawkesbury

I had a pleasant time at the Society of Australian Genealogists event in the Hawkesbury last Saturday.

Michelle Nichols

When I arrived early at Windsor Library Danielle Lautrec, Education Officer from SAG, was in attendance and ready with her clipboard to welcome attendees. When the Library opened at 9am we all trooped in to be welcomed by Michelle Nichols, Hawkesbury Local Studies Librarian and font of local knowledge. Our group of a dozen plus (I didn't count) settled into one of the library's comfortable meeting rooms.

Danielle introduced herself and asked us to share our Hawkesbury connections. I think only one attendee didn't have Hawkesbury connections. After this round table Michelle entertained us with her  talk on early history of the Hawkesbury which gave us lots of information to add colour to names and dates in our family trees. Although I had heard this talk before I still learnt lots as Michelle tailors her talks to each audience she addresses.

Following the history Michelle discussed the resources in the local studies collection at Windsor. It is a well-stocked collection with many genealogy resources for people researching in New South Wales and beyond. After this intro we adjourned to the local history area to do some personal research. The local history section at Windsor is in a bright and comfortable corner of the library and is a pleasant environment in which to work.

The Local Studies Area at Hawkesbury Library, Windsor

At 12:30pm some of the group adjourned to the historic Macquarie Arms Hotel for sustenance and a chat. After we had refuelled Danielle took us on a visit to the adjacent Hawkesbury Regional Museum. Both the Hawkesbury Library and Museum are housed in spacious, modern buildings. The Council is to be commended on its support of local heritage and history.

This was a fab format for a SAG event. Thanks to Danielle for looking after the group and Michelle for the presentations and guidance.

I hope SAG organises more regional visits in the future. I would love to do a similar visit to Camden where my Curry ancestors were early inhabitants.

Follow Friday - Stubbs Family Website

A message about the Stubbs Family (from the Hawkesbury) Reunion came through last week on two Rootsweb lists that I follow.

Here is the message:

Stubbs Family Reunion: Saturday 25 October 2014 Ebenezer Church Grounds 95
Coromandel Road, Ebenezer NSW. Annual gathering of descendants of William
Stubbs and Sarah Wingate (arrived "Coromandel" 1802). Family names include
STUBBS, WOODS (YARWOOD), SULLIVAN, EVERINGHAM. Commencing 9.30 with a Church
Service @ 11.00 am. Free sausage sizzle. BYO drinks, etc. RSVP by 15 October
2014 to stubbs1802@gmail.com

Information about the reunion can be found here:  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~stubbs1802/reunion.htm

As they appear to want to get the word out I thought I'd repost the message.

As I am a stickybeak I decided to take a look at the Stubbs Family website.

It is interesting to see that there is little detail on Stubbs descendants on the website, however, those who wish to discover details of Stubbs descendants can purchase several volumes of Stubbs family genealogy publications via the website.

Richmond Presbyterian Cemetery

Great news from Jonathan Auld on the Rootsweb aus-nsw-hills-hawkesbury-hunter-valley list. Thanks to the volunteers have produced this resource for those of us with Hawkesbury ancestors.

"Just a heads up for those listers interested in cemeteries located in the Hawkesbury. We have completed the Richmond Presbyterian Cemetery, with all of the headstone transcriptions and photographs now available online for you to view. Information can be viewed at the following url:

Richmond, Richmond Presbyterian Cemetery http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/cemetery/richmond_presbyterian/index.html "

The Story of Bob Waterer and his family

Bob Waterer

It's two weeks since I journeyed to Mosman Library for a talk on this book by author, Nan Bosler. It would be remiss of me to miss a post about this event. Nan was accompanied to this event by the subject of her book, Bob Waterer, and the book's editor, Pat Frater.

Finding a leather pouch hidden away at the back his late sister's wardrobe led Bob to discover his aboriginal heritage when he was around 80 years old. The certificates found sparked an interest in Bob to find out more about his ancestry. Bob learnt that he is descended from Biddy Wallace, a member of Bungaree's Broken Bay clan.

At the Mosman event Bob conducted the most meaningful Welcome to Country I have ever heard. Nan Bosler talked about the research leading up to the publishing of the book "The Story of Bob Waterer and his family" that has been financed by a grant from Manly Council. Bob, who is now in his late 80s, shared a few anecdotes with us.

The Story of Bob Waterer and his Family

This fascinating family history tells about life on the early Hawkesbury River, Scotland Island and Pittwater. Bob's grandmother, Catherine Bens, was known as the Queen of Scotland Island. Although I have not read my copy in its entirety the book promises to be a most interesting read. The list of references at the end of the book is a very useful resource for historians and genealogists with similar interests. It would be a valuable addition to local history library collections in the areas covered. It is not my usual practice to advertise on this blog but if you are interested in purchasing this book you may contact donandpatfrater@bigpond.com for further details.

Thanks again to the people from Mosman Library for staging such an inspiring free event.

Cemetery Transcription completed

I was pleased to read on the aus-nsw-hills-hawkesbury-hunter-valley Rootsweb Mailing list that the transcribing of  The Upper Mangrove Creek  - St Thomas Cemetery has been completed and can be found at:

http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/cemetery/upper_mangrove_st_thomas/

 
Congratulations to the volunteers in the Hawkesbury who have transcribed many of the cemeteries in that area.

Hawkesbury on the NET

I must commend the dedicated people who maintain the family history resources on Hawkesbury on the NET.

As someone with convict ancestors and their descendants who lived in this region I have found the various family history resources that include Church and Cemetery Registers on this site most helpful.

Just today on the AUS-NSW-HILLS-HAWKESBURY-HUNTER-VALLEY- Roostweb list Michelle Nichols announced
" We have recently transcribed a list of nearly 400 electors in the Electoral District of the Hawkesbury. The men nominated Richard William Piddington (1815-1887) to represent them in Parliament."

This list can be found in a collection at http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/lists/

If you have a connection with the Hawkesbury area this site is well worth a visit.

Hawkesbury City Council: Community services: Macquarie 2010 Bicentenary

Hawkesbury Council is gearing up for celebrations.

Hawkesbury City Council: Community services: Macquarie 2010 Bicentenary

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