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Archiver > AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS > 2003-02 > 1044136731


From: "Tom Woolman" <>
Subject: Re: Stawell History Report
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 08:58:51 +1100


Hi again Dona,
Your further comment encourages me to correct a comment I replied to you on
29/1. When I wrote "The train line didn't reach Stawell until 14 April 1876,
so any honeymoon departure would have been on horseback", I meant to write
"horse powered." Much intrusive domestic activity happening around me as I
wrote!

I'm sorry you haven't got the "local colour" you want. It's also a problem
for the family stories I'm creating, but I'm uneasily crossing the bridge
from known family facts and handed down stories, identified as such, with
contradictions from various descendants noted, to including bits of local
community information as reported in the newspapers. Of course, my ancestors
and their children may not have been the slightest bit interested, or even
aware of what was reported, so it is an uneasy amalgam. My view is that
family history is a worthwhile hobby if it gives a flavour of the times,
records family information likely to be otherwise lost, and maybe even
elicits further information from other family members who read it and do the
"oh yes, now Uncle XXXX told me this about that point" thing. Certainly it's
made me see that I'm descended from a widely varying bunch, and that various
family members have quite different memories of and views on the same person
or event!

Presumably the Stawell newspaper of the time, if it's survived, didn't
contain much on the local Show of 1874. Depending on how far you want to
compromise, I guess the next best thing is Stawell shows from other years or
other local shows from that year. Part of the problem of getting that
information is that local history groups usually don't have [newspaper]
microfilm readers which also print out, and it's a bit of a tall order to
ask people to hand transcribe newspaper reports. However, if you want to
try for "other Shows" information, I can make some suggestions. It depends
on your beliefs on how similar Shows from other times and places can be the
source of "local colour for Stawell for 1874"!

Best wishes,
Tom

>From:
>To:
>Subject: Stawell History Report
>Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 15:25:33 EST
>
>Greetings:
>
>Am working with Wendy Melbourne at the Stawell Historical Society.
>Although I did not get the "local color" I was looking for, what she
>did find was several references to the McGUINNESS family,
>including the marriage date of Henry's sister, Eliza, with John
>POTTER and the eight children who resulted from that union.
>Anyone a POTTER?
>
>Every little bit helps.
>
>Dona Morgan Kerns from California
>
>Cheers,
>
>
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