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From: "Paul Barr" <>
Subject: HISTORY OF AREAS - CATHERINE HILL BAY / CAMS WHARF / NORDS WHARF inc CAM, REES (REECE), SHARP(E) FAMILIES . (ADDITION TO ORIGINAL POST)
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 17:43:11 +1000


Hello Everyone,

Let me introduce myself by giving a little information about my family - 'what I know about it that is', and where I'm trying to get to with all of this!

My name is Paul Barr and I reside in Newcastle (NSW AUSTRALIA). I've only recently lost my mum as well as my only siblings - both tragically and to unnatural circumstances within the last three years. The relevance of this you might ask! Well while I have my own family now, I'm feeling a bit like an orphan, but if anything has come out of this loss, it is the 'stamina' and 'ambition' to 'get to know' my true family roots, and my ancestors that have now long gone. For not only am I doing this for myself, but for my lost brothers, my mum who was misled for 78 years as to who her grandparents were, for my children to reflect upon, and for their children to come ..

Firstly I should like to mention most of the activity surrounding the persons I am seeking information on, is centred around the 'Catherine Hill Bay' and 'Cam's Wharf' (areas of Lake Macquarie (NSW)), and occurred between the very mid 1800's and up until around 1915-1920's (and ) mind you as you'll soon see, 'a lot happened in the 'Cams Wharf' area 'within those years!'

So this is where I need some help ..

1/ My great grandmother's maiden name was 'Anne Rees' - although I know 'nothing' of her parents. In a book titled 'Lord of the Manor' , which depicts the lives and times of some of the early pioneers and settlers within Catherine Hill Bay and Nord's Wharf, an 'Aaron Rees' was made mention of. Aaron Rees purchased some land around the 1850's - 1860's, for which 'Reeces Wharf' was soon to be named after. While I know as much about Aaron as I do about Anne (i.e.: 'nothing'), I am very interested in trying to establish if there may indeed have been some 'family' connection between Anne and Aaron.

At this point in time, let me pause to say that my research is mainly to do with 'Anne' and 'Aaron's' name comes up just in passing. However as you read on, a clearer picture will form laying grounds to why I believe Anne and Aaron may yet have been related!

You see, this particular 'Anne Rees', once married a 'Duncan Sharp' at Newcastle in 1866. Between 1867 & 1874, Anne and Duncan had three children. Duncan Jnr (b:1867), Hannah (b:1870) and Mary (b:1874). However there then occurred what now call the black hole. For sometime after the birth of Mary, 'something' happened between Anne and Duncan's relationship to which their appears to be no record. I know this because mysteriously in 1880, this very same 'Anne' gave birth to first of five children to a 'Samuel Cam' of Catherine Hill Bay. I do know that from 'reliable family sources' that this 'is' the same Anne and both the surnames 'Sharp' and 'Cam' ring bells in our family. In fact some of my aunts and uncles, - 'grandchildren' of Samuel and Anne, were led to believe that their grandmother's maiden name was 'Sharp' yet others told it was 'Cam' - gee didn't I have fun when the funeral director attending to mum's funeral asked me what my grandmother's maiden name was (I might !
as well have have flipped a coin ... lol). I can tell you all that 'Samuel Cam' - interestingly enough, was also a former land holder in the area at the time. Samuel Cam purchased 80 acres adjacent to guess who ?? "Aaron Rees'. Cam subsequently established a farming enterprise that provided livelihood for both his family and the nearby mining community of Wallarah Colliery.

Personally, I suspect that Anne may have originally grown roots in the area as a girl, and may have been part of the Aaron Rees family. I tend to wonder if maybe later on in life she moved from the area and married Duncan only to 'leave' him later on in life, move back to Catherine Hill Bay and marry Samuel (well have children to him anyway !!!!!!)

Naturally what has me completely stumped here is that I cannot find any record of separation between Anne and her husband Duncan, let alone a later record of a marriage between Anne and Samuel many years later ( ... more twists here than 'Days Of Our Lives'). I do believe divorces were difficult to come by in that era, and 'well', not everyone chose to get married. But what are my other options of finding out more when my own aunts and uncles don't know who they are ...

Having some clarity on all of this would no doubt provide me with some form of link between Anne (my grandmother) and her parents and therefore form yet another leaf on our tree ...

2/ Samuel P(almer) Cam, father to the above mentioned Samuel and therefore my (gg grandfather), was a surgeon who also lived in the area. During what period he was practicing I'm not sure. I know that he was born in 1842 and that his wife's name was Matilda. I know that Samuel Palmer Cam was involved in the establishment of the first provisional school at Nord's Wharf which operated between September and December 1901, before later becoming Nord's Wharf school.

Again I would be very interested in knowing if anybody has any further information on Samuel Palmer Cam, especially information on his land dealings. Is there anyway I can check if he had a will and how I can access a copy of it ???

Samuel and Anne lost an infant son 'Samuel C(harles) Cam' soon after he was born in 1886. In 1893, Samuel Palmer Cam 'the then retired doctor' died (an 'reliable' and elderly niece of mum's once overheard 'as a child' that Samuel Palmer may have hung himself from a tree which apparently still stands at the water's edge. Then in 1898, Samuel Cam (husband of Anne), grabbed a shotgun and as the locals put it - quote "blew his head off". It was said that he had been ailing and despondent for some time'

... whew, forget about 'Days Of Our Lives' this would have made a brilliant plot for a future episode of 'Monk'!

Any way, so much for my short story. I think I'm going to need Agatha Christie to help me out here.

Seriously though folks, if anybody has any information at all on the above families or are seeking 'same' then I would of course love to hear from you and would love to trade tales ..

Warmest Regards
Paul Barr


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