'Tis the season for Genealogy

Family history volunteers are taking a well earned break over Christmas. They will be back on board, mid January. In the mean time if you are still keen to do your family history, you can always come in and access the free databases, Ancestry and Find My Past in the Library. All our other resources are available as well.

The City of Playford Heritage services wishes you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year. 

The Twelve Days of Christmas
(Genealogy Style)

On the ... day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Twelve BDM records

Eleven newspaper references

Ten census entries

Nine causes of death

Eight passenger lists

Seven cemetery records
Six family contacts
Five family photographs
Four brick wall breakdowns
Three land records
Two Pedigree charts
And a branch in my family tree

TROVE Tuesday

VIRGINIA

From our own Correspondent

Virginia January 3.

Christmas and New Year's Day were observed here as general holidays. Although it was very hot and blowing clouds of dust, a great number betook themselves to Port Gawler and St. Kilda.

Various sports were carried on, such as cricket and horse-racing. A number of accidents happened at the last named sport, owing to the course not being kept cleared. Many of our farmers have finished reaping. The weather, although very hot, is all that can be wished for. There are some splendid crops in this district. Some are getting from 20 to 30 bushels per acre: but I think it will average about 16 bushels per acre. A great quantity of wheat is being carted in; but I believe principally for storage. 

 

SA Register 4 January 1867 

No longer tree-less plain

In the early stages of the City, Henry Smith in humorous manner pointed out to me six small pine trees he had planted an in reply to my query suggested we would need many to eradicate the name of “tree-less plain”. This was put to management and it was agreed a section should be formed. The Trust was most fortunate to obtain the services of John Dwight, who was second in charge at the Botanical Gardens. He formed a most successful section, which included a nursery for trees and shrubs. Local nurseries could not provide the number of plants needed. The nursery propagated approx. 20 to 30 thousand trees or shrubs per year. He wrote a book giving all details of the plants and these were given to all people occupying Trust houses, they made their choice and 6 plants were delivered to each house. As to be expected, trees were also provided for streets, reserves etc. The first nursery was at Elizabeth then at Marden as the demand increased to other Trust areas.

 

Ted Bowden Oral history interview 1996

TROVE Tuesday

PEACHEY BELT.

From our own Correspondent

Peachey Belt, December 28.

Yesterday, being Christmas Day, there was a general cessation of harvest operations. From early morn till late in the evening vehicles of all kinds were passing to and from St. Kilda being the favourite rendezvous of the pleasure seekers from Salisbury, Virginia, Penfield, and the sur rounding neighbourhood. The vast concourse of people that located themselves on the beach during the day fully showed that St Kilda, as a watering place, is not a whit behind other places of the kind in the colony. Convenient and well shaded bathing-places for both sexes a comfort able distance on either side of the promenade, ample room for cricket, dancing, racing &c, on the beach, afforded abundant opportunity for all to enjoy themselves according to their several tastes.

 

SA Register 29 December 1863

Charley's War

 

I have been trying to expand my normal reading range and have recently picked up a few graphic novels.  Not really considering them as 'real books', I hadn't paid much attention to them.  Until now that is. 

I picked up the book "Charley's war", a  British comic war story. The script was written by Pat Mills with artwork by Joe Colquhoun. It started in early 1979 and revolved around the exploits of Charley Bourne; a 16-year-old idealistic kid who lies about his age and joins the army as it swelled with volunteers, ready for the “Big Push” of summer 1916 (the debacle better known as the Battle of the Somme).

I contains such detail, both graphically and literally that I think I have learnt more about what war may have been like through this book. The book shows the mud, the fear of the soldiers, their anger and disappointment and the realism of the cost of war.  You can imagine them speaking with their British and German accents using there colloquial words.   

I have since discovered that Charley's war is not a one off novel but there are nine books, that take you into WWII.  I will be putting them all on hold now.  Maybe graphic novels are a great way to bring history to life for some people.

You can learn more about the series here http://charleyswar.sevenpennynightmare.co.uk/

TROVE Tuesday

ANGLE VALE, January 3

 

After a few fine days rain set in again on Thuraday, and continued at intervals till last night. A great deal of damage will be done to the hay, especially to the unfinished stacks, and farmers who were getting their reapers to work again after the Christmas holidays will be again delayed for some time.

 

SA Register 8 January 1895

History transforms itself into art

Michelle Mitolo, from Playford Council, with one of the posters at
Davoren Park shops, showing the centre on a busy day half a century ago.

I love when history transforms itself into art on public display.  Earlier this year History SA commissioned artist, Peter Drew to paste up some of their images from the glass negative collection around the streets of Adelaide. People looked at giant historic photographs pasted on the outside of buildings.  People stared at history in the face.

Recently the Playford Council celebrated Peachey Belts 50th year.  Part of this celebration is a Photographic Paste Up Art Exhibition.  A selection of photographs depicting life in the Peachey Belt in the 1950’s and 60’s are being displayed around Davoren Park as part of the Peachey Belt 50th Birthday celebrations.

To view some of the images, click on the Facebook link.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.395476287199684.95226.322406691173311&type=1

TROVE Tuesday

VIRGINIA

 

September 6-Last Thursday a birthday presentation was made to Mr. B. J. Leach by the leading tradespeople of Virginia. Mr. Leach has resided here as a business- man for 25 years, and he was handed an address, accompanied by a few other articles of a useful character.  Mr. Leach was taken by surprise.

 

The Advertiser 9 September 1902

The lost diggers

You probably have heard of the Lost Diggers photograph collection recently made public after nearly a century stored in an attic. The photographs made by the Thuillier family in a small village of Vignacourt during WWI have been published on the internet and more recently a book has been released.  While there are many books and photographs on WWI, what makes these unique is that they were taken in the midst of war, close to the battle ground.  We often see the studio portraits taken of soldiers before they leave home, but these images show the mud on their boots, the sheepskin waistcoats worn to ward of the cold and less formal posses with cigarettes in the mouth or cheeky smiles. 

Many of the photographs of the soldiers haven't been identified.  The Australian War Memorial where they are now stored are doing tremendous work to identify the men.  The AWM has also created an exhibition entitled 'Remember Me".

Its a great story in regards to the men, and the way the photographs have been made public.  Borrow the book today.