Gunning & District Historical Society

Waratah (now Warrataw) Street, Gunning, circa 1905. Article by Kim Lees The Lees family emigrated from Germany in the 1850’s as Bounty Immigrants under a scheme to bring citizens from various countries to Australia to assist in establishing farming and other industries. They came from the wine growing area of Grossbottwar, some 26 kms north of Stuttgart. It has been possible, through a German Ancestry organisation ‘Beyond History’, to trace the Lees family in Grossbottwar as far back as the late 1500s, some 6 generations before the family emigrated from Germany to Australia. In 2013 I visited Grossbottwar where I met with a cousin and his family who still live there.  The Lees family (parents Johannes (48) & Louisa (44) and children Conrad (20), Adam (16), Jacob (14), Fredricka (9), and David (6)) travelled to Australia on the Dutch Barque ‘Helene’ with 215 other German Immigrants. The youngest child, a daughter Christiana (aged 5 months) died on the voyage to Aust...

Photo from Mardi Lees' post in Gunning Community Announcements and Events Facebook group. The Gunning Community Announcements and Events Facebook group is a great forum for all sorts of discussions, notifications and requests.  With over 760 members, there is always something of interest being posted and enthusiastic engagement by the community. On 10 February, Mardi Lees posted two photos of a trophy found by "local fossicking fanatic Michael Brown".  The inscription on the trophy said: G.D.S.A.A.A. Champ Girl Under 6 J. Lees Mardi asked for clues to the age of the trophy and who J. Lees might be (not her sister, Jennifer). Responses to the thread soon focused on the meaning of G.D.S.A.A.A.; the consensus being Gunning District Schools Annual Athletics Association.  A further post suggested that it was from 1952 or 1953 (a remarkably accurate estimate as it turns out). After a couple of days, the urge to research this got the bette...