ONCE A SOLDIER Amidst speculation that Britain may soon be immersed in war, The Suffolk with its cargo of hopeful families made its escape from London on 1 July 1914. The leaving was no doubt one of mixed and shifting emotions, with many wondering and worrying about Britain’s options and whether their country would soon be at involved in the conflict. Others would have been more concerned with what they would encounter in the new country to which they headed. … Continue reading
Readers may recall I introduced my grandfather Len in my story of 14 November, this is a continuation of Len’s tale after he returned from World War One. In 2014, I came across a website called Adopt a Digger, a centenary project to map returned soldiers from the Sunshine Coast area, particularly those who had taken up land at the Beerburrum Soldier Settlement.[1] Here I also discovered a photograph of my grandfather. It was taken at the camp in Enoggera … Continue reading
When I started my family history search into my father’s family, all I had was mum’s recollections and a handwritten copy of my grandparent’s marriage certificate.[1] My grandfather, Leonard Tunny (Len) said he was a farmer from Beerburrum, born in Cunnamulla and 29 years old when he married the 19-year-old Elizabeth Leitch Robertson (Lizzie) at the ‘residence of the bride’s parents’ on 20 September 1920 in Beerburrum, Queensland. I knew where Beerburrum was, it is a small town nestled under … Continue reading
