May 2016newsletter no. 158

What’s Happening Next for our Society:

17th May – May is Volunteers month: Members have been asked to contribute to the evening.

21st June – Brick Wall night: Bring along you brick wall question or give us the answer to your brick wall puzzle for other members to benefit from the resources that you used.

19th July – VANISH: Our guest speaker will be Charlotte Smith from Victorian Adoption Network for Information and Self Help [VANISH]It is located in Melbourne with members in all parts of Australia. It is funded by the Victorian State Government through the Department of Health and Human Services. 

SERVICES are currently available to:

people affected by adoption (domestic and intercountry) - mothers, fathers, adopted persons, adoptive parents and family members of all these people. 

people affected by donor conception. Forgotten Australians - former wards of state, defacto adoptees and/or those who

were voluntarily placed in institutions or foster care in Victoria.

Disclaimer: The WFHS Inc. does not accept any responsibility for opinions or accuracy of information contained in this newsletter.Information is reproduced in this publication for educational purposes.

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Newsletter of the Wodonga Family History Society Inc.PO Box 289 Wodonga Vic 3689 www.wodongafamilyhistory.org

Email: secretary@wodongafamilyhistory.org

Published in February, May, August and November

ISSN 1327-3167

The Research Room is situated in the premises of the Upper Murray Regional Library in Hovell Street, Wodonga VIC. The opening hours for research are Tuesday & Wednesday from 11am to 3pm and Thursday from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

Our meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month [except December] at 7.30pm at the Felltimber Community Centre, cnr Felltimber Creek Road and Melrose Drive, Wodonga. Entry is via Ritter Road.

Research enquiries: If you wish our Research Officer to do research for you, please include a business sized, stamped, self addressed envelope with your enquiry details. The initial research cost is $20.00.Please include all the details you can: names, areas, dates, any births, deaths and marriage details you may have and what you want the Research Officer to find out. There is no point in paying for what you already know.

Membership Details

Membership of the Wodonga Family History Society Inc. includes the benefits of receiving a quarterly newsletter and allows access to all the resources of the Society’s library which is growing all the time. Your attendance at our monthly meetings will ensure that you have contact with our researchers who share your interest in family history.

Subscriptions: New Members Joining Fee $ 10.00Annual Membership $25.00Part Year Membership[join between 1st April & 30th June] $10.00 + joining fee

Membership fees are due and payable in July of each year.

Committee members

President Norma Burrows phone: 02 6024 1591Vice President Heather LauritzenTreasurer Sue Jarvis Secretary Wendy Cooksey phone: 02 6056 3220

Barbara Baxter Doreen Gibbs Lyn Larkin Bob Cousins Lynda CuperPat Hopkins Heather Lauritzen Dawn Newman Yvonne Wilson

Christine Young

We are updating our members' information and would like to include details of a person to contact in case of emergency.  The information required is "Person to contact and contact number".  Please

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Researchers please note that you cannot gain access to the Research Room until you have signed the attendance book at the front Desk – signature & membership number is required. If you are a visitor, your postcode and phone number will be required.Items cannot be returned through the Library after hour’s chute or to the Regional Library staff. They must be returned to the Research Rooms during the designated opening hours mentioned above.

forward these details to: secretary@wodongafamilyhistory.org, call Wendy on 02 6056 3220 or post to PO Box 289, Wodonga, 3689.President’s ReportWe have certainly experienced a hot summer. Autumn has now arrived and I am sure everyone is enjoying the warm days and cool nights. All we want is some rain. Our weather patterns are amazing – I read recently that in February 1853, when my great grandfather arrived in Australia, the weather in Melbourne was icy.

We have been busy publicising our club and raising money to support our research library. We were invited to participate in the Leneva Steam Rally. This was mainly for publicity. However, Warren came along with a truck load of plants and we raised over $300. Thanks again Warren. Next we attended an Expo at the Albury Library Museum where we displayed our CDs and DVDs. This was held at the same time the library held a display of convict information.Our next outing was the Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings. Once again it was a successful event – we raised over $600. Thank you to Yvonne for all her hard work in organising this day and to all the members who helped. It was great to see so many participating.

I would like to encourage you all to write an entry for our Bedella Writing Award. There are three sections – Novice 300-600 words, Intermediate 600-1200 and Open 1000-1500 words. Entries are due by 31st May. (As an example this report is just over 300 words)

Have you used the resources available at the library? There is so much information that is not available on the internet. As the advertisement for Ancestry says “come find me”. Library hours are changing from 1st June - Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11.00 am to 3.00 pm and Thursdays 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm.

Did you know there was a web site where the records of all those who served in World Wars 1 and 2 are available to view? The site is australiaremembers.net.au or just type in Anzac journals.

Once again we will be having a display in the windows on Coles wall in High Street in August. Our Publicity Officer has gone north for a few months so we are looking for some fresh ideas and helpers for this project. Contact Wendy if you can help.

I look forward to seeing you soon – at the library or at our next meeting.

Norma Burrows,President

Members’ stories The WFHS committee are always trying to encourage you, the members, to write short pieces for the newsletter.

The aim is to give you the confidence to keep writing short or longer pieces for yourself and your family to preserve and pass on your family’s history.

It would be great if you wanted to share those stories with fellow members via this newsletter.

They can be as short as 300 words [half a page, depending on the font you use] up to a page and a half [approx. 900 words].

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This website “The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust? may be useful for you and it is very easy to use: http://www.gmct.com.au/deceased-search.aspx

It’s time to write an article for the Bedella Writing Award Entries should be submitted no later than the end of May There are three categories:

o Novice – 300 to 600 wordso Intermediate – 600 to 1200 wordso Open – 1000 to 1500 words

Further information is available from members in the Research Room of the Wodonga Library or from any Committee member

Take your entry to a Committee member in the Research Room of the Wodonga Library

The winners will be announced at the August meeting

Good luck

**************************************Meeting Notes19th January – Bob Cousins started his Square One program and details were covered in our February newsletter. We also asked members to tell us what sort of information they were looking for so we might provide speakers/programmes to cover their needs.

16th February – Our guest speaker was Tony Stewart who has a studio in Tallangatta. He showed us how he can bring old photos back to life using a computer programme.

15th March – Our guest speaker was Michael Rumpff from the International Settlers Group, Melbourne. Michael spoke about his family who came from Germany and gave us insights into his research. Bob continued his back to “Square One” program and gave us homework for the next meeting – we had to find someone in our family tree that we didn’t think belonged there and prove it.

Welcome new membersWelcome to the following new members -Pam StewartLynn OswaldDorothy Schmidt

We look forward to seeing you at meetings. Great resources are available at the library in the Research Room and volunteers are there to help.

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To write on the back of a photo without  causing damage and without smudging, use a ZIG photo signature pen which is made by Kuretake Japan and can be purchased at Photo Supplies in Albury.  

Here is some information from Wendy Cooksey.

I found this on the Norfolk Rootsweb mailing list:

 Hi, I had this reply from GRO which is very interesting and useful. So I will cut and paste it in its entirety.  All births, deaths and marriages should be recorded with the local register office were the event occurred, this record will then be stored with us here at the GRO.

If the deceased is unknown it is usually the coroner that will register the death with the local office stating whatever information about the deceased they have. However it has been known that if the coroner has insufficient information then the death would not be registered.

If the deceased is unknown it will be entered on the death certificate as unknown. The coroner may then give an approx. age, the address as to where the death occurred and the cause of death.

This might be useful to someone and could explain a 170 year old ancestor or two!

Here is an article from Betty McGrath

“Border Morning Mail & Riverina Times” .Saturday, 12th October,1912. Page 5 THE BABY BONUS. FOUR BIRTHS— £20 FOR ALBURY YESTERDAY. The Baby Bonus, under the Maternity Allowances Act, which came into force throughout the Australian Commonwealth at midnight on Wednesday, is causing a great deal of interest in many family circles. Payments as stated in the 'Border Morning Mail' yesterday will be made in respect of births that occurred after midnight on Wednesday last (October 9), but claims will not be received until November 1, by which time the necessary forms and other machinery will be ready.At Nurse Dempsey's private hospital yesterday there were four births, for which the Federal Government is liable to pay £20. On Thursday there was also a birth at the same hospital, bringing the total claims to £25. The five infants comprise three boys and two girls. The parents of two of the children reside in Albury, while the others reside in Walbundrie, Allan's Flat, and Wodonga.

Here is some information from Sue Jarvis.

The Research Room has marine births recorded on the computer using Digger genealogy software which has copies of birth certificates that display the longitude and latitude of the exact place where a baby was born at sea. The previous records didn’t have this information.

Sue’s great great grandmother was supposed to have been born in Indonesia but data from Digger indicated that she was born, at sea, between South Africa and Australia.

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The Research Room has lots of information for overseas researchers in the International Settlers magazines.

The following article is submitted by Pat Hopkins following on from Bob Cousins Square One session about checking all variations of family names.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” - Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Sc IIAt the start of our recent meetings, Bob (Cousins) our Programme Officer, has encouraged us to look at the names of our ancestors, rather than just recording them. As many of our 17th and 18th Century family members had biblical names, Bob suggested that knowing what they mean may give us a better understanding of the family. For instance, male names in my family include Abiel (God is my father), Ebenezer (God is the rock of help), Hiram (exalted brother) and Ezekiel (strength of God). Girls were named Agnes (purity, chastity), Mahala (tenderness, barren), Rachel (innocent lamb), and Sarah (princess- wife of Abraham) but the ones I really like don’t need an explanation – Constance, Deliverance, Fortune, Mercy, Obedience, Patience, Peace, Relief and Submit …. but it does make you wonder why they were chosen. It might be timely to look at the tradition of naming patterns. The Scots appear to follow a fairly rigid system and looking at the pattern may help break down a brick wall. Other parts of Britain, such as England, Wales and Ireland, followed a similar pattern but not as closely as Scotland. Other European countries, such as Greece and Sweden, have their own, but similar, systems.The Scottish Tradition

Boys named:1st Son after the father’s father2nd Son after the mother’s father3rd Son after the father4th Son after the father’s eldest brother5th Son after the mother’s eldest brother

Girls named:1st Daughter after the mother’s mother2nd Daughter after the father’s mother3rd Daughter after the mother4th Daughter after the mother’s eldest sister5th Daughter after the father’s eldest sister

According to ScotlandsPeople although this pattern was not universally applied (some families adhered strictly, others “dabbled” and still others ignored it), it can still be helpful in determining the correct entry when confronting the relative lack of information in the OPRs. It can also give rise to great confusion when eight children of the same family in a small parish name their offspring according to convention! The use of traditional naming patterns gradually declined during the 19th century perhaps because the names available were rather limited. Another naming custom in Scotland during the middle 19th century was to use family surnames as a second name, particularly the mother’s surname e.g. Agnes Hope Laidlaw (Hope being her mother’s surname).The Scots also loved to shorten names or use nicknames. Ordinary ones, such as Tom for Thomas or Betsey for Elizabeth, are easily understood but some may be a challenge. Ina, for any girl’s name that has been made from a boy’s name e.g.

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Christina, Georgina; Polly for Mary; Tod/Dod for George; Sandy/Ecky for Alexander; Dolly for Dorothy; Daisy for Marguarite; Euphan or Effie for Euphemia; or Rab/Robbie for Robert. Today first names are likely to be referred to as Given names rather than Christian names. This titbit shows just how far we have moved from the strict naming patters.On the front page of the Age April 19, 2016, appeared this Odd Spot.“A British family court has ruled that a Welsh woman is not allowed to call her daughter Cyanide. Justice Eleanor King said: “It is hard to see how the twin girl could regard being named after this deadly poison as other than a complete rejection of her by her birth mother”.

Sources: http://www.cslib.org/nickname.htm http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

http://www.meaning-of-names.com/hebrew-names The Scots Link November 1994 p.6

Note: Various books in our Library deal with the meaning and usage of names.

PROJECTS - a report from Pat HopkinsNineteen! Yes, 19 CDs have been produced by our hard working Monday team. These have been made available to other interested family history researchers for a very small price. They have been sent, as required, to the National and Victorian State libraries. A marvellous achievement.I found relatives on one of the latest CDs. My mother’s uncles, Angus aged 7 and Alexander aged 9, and her aunt, Ellen aged under 7, were at the Rutherglen RC School in 1865 when the Inspector visited. The boys were recorded as McGlennan and Ellen (correctly) as McLennan. The difference may say something about their accents at the time or the poor handwriting of the teacher. It is our intention at a later date to record some of the other details in the Inspector’s report. He gives details about the state of the school - its location and buildings and of the teacher and the effectiveness of the teaching. We have to remember that this information dates to the very early days of schooling in Victoria and, in particular, to our area. The digitised copy of the Report is available on our computers.Currently, we are working on the Yackandandah Rates up to 1949 (available on microfiche), the Publican Licenses from the Wodonga Court books 1883-1923 and the Wodonga High School student records for 1963 when the school moved to its present site. A reminder that not all our work is available to the public. Records such as the Baptism, Marriage, some Confirmation and Burial records for the Wodonga Anglican church can be viewed at our Library. The Tawonga Cemetery headstones (2008), early 20th century (from 1906) burial records for Albury and burial records for Wodonga from 2010-2013 are also available there.We currently have a spot or two for anyone who would like to join our Monday group. We meet at 10am and finish at 3pm with lunch from 12noon to 1pm. As you can see from our record above, we do work but we also talk, have morning tea and learn about what’s happening in the genealogy/family history world. If you have the time and would like to join us come along and see what we do. You will be made very welcome.

4 new DVD’s/CD’s released in March

KIEWA CEMETERY (DVD)An introduction to the cemetery.  A plan of the cemetery and burial sites. Transcriptions of the Burial Register 1908-2015.  Photographs of headstones and of the cemetery.

THE ALBURY BORDER POST ALMANAC INDEX.  (CD)

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1877-1879. 1881-1893.  Transcribed by Noelle Oke, B.A. M.A. (La Trobe) for the Wodonga Family History Soc. Inc.

SANDY CREEK CEMETERY (CD)Cemetery Registers 1915-2015.  Transcriptions of headstones.  Photographs of the cemetery and headstones.

THEY WERE AT SCHOOL (CD)In 1861, 1863, 1864, and 1865, when Inspector G. W. Brown visited north east Victorian schools

ALL DVDs and CDs are Word and Excel compatible.Cost:

$25 each DVD plus P&P $20 each CD + P&P

P&P: $5 for 1 or 2 DVDs/CDs $10 for 3 or 4 DVDs/CDs

Square One

Bob Cousins gave a talk about checking all information on BDM certificates for accuracy. Never take the information on face value. Try to find other records that will help to verify the information provided.

Here are 10 rules of genealogy:1. You should always work backwards from yourself to your unknown ancestors - if you don't do this you may find that you end up researching the wrong family because you have assumed a relationship which doesn't exist.

2. Remember that not everything on a birth, death or marriage certificate may be the truth - certificates are only the details informants gave and they may not have known the correct information. For example, one of my great grandfathers was illegitimate and he had listed his own grandparents on his wedding certificate, not his mother which confused me until I obtained his birth certificate which revealed the illegitimacy.

3. You need to remember that the spelling of place names, given names and surnames will have varied over time as not everyone could read and write. European names, for example, may have been Anglicised to make them easier to use.

4. This rule follows on from the third in that you need to check all spelling variants when looking up indexes or researching other resources. For example, one of my families is Johnston but I have found it also spelt Johnson and Johnstone which means I search all three variants every time I look something up on that family.

5. This supplements the previous rules in that you should always have at least two, preferably three, separate sources of proof for each event so that you can work out what is the correct information.

6. Remember that everything is only speculation until you have verified it with at least two separate pieces of information. You should clearly show what speculation is and not yet proved, so that others are not misled by your research.

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7. It is a good idea to photocopy onto archival paper all original certificates and other important documents so that you have a backup copy stored elsewhere in the event of an accident or disaster. Many researchers automatically back up their genealogy software but neglect, or forget, about doing paper backups as well.

8. If a document exists, read it. This might sound obvious, but it is surprising what people can miss when looking at documents. Every word should be examined and things like witnesses to marriages, wills, beneficiaries, references to land holdings or other clues are often overlooked. I find it useful to do timelines and plot events and places so that I know who is where and when. Sometimes it is worth rereading a document as new knowledge may make it more meaningful or new resources have become available for research.

9. Join at least one genealogical or family history group either near where you live or where your ancestors lived. To me this should almost be the first rule because there are so many advantages to being part of a society and sharing knowledge and resources. Over the years, I have been a member of many different societies both in Australia and overseas and even now, after 33 years of doing family history research, I am still a member of four societies and have informal connections with many others.

10. The final rule is to share your information and copies of documents with others researching the same families or locations. It is reasonable to ask for any copying expenses to be paid or there may be an exchange of information on both sides. Most people are happy to share when they find other family members, even long distant cousins.

RECORDS FOR SALE

CD and DVD RECORDS FOR SALEThese Records have been produced by the Wodonga Family History Society Inc. and may be purchased by contacting the Secretary at PO Box 289 Wodonga VIC 3690 or by email at secretary@wodongafamilyhistory.orgPlease Note: a full list of all our Records can be found on our website.Barnawartha Cemetery (DVD) contains copies of the original registers as well as photographs and transcriptions of the cemetery records and headstones.

$25.00 + p&p

Bethanga Cemetery (DVD) Includes Burial Register, Sextant’s Records, Headstone Inscriptions and Photographs of the Cemetery and Headstones

$25.00 + p&p

Bethanga Land Claims Records (DVD) contains a digitised copy of the original Register and transcriptions of the Register entries. Some loose certificates found in the Register have been included.

$25.00 + p&p

Courts of Petty Sessions (CD) Transcriptions of original records for convictions in the North East. (Bright 1890-1967; Milawa 1910-1915; Mitta Mitta 1928-1964; Rutherglen 1895-1948; Tallangatta 1892-1965; Walwa 1922-1965).

$20.00 + p&p

Mitta Mitta Cemetery (DVD) Cemetery photographs and headstone transcriptions to 2010.

$25 + p&p

‘Out of the Box’ (CD) A compilation of early residents from our local region obtained from records over many years. A valuable resource for family historians with a connection to the local area as it contains

$20 +p&p

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information relating to over 800 families.Pupil Registers (CD) for some Schools in the Indigo shire close to Wodonga. (Baranduda 1903; Carlyle 1925-1952; Cornishtown 1865-1955;Dederang North 1914-1953; Lake Moodemere 1907-1952; Gundowring 1910-1952; Lockhart’s Creek 1906-1941; Prentice Freehold 1913-1950; Red Bluff 1910-1952; Tallandoon 1902-1971; Tangambalanga 1912-1952; Upper Gundowring 1910-1952; Kiewa Consolidated (1953-1983)

$20.00 + p&p

Talgarno Cemetery (CD) includes Headstone transcriptions, transcriptions of the Cemetery Register and photographs of the cemetery and headstones.

$20.00 + p&p

Tallangatta Cemetery (DVD) contains photographs of the cemetery and headstones and transcriptions of the burial register and headstones.

$25.00 + p&p

Wodonga Monumental Inscriptions up to and including 2007 (CD)Wodonga Burial Registers: 1 June 1861-Dec 1937 and 1938-2004.(Many internments were not recorded from 1861-1871). A Plan of the Cemetery is included.

$35.00 each + p&p OR$65.00 for the 2 sets + p&p

Wodonga Rates 1900-1948 (1938-1941 are not available) $35.00 + p&pYackandandah Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions (CD) $35.00 + p&pYackandandah Shire Rates 1875-1878 and 1884-1891 (CD) $20.00 + p&pYabba Cemetery (CD) Headstone Transcriptions and Photographs $20.00 + p&pNote: Additional cost for p&p - $5.00 for 1 or 2 CDs and/or DVDs. $10.00 for 3 or 4 CDs and/or DVDs unless otherwise stated.All CDs and DVDs are Word and Excel compatible.There are times when you discover something new. Perhaps you would like to share that information with the other members of our club. Send your titbits to our Editor Christine, with WFHS Newsletter in the Subject, at chrisyou@bigpond.net.au

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WODONGA FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Inc.

PO Box 289, WODONGA 3689

Wodonga Family History Society Inc., PO Box 289, Wodonga, VIC, 3689

The Wodonga Family History Society would like to thank Officeworks Wodonga for its support.

Officeworks is a great store with many services and products available for family historians.

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