A recent trip to Tasmania led me to discover a new chapter in the life of William Wall, an 18-year-old groomsman, who was transported to Van Diemen’s Land in 1835. After gaining his freedom in 1840, marrying Mary Long in 1841, William tried tenant farming for the Van Diemen’s Land Company in Emu Bay at a place called Pigeon Hill. Six years later, the Walls left the colony, heading to Port Philip in what was still New South Wales. William … Continue reading
I’ve always believed that the journey of researching and writing about family history is just as important as the destination, but the research will often take us along unexpected paths. Uniting the current generation with earlier generations about a forgotten past is a worthy undertaking, but the project is often complex and can take a long time. Recently I came across a book, Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History by Margaret Juhae Lee. Margaret, the author, researched her family’s history … Continue reading
Another year turns over and a question nibbles away in the back of my mind, like mice hidden in the interior walls of a house, sneaking the odd bit of cheese when you least expect it. On the floor in my studio tucked away in the garden sit three plastic crates, a transparent shade of white as plastic crates commonly are, revealing the edges of old newspaper cuttings, letters, photo albums, and photocopies of records passed down by distant cousins … Continue reading
