Gunning & District Historical Society

Parramatta Female Penitentiary or Factory (Picture via Trove). By Garry Norman Smith Robert Bayley (aka Bailey) and Mary Bayley (formerly Piper, nee Hogan) lived for many years at Chain of Ponds where Robert farmed and built up a significant flock of sheep. While he and his family were resident in the area, Robert was pretty much a model local citizen. That was not always how Robert lived his early years in the colony. A convict stain was left behind in Van Diemen’s Land when Robert Bayley, Mary Hogan (Piper) and their collective children, sailed aboard the Eudora from Hobart Town, departing on 30 July 1837 bound for Sydney. Robert and Mary brought with them their own five offspring and an adult son and his wife from one of Mary’s previous relationships.  Robert Bailey’s [Bayley] entry in the Conduct Register of Convicts Living in Northern Tasmania 1822-1844. TAHO: CON31/1/1 Image 210/page 112 (With the permission of Archives Office of Tasmania 2006). Robert Ba...

Cass and I love our weekend drives especially when we get to visit amazing places and last Sunday was no exception. Urged on by our fearless leader we travelled over to check out the Taralga Historical Society Museum and Grounds. But first we pulled up at 'The Tangled Vine' Cafe for a spot of lunch for Cass' birthday. Stepping into this eatery is for me like going to your favourite aunt's house, you know her, the one who understands you when you feel alone against the world, the one who marches to the beat of her own drum. Mismatched chairs and tables, rural relics, old posters on the walls, books by Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde sharing shelf space with children's classics by Enid Blyton. You are more than welcome to pick up any of them or a newspaper and settle into a comfy armchair, relax and just unwind over a lovely cuppa. The Cafe has a great reputation for wonderful food and very friendly efficient service and it is well deserved. I have been here a few times ...

All Saints Church, Staplehurst, Kent.Photo by Julian P Guffogg [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Wikimedia. By Garry Norman Smith All Saints Church, Staplehurst was mainly built in the 12 th and 13 th centuries, although the south door dates to 1050. It was in this church on 7 July 1832 that Ann Alchin was baptised. Her parents, Ambrose and Ann Alchin took their family to the colony of New South Wales a little more than six years later in 1838. After time spent in Sydney and the Camden district, Ann’s family settled in the County of King, where her father Ambrose took up land at Oolong Creek. Once a part of the district, twenty-three-year-old Ann Alchin married twenty-two-year-old Thomas Bayley, farmer, on 1 August 1855. They had at least ten children between 1855 and 1875. Thomas Bayley (1833-1885) was born at Kangaroo Point (Bellerive) in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in 1833, the son of Robert Bayley (1801-1864) and Mary Hogan (1796-1862). Both Robert Bayley and Mary Hogan have ...

Barbara Moore and her sister Anne McGuiness at Gunning Catholic Cemetery By Leslie Bush with contributions from Barbara Moore Last September my fellow Graver, Cass and I were feeling like a bit of family tree investigating coming on, but the weather wasn't the best so we thought better not venture too far today. Cass was looking for McDevitts in the Catholic Cemetery and I thought I would photograph all the headstones to add to the collection for the District. So off we go, she's searching and I am clicking away. Bit of a chill in the air, it's windy and the clouds are rolling in, better get this done quick! Half way done and we chanced to meet these two lovely women who were also visiting. Barbara Moore and Anne McGuinness were there visiting the graves of their great-grandparents John and Ellen O’Brien, Patrick and Mary (Bartley) Clancy (photos below), their great-great grandparents, Laurence and Catherine Bartley and Patrick and Mary (Hannan) Clancy as...

A great turnout for the Australia Day Awards 2018 in Gunning Bright, beautiful and sunny - what a way to start Australia Day in the Gunning District. The Australia Day awards kicked off at an early 8 am this morning with breakfast by the stalwarts of the district, the Lions Club. Sports commentator and journalist, Gordon Bray AM, the 'voice of rugby' is the 2018 Australia Day Ambassador for the Awards and he gave a very nice speech to start proceedings off. Upper Lachlan Shire Council Mayor Brian McCormack OAM was the host for the event and together with John Bell the General Manager of the ULSC they handed the awards to the recipients. It was lovely to see The Hon. Angus Taylor MP at the ceremony along with Upper Lachlan Shire's Deputy Mayor John Stafford, Councillors' Pam Kensit and John Searl supporting their community. The seats were full and there were plenty more people standing around. Even had a group of motorcycle riders who decided to ha...

Murray Hazell presenting Peta Luck with copies of his Father's book. Photo courtesy of Gunning Library Just before Christmas Bob Spiller from GDHS put out the word that the copy of 'Some Came Free' by E.G. Hazell that we had donated to the Gunning Library quite a few years before had 'disappeared'. Whether someone had inadvertently picked it up or permanently borrowed the book, it had seemingly 'sunk without trace'. We put the call out on our Facebook page and also on the Bush Family Society - Jerrawa page to try and replace the 'lost' copy. Following up on replies and comments we were fortunate enough to have Murray Hazell kindly donate two copies of his father's book to Peta Luck from the Gunning Library on the 20th January. He also kindly donated a copy to us in Memory of his Father, which will be available to researchers at the Gunning District Research Centre. The Book is the story of mid-nineteenth century Australia t...

Hazel Doris Alchin with nephew Garry Norman Smith By Garry Norman Smith Hazel Doris Alchin is arguably the oldest living direct descendant of Ambrose Alchin (1800-1877) and Ann Alchin (nee Waters) (1799-1858). This image is of a woman who recently turned 95 years old. Hazel is from two long lines of pioneer families: the Thompsons of West Pennant Hills and the Alchins of Oolong Creek and Gunning. Roy Irwin Alchin (1922) and Doris Irene Thompson (1919) While Hazel’s father, Roy Irwin Alchin (1897-1976) was born at Gunning, she has never actually visited the town.  (l-r) Daphne, Doris, Hazel, Roy, Joyce & Ellen Alchin c1938 Charles Alchin and Mary Alchin (nee Stear) Roy married Doris Irene Thompson (1902-1990) in 1922 at Dural, New South Wales; Hazel was born that same year at Dural. Hazel and her four sisters lived their early lives in The Hills District. Her grandparents, Edward Alchin (1863-1941) and Elizabeth Ann Alchin (nee Bailey) (1872-1964), ...