Anyone else into seeking their ancestors?

[darksideofthemoon]

I have become adicted to Ancestry.com and am lucky enough that one side of my family can be researched way back into the dim times.

The other side has hit a brick wall and I have to wait until someone else in the world may have more information.

How is everyone else going?

[punch*drunk]

Gees, go away for a couple of weeks and I come back to these terrible new boards! I guess we'll get used to them.

Found this website the other day. Large range of portraits from Castlemaine area and surrounds. Only surnames attahed to them unfortunately. I think a couple may be mine, but impossible to tell really.

http://verey.com.au/catalogue/

I think theres several thousand photographs there, you just search by surname.

[flashie*]

Australian History

Thursday, July 11, 1974. :  

 Australian Prime Minister Whitlam appoints the man who would later dismiss him, Sir John Kerr, as Governor-General.

     Edward Gough Whitlam became the 21st Prime Minister of Australia on 2 December 1972 in the first ALP electoral victory since 1946. The Whitlam government embarked on a massive legislative social reform program which was forward-thinking and progressive in many ways. On 11 July 1974, Whitlam appointed Sir John Kerr, Chief Justice of New South Wales, as the Governor-General of Australia, succeeding Sir Paul Hasluck. Kerr had joined the Australian Labor Party in 1948 but became somewhat disillusioned with party politics following the Labor split in 1955. When Whitlam appointed Kerr he did not know that Kerr's political views had changed and that he had come to see the role of Governor-General differently from Whitlam.

By 1975 the office of Governor-General had come to be regarded by many as ceremonial and politically unimportant. Although the Australian Constitution gave the Governor-General wide-ranging powers, including the power to appoint and dismiss Ministers and to dissolve Parliament, Whitlam and others held the view that the Governor-General's exercise of these powers must always be done on the advice of the Prime Minister. Kerr disagreed with this view, arguing the Constitution very clearly set out the Governor-General's powers.

The Governor-General's powers were very clearly put to the test in 1975. Whilst initially popular, the fast pace of Whitlam's reforms engendered caution amongst the electorate, and the economy was beset by high inflation combined with economic stagnation. The opposition Liberal-National Country Party coalition held a majority in the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. In an unprecedented move, the Senate deferred voting on bills that appropriated funds for government expenditure, attempting to force the Prime Minister to dissolve the House of Representatives and call an election. The Whitlam government ignored the warnings and sought alternative means of appropriating the funds it needed to repay huge debts. With Whitlam unable to secure the necessary funds, Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Whitlam as Prime Minister on 11 November 1975, and appointed Liberal opposition leader Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister. This was done on the condition that Fraser would seek a dissolution of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, thus precipitating a general election.

This date is another milestone for former Prime Minister Edward 'Gough' Whitlam: he was born on 11 July 1916.

[flashie*]

Thursday, July 15, 1869. :   

Margarine is patented in Paris.

     In the 1860s Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France offered a prize to the maker of a suitable substitute for butter, for use by the military and the lower classes. The contest was won by French chemist Hippolyte Mège Mouriés. The primary component of the product was tallow, but the formula included a fatty component that, when mixed, had a pearly lustre. Thus, the product was named after the Greek word for pearl - margaritari. The product was patented on 15 July 1869.

[flashie*]

Do you think we should keep this thread going.........or is it time to let it drop away?

[green.fields]

Hard to say.

I guess it's only you, myself and a handful of others that call by from time to time to check out anything new and share if we find anything interesting or to ask questions.

I belong to a number of other groups and find most my info there these days. However a few here have helped each other in various ways and that is good. I'd say don't bump it for the sake of bumping. We know how to find it if we need to ask any questions or ask for help here.

Entirely up to you.

[punch*drunk]

Is anyone else subscribed to this thread? I am and I'm not getting notifications any more. I reset them when the board changed, but they're not sending me emails.....hate the new setup!!!

I went to the Police Museum in Melbourne last week, was very interesting. I asked them to do some research on my great grandfather and I got this email this morning.

Your request for information relating to your Great Grandfather Thomas KIRKHAM 2986 has been completed.

Copy of his Original Index Card showing his dates of service have been located and scanned.

Pages from his Record Conduct & Service Sheet have been printed along with an image from our CARTE DE VISITE Collection.

The above images are of the 10 men involved in the Kelly Hunt wearing plain clothes which includes Thomas KIRKHAM.

We have two copies of the CDV and both have been printed with all documents & images burnt to CD.

This material is being sent in today's mail which should provide a greater insight into his policing career.

A reference book regarding Kelly Hunt ( Ned Kelly Encyclopaedia by Justin Corfield) contains an item re Thomas KIRKHAM which has been copied and included in package.

Cant wait to get the information and in particular the photos. They actually had a photo on display with some of the police and black trackers at Glenrowan, I'm pretty sure he was in that too. Will post it later.

[punch*drunk]

I have also stumbled across the court transcrpt for my great grandfathers bigamy case (the above policemans son), its quite an interesting read. They sentenced him to 12 months hard labour but then let him off with a 10 pound bond, lol.

[green.fields]

That's excellent Punch.

no I don't subscibe to this thread just look for it when I come to the boards.

[2chappies]

I subscribed to this thread but don't get the notifications since the changes to the boards. I do come here most days to catch up on anything on the thread though.

I think every time someone here has questioned the viability of keeping it going along comes someone with a question or seeking help.  I agree to just leave it going without bumping but flashie's historical items are a great read.

Punch, how interesting about your great-grandfather.  I reckon he got off lightly.

Did you know that you can get 'instant' digital copies of original 'historical' QLD BDM's for $20 now. 

[punch*drunk]

My great, great grandfather at Glenrowan. These are all policemen in plain clothes after the siege. He is second from left, behind the one that is kneeling.