The Tree of Me

 I've always known the story about my parents getting a loan for their first home in Wallangarra, Queensland. Dad had an appointment at the Commonwealth Bank in Stanthorpe. Everything went smoothly until the bank manager asked him where he intended to build his house. The answer - Wallangarra - was not the right one. Apparently the only correct answer was Stanthorpe. My father's response was to go to the teller and withdraw all his money and take it across the road to the National Bank. When he was telling the builder that the Commonwealth Bank wouldn't lend him the money, Mr Pierpoint replied that he would build the house and my parents could pay him back. He said that our families were related. Pierpoint's uncle Samuel had married my father's great great aunt, Emma Hooton in 1881, almost 80 years previously. And this is what happened. Mr Pierpoint would come to Wallangarra every month to collect the repayments.  69 Rayleigh Street, Wallangarra, 1957 69 Rayleigh St...

This morning I was listening to the radio and a woman was being interviewed about and was playing a button accordion. It made me think of the accordion in my cupboard. Accordion belonging to either Knox or John Moore, Wallangarra Internet research leads me to believe that it is a Vienna model Hohner diatonic accordion made in Germany. The melody is played on the row of buttons on the right. There are two buttons on the left for bass and chord accompaniment. Only one of the three draw stops at the top remains. One day when I was probably about 10, my uncle Matthew Moore (1907-1981) gave me the accordion which had belonged to someone in the family. Now of course I can't remember who owned it. It was either his father Knox Moore or his grandfather John. Did it come with the family when they emigrated from Ireland or did they have it when they lived and worked in the sugar mills in Greenock, Scotland? Perhaps it was purchased after they came to live in Australia. I may hav...

I grew up in the small border town of Wallangarra and members of my family lived there from the very early days of settlement. Recently I was alerted to a postcard on eBay of James McCook's Royal Hotel. When I saw the postcard I knew I had to have it. Jas McCook, Royal Hotel, Wallangarra, c. 1914-1915? Reverse of postcard Starting with the reverse of the postcard I wanted to identify the 3 people mentioned. Polly was easy. She was my great-grandmother Mary Moore (McColm) (1885-1939). Mary is readily identified with the McCooks and the Royal Hotel. My grandfather, her second son, was born there in January 1909 and Mary's husband Knox was the nephew of Rosetta McCook, wife of the proprietor. The Moores lived and worked at the hotel. A search on electoral rolls has identified Elizabeth and Christopher Noye living in Warwick with their daughter Alice Elizabeth. Alice was born in 1889, so she, rather than her mother, was probably Polly's friend. ( Ancest...

It seems horses have caused a little bit of trouble in my family. My grandfather Jim had an altercation with a horse when he was 23 years old. Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Thursday 11 August 1932, page 16 WALLANGARRA - Kicked by Horse Mr Jim Moore, eldest son of Mr and Mrs Knox Moore, of Wallangarra, was endeavouring to catch a horse, when the animal kicked him just above the eye, temporarily stunning him. After first aid had been rendered he was conveyed to  Tenterfield and admitted to the Torquay Private Hospital, where an operation was performed. His condition was not considered serious. I wonder what the operation entailed? Did it require time in hospital? If so, how long was my grandmother home with a baby and a toddler?

A few days ago I spoke about the Anderson's Reunion which was taking place over the Australia Day long weekend at Wallangarra. I wish to devote this post to part of Sunday afternoon. As it was Australia Day, we paused to listen to two former employees of Anderson's - Dennis Scanlon and Mac Riding. Dennis performed his poem You Know You're in Australia which he has allowed me to print below. Then he and Mac sang Advance Australia Fair . Both were moving renditions and I'm sure all of us there were moved by the performances. You Know You're in Australia If you've ever watched the Southern Cross, blazin' in the sky Gazed in awe at the majesty, of a wedge tail circling high Seen the break the big waves make, as they roll in at Bondi: Then old mate, you know you're in Australia If you've camped at Koscziusko - skied the new season's snow Been in the New England - seen the autumn glow Or if you walk right up Cape York and there...

This weekend will be a weekend for reminiscing. I am going to Wallangarra to attend a reunion for employees of Anderson's Meatworks. My father was the manager during the 1970s and early 1980s and we have a series of photographs taken at the works in the 1950s which detail the work that occurred in each department. My mother decided to put together  a small book for the occasion using these photographs and information from many other sources. Book to be launched January 25, 2014 A sneak preview of one of my favourite photos in the book. Boning at Anderson's, Wallangarra c1950s The books will be for sale from this weekend. I'll add purchase details to this post when they come to hand.

My great great grandmother Jane McColm had only lived in Australia for 9 years before she died a few weeks after the birth of her seventh child Ethel. Her husband Malcolm McColm placed this notice in The Warwick Argus. The Warwick Argus, 28th January 1888, p. 2 Here is a link to a previous post about Jane McColm .

This is a Trove Tuesday post. Although the Tenterfield Star or the Stanthorpe Border Post have not been digitised yet for Trove , I am amazed at how much I can find about my family from Wallangarra in the Brisbane Courier. Another browse last night found this. The lesson about snake bite must have been a popular one at the time. I have a school exercise book belonging to my great uncle and in it he writes a composition about a boy getting bitten by a snake and treating it himself. McCall's sister Jane who was in fact 2 years older than William, was bitten by a death adder on 26th August 1893 and died on the way to a doctor. She was buried on her parent's property, just north of Wallangarra. William McCall later married Catherine McCaul who was my great great grandmother's niece. 

Today's Trove Tuesday post is one begging for information. My great, great grandmother, Margaret Jane Moore died in Wallangarra, Queensland on 1st August 1923. The following year two In Memoriam notices appeared in The Brisbane Courier. The Brisbane Courier, 1st August 1924, p. 6 The first is from her loving son, daughter and grandchildren. This could have been either of her two sons, Knox and James and either of her daughters Rose, Elizabeth or Margaret. I believe it was from Knox and Rose who both still lived in Wallangarra. However, it is the second notice that interests me the most. If is from her daughter Maggie and granddaughter Ivy. I would love to contact any descendants of Ivy, the daughter of Maggie (Margaret). If anyone comes across this post and has information please contact me via the Email link on the View my complete profile link. I believe that if Ivy is still alive she would be about 97 years old in 2012.

A few weeks I posted this photograph asking if anyone had could guess what it is. Well now I've got the answer for you. This photograph was taken at my father's work. I imagine it was taken in about the 1950s as I have many photographs taken at this time. My father worked at Anderson's Meat Packing Company at Wallangarra on the Queensland-NSW border. The image shows pumped up intestines which were then placed in drying rooms. After drying the ends were cut off and packed flat in cartons. And of course you can guess what they would have been used for - sausage casings. Here is a link to the wikipedia article about sausages .

During a recent tidy up of my filing cabinets I discovered 2 school books that had been placed in there for safe keeping many years ago. The first book was My Busy Book from 1965 when I was in Kindergarten at Jennings Public School. Perhaps some of you may remember the salmon coloured books from the 1960s. Fortunately it was a small school. The teacher traced many shapes each afternoon for us to fill in with various patterns the next day. She also wrote dotted words for us to trace the next day. It seems that jelly pads had yet to reach Jennings. Unfortunately the salmon colour didn't scan. The second of these exercise books belonged to my grandfather's brother, Matthew John Moore who attended Jennings Public School. I haven't always been in possession of this book. I attended the Jenning's centenary celebrations in 1990 and was excited to see that this book was part of the display. I asked the organisers who had donated the book for the display but was infor...

As a genealogist it is important to place your family in a location and a time period. Families, place and time are crucial to make your family history live. Through research I have discovered that in the past members of our family were in significant places at significant times or were part of significant events. Without research, I would not have known the following: Gustav Baumgarten (gg uncle) is mentioned in Ned Kelly's J erilderie Letter . William Lee Dawson (gg grandfather) was a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Willi Scheef (very distant relative) was killed on the Hindenberg. Family just out of Dublin could hear the gun shots during the 1916 Easter Rising but didn't know what was happening. The list goes on. But what about the families that didn't seem to leave any information other than what can be gleaned from births, deaths and marriages? What was happening in the town or area in the time period they lived there? Check for images on Pic...

This evening I read a tweet from My Heritage about an article at the emissourian -   Society Pays Homage to the Humble Apron . After reading the article I began to consider which aprons have meant something to me in my life. The first apron that came to mind was a green and white gingham apron that I made while I attended Jennings Public School . The girls spent many weeks making the aprons after making several preparatory obligatory samples. We had to cross-stitch the pleats into place and then cross-stitch several flowers onto the material and I can still remember how particular I was while sewing. I wanted it to be perfect!  Of course, while the girls were making aprons the boys were in another room. What they were making, I can't remember, but I do have recollections of them basket weaving at some stage. I was very proud of this apron but never wore it as I considered it was too precious. After a search in my camphor chest I found my apron, still in pristine condition...

My great, great grandmother Jane Smith McColm has 2 death certificates. When she died on 22nd January 1888 just 3 weeks after giving birth to her 7th child, Ethel Peel McColm, her husband Malcolm obviously didn't know where to register her death. Sound strange to you? Jane died at the Railway Yard at Wallangarra on the Queensland-N.S.W. border. (I've just realised that the postcard I purchased a couple of weeks ago, has further meaning.) What did her husband do? He registered her death in both Stanthorpe (Qld) and Tenterfield (N.S.W.) It is very interesting to compare the two death certificates. The first one I discovered was the N.S.W. one. This stated that she was 40 years old and came from Wigtownshire in Scotland. Her father, James Fleming, was a druggist and her mother was Jane Milroy. Jane was married to Malcolm McColm and had no children. She died of puerperal fever. I wasn't happy with this certificate. I knew she had children - my great grandmother was one o...

Although my children have purchased many an item from ebay in the past, until about 2 weeks ago I had never placed a bid. However, something tweaked my interest. I have a google alert set up for Wallangarra, the small country town in Queensland where I lived until I was almost 13. Most of the alerts I receive are for house sales and the Riding and Pony Club with occasional football results.  But last week there was an alert for a postcard of the Wallangarra Railway station for sale on ebay. I just had to have it! I was the only bidder for the Wallangarra Station - Border of N.S.W. and Queensland postcard so it was mine. It had never been posted. It has a squiggly line on the back which is definitely not writing. This is a shame as it would have been great to have identified the card with a specific family. Unfortunately, I also don't know when the photograph was taken. The only thing I can positively say is that my family lived there when the photo was taken. The only fam...

Deserted area and dirt road in front of Royal Hotel and other buildings at Wallangarra,  c1909. I love looking at the images on the State Library of Queensland website and those on Picture Australia . The photograph above is one of my favourites as it is of the small country town in Queensland that I grew up in. The dirt road is now the New England Highway which passes through Wallangarra. I grew up just around the corner. However, the main reason I love this image is that my grandfather was born in Wallangarra. So this photograph shows me what Wallangarra looked like in 1909 when he was born. Even better, my grandfather was born at the Royal Hotel. So this photograph shows me exactly where James Malcolm Moore was born. My grandfather always said he was born on the billiard table. I never knew if he was joking or not! Have you looked at Picture Australia to see what images there are for the town you or your ancestors grew up in? You never know what treasures you m...

Years ago I asked my father how his grandfather Knox Moore had lost a finger. Of course, he was astounded that I knew his grandfather was missing a digit and asked how I knew. The photos below show exactly how I made the discovery. It's there in his wedding photo in 1907 but by 1913 he was missing part of the first finger on his left hand. Knox Moore and his wife Mary (Polly) McColm - 1907 Knox and Mary Moore with their children Matthew, Rosetta, Knox (baby) and James (in front) - 1913 My father then said that Knox had lost his finger on a circular saw. Many years later someone asked him how he had done it and as he told them how it happened he did it again. Part of another finger was gone. For years I thought no more of the story. A couple of months ago I was randomly searching the digitised newspapers on Trove . Here was the story verifying that Knox Moore had had 2 accidents involving a circular saw. The Brisbane Courier (Qld.: 1864 - 1993), Friday 18 November 1...