Category Archives: graves

What I’ve Learnt as a Taphophile.

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A what, I hear you ask? Put simply, a taphophile is someone who takes a keen interest in visiting cemeteries, looking at gravestones, who spends time recording epitaphs and taking photos. As a relatively new family historian of just over 5 years I have definitely become an avid taphophile visiting close to 40 cemeteries so far here and overseas in an effort to trace family, husband in tow to take photos, hold back long grass so I could record details … Continue reading

From the archives: Tombstones

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The following article first appeared in Generation, Vol 3, No 2 in December 1980, by EN Jacke, Cranbrook, North Queensland. The grave of FRANCIS JOHN EARL is the oldest marked existing grave in North Queensland, north of Bowen. The grave together with two others is thankfully well hidden at the base of the ranges, west of Townsville, and thus has escaped the attentions of the weekend marksman and the yahoo trail bike rider! Francis John Earl’s death was the seventh … Continue reading

Genealogy Found Me

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“This reads well”, she said and I felt I should fill the ensuing pause with an intelligent, perhaps even witty, comment.  “Let’s do it”, I replied.  Okay, not really intelligent or even witty, but as a result I found myself sailing with my mother and 140 others, along the Rhine and Danube Rivers, through Eastern Europe recently.  While the focus of this journey was not my family history, there were several experiences, genealogical by nature, that I very much want … Continue reading