Yearly Archives: 2023

The Sinking of the Sovereign: a family tragedy

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‘Mary, there is no hope for us now; we shall go to heaven together.’ These were the last words Robert Gore spoke to his wife, Mary, before they and their two young children drowned when the Sovereign, the steamer on which they were travelling to Sydney, sank off Stradbroke Island in March 1847.  Robert Gore was my great, great uncle and he and his wife, Mary, and two brothers and his widowed mother arrived in Sydney from Ireland on the … Continue reading

Thomas Muir and his Three Wives.

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My great-great-grandfather Thomas Muir married three times, and I am unclear what this says of his character. I have no image of him as he was born in Inverness, Scotland, in 1806.[1] Photography did not exist for most of his life, and he and his family were too poor for a portrait or sketch. I picture Thomas as of medium height, with grey hair and a beard. My long research of the Muir family helped me visualise Thomas from my … Continue reading

The Extraordinary Life of Uncle Billy.

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Anzac Day approached and I started to reflect on my military ancestors. Last year I presented Uncle Jack’s story of his service at Gallipoli. This year I want to honour another uncle, who served in the First World war.  His, was an extraordinary life and the more I learn about him, the more I respect and admire him. Allow me to introduce you to William Wright, MM, alias Harold Harvey and affectionately known to the family as Uncle Billy. I … Continue reading

An Irish Lass: Catherine Hawe/Howe (1802- 1862).

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This woman’s story started my passion for writing about my family history. I don’t know what her character was like before she was sent out to Australia, but I think she was or became a strong resourceful woman who cared about her family and community. In a strange twist, DNA testing to enhance my family history information, found out that I was not biologically related to her. Nevertheless, I think her story is indicative of many pioneer women whose struggle … Continue reading

Defining Experiences

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We all have experiences that change our view of the world from migration to family moments. While acknowledging the impact of marrying and having children, and grandchildren, as lasting defining experiences, today I thought I’d look at external factors that significantly impacted my world view. Post-War Migration In primary school I attended a small near-inner city suburban Catholic school. Each class was small and we were all taught by nuns. In the early years of primary, our suburb had an … Continue reading