Amelia’s Story

Posted on by September 25, 2017

No review of the business and industrial activities of Wynnum and district would be complete which did not include Irvine’s, with their large emporium on the corner of Bay Terrace and Charlotte Street. They have been active in Wynnum Central for over half a century, and indeed their name has become inseparable from that of the district. Their contribution to the growth and development of this centre can be gauged in some measure from their own extraordinary expansion and steady … Continue reading

The Tale of a Bridge

Posted on by September 17, 2017

Driving into Gympie along Brisbane Road, you cross over Pengelly’s Bridge. This bridge with its predecessors makes for a fascinating tale. When I was nine my family moved to a property of four acres, bordered on two sides by Deep Creek, and then fronted the main road which went over Pengelly’s bridge as it is now. However, on the north-eastern corner of the property bordered by Deep Creek were the remains of previous bridges. This was always a fascination for … Continue reading

Remembering my dad

Posted on by September 11, 2017

My dad, Joe, was born in September 1921 in South Derbyshire in England and would have been 96 years old this month. The only son of Arthur Stirland and Lizzie Kinston he had an older sister as well as a younger sister. His death in 1987 was what prompted me to start researching my family history. I became aware at his funeral that all the relatives I remembered from my childhood had passed away. Who were they? I started to research the … Continue reading

The two births of John Cameron

Posted on by September 3, 2017

It can be extremely frustrating to know something about an ancestor but not have the evidence to back it up. When it comes to serious genealogical discussion a statement like “Oh everyone knew they came from Tasmania” just will not do. So when you do locate a record that apparently justifies the claim, there are grounds for rejoicing. But it takes the edge off your excitement to find a second record (from the same source) that apparently contradicts the first. … Continue reading

Francis Jack Needham – life in India

Posted on by August 28, 2017

What makes people interested in genealogy and family history? Do they want to find out where they came from and what sort of lives their ancestors lived? Are they interested in where their ancestors fitted into Australian or local history? Or is there some artefact which has been passed down through generations of their family which sparks the initial interest and makes them want to find out more about its owner? Personally I find that a name, an address on … Continue reading