Tracing Family Branches

Kevin David Battye was born in 1933 the son of Leo Francis Battye and his wife Stella Jane Christina (nee Worldon).  Kevin was the sixth child of Leo and Stella's sixteen children.  While on a recreational trip to Burrinjuck Dam in 1956 he drowned after a boating accident.  My connection to him is that he is my Great Uncle. Source: Three Drown At Week-end. (1956, February 20). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved December 19, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138119328 NSW BDM Death Index 5562/1956 BATTYE KEVIN DAVID LEO FRANCIS STELLA JANE YASS  

My Great Grandmother Ada Louisa Stevens (nee Jones) with unknown child.  Unfortunately those who could tell me more about the photograph have all gone and nobody wrote the information down for future generations.

Sarah Maria Jeffery was born in 1890 the daughter of William Jeffery and his wife Annora Elizabeth (Annie) nee Bell.  My connection with her is that she is my second cousin three times removed.  Sarah was tragically burnt in an accident at home on the 30th November 1898, her mother also suffered severe burns to her hands when putting out the flames.  With no doctor locally, Sarah was transported by train to Goulburn for medical attention.  The doctor thought it unlikely she would survive and the little girl was kept at her grandmothers house in Goulburn until the following Monday when the doctor ordered her hospital admission. Sarah died as a result of burns accidentally received on the 7th December 1898 in Goulburn. Source: Burning Accident. (1898, December 1). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 2. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98669465 Transcript: Burning Accident. THE eldest daughter of Mr. ...

With Christmas rapidly approaching I thought I would find something to do with the Christmas theme for this weeks Trove Tuesday post. I don't know what today's children would make of Santa Claus using a dray drawn by bullocks adorned with fragrant blossoms on Christmas Eve, instead of a flying sleigh with reindeer!  It is an interesting mental image to say the least. Source: Santa Claus in New South Wales. (1881, December 24). Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1853 - 1872), p. 3. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64974829 Transcript: Santa Claus in New South Wales. (See page 13.) And why not?  Why should not Santa Claus be as welcome in Australia as in the old world!  Colonial children are as fond of toys and as deserving of them as are those upon whom big-hearted, good-natured, ever-loving Santa Claus bestows his welcome favours in Europe and America.  Already crowds of little ones in this land of sunshine and flower...

I love this old photograph of my grandfather Roy Thomas Stevens.  Grandy always had a cigarette with him and loved animals, especially dogs.  He always felt the cold too and would wear multiple layers to try and keep warm!  This photograph would have been taken in the 1940's around Jugiong.  

I have currently been given a box of old family photographs to scan by one of my Aunts and am having a wonderful time doing so.  There are so many memories, stories and questions that old photographs stir up! In the process of scanning these photographs I have discovered new facts, been left with a lot of questions that I will probably never find out the answers to and taken a long happy/sad walk down memory lane.  I have reached out and shared these precious family treasures with extended family members and will provide each of them with digital copies of our shared family history, as they are a part of all of our life stories.  Photographs and family documents are real family treasures and I feel very privileged to be able to copy and share these particular ones with my surviving and hopefully future relatives.  Modern technology has made copying and sharing these family history resources so much easier and it provides us with a wonderful opportunities to preserve ...

My Great Grandfather John Joseph Donnelly and Grandfather Mervyn James Phillip Donnelly were remembered in this Memorium Notice placed in the Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate newspaper by my Great Grandmother Bridget Anastasia Donnelly (nee Lambert) in 1945.   Source: Family Notices. (1945, February 5). Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , p. 2. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135000136 Transcript: DONNELLY. - In memory of our dear husband and father, John Joseph, late headmaster Education Department, passed away February 5, 1942 ; also our dear son and brother, Mervyn James, passed away January 22, 1943. Sacred heart of Jesus, mercy. We will not weep, though on the deep. Our memory, a flag rides half-mast high. Inserted by their sorrowing wife and mother, son and brother, B.A. and A.C.1. R.A.A.F., Frederick Joseph Donnelly. NSW BDM Death Index 3183/1942 DONNELLY JOHN...