Editor: Judith Crossin

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Tuesday 17 May - 7:30pm General Meeting

VENUE: Old Sunday School, St John’s Park Precinct, New Town

GUEST SPEAKER: Warwick Lee

TOPIC : Stepping into Tasmania’s well-recorded colonial past

The Tasmanian Parliamentary Library is one of many collections of materials not in the forefront of the thinking of family historians and problematic in terms of how to access relevant records. This presentation will provide a guided ‘tour’ of the recently digitised and now publicly available colonial Parliamentary Papers (1856 to 1901).

Warwick Lee is a retired librarian and, more recently, he has been project manager in a Tasmanian Community Fund project to digitise the archival records held in the Library. To this presentation Warwick brings his knowledge of the wealth of relevant family history information which is contained in the colonial papers. These digitised papers are now freely available at http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au .

Note: Masks are required and will be provided if necessary

More for Your Diary

Thu 19 May – 10.00am Branch Committee Meeting

VENUE : Supper Room, St Marks Church Hall

Thu 19 May – 1.30pm DNA Group Meeting

VENUE : St Marks Church Hall

VENUE : Library

Tue 21 Jun - 7:30pm General Meeting

VENUE : To be advised, possibly on-line by Zoom

SPEAKER : To be advised

Library Accessions April 2022

The following items were accessioned during the month of April 2022

Books

Blythe–Cooper, Anne; LEADING AMATEURS - Musical Entrepreneur Lucy Charlotte Benson (1860–1943) [782.1092 BLY]

* Denotes complimentary or donated item

Covid Policy Reminder

The Society at a recent meeting set the rule that people attending a Tasmanian Family History Society premises should be able to show that they have been double vaccinated. This provides protection to visitors and our volunteers.

Membership Renewal – Notice - Please Do Not Delay

RENEW TODAY

Memberships are currently due with the year commencing 1 April 2022.

The renewal form was posted with the latest Tasmanian Ancestry Journal early March.

If you have not yet paid your subscription and have misplaced the renewal form, please let us know and we will arrange a replacement.

Payment methods are endorsed on the renewal form. The preferred method of payment is direct transfer to the TFHS Inc. account.

It is very important that your 8-digit CRN is used as the reference. In the past a number of deposits have been made that can’t be identified due to lack of CRN details. The CRN is clearly marked on the front, bottom right-hand side of the renewal form.

If using Debit/Credit card, please ensure that your card is current, the card number is entered clearly and in full and that the expiry date (mm/yy) is entered as well.

Cheques are still acceptable and should be sent to:

Membership TFHS Inc
PO Box 326
ROSNY PARK TAS 7018

We look forward to your continued membership and hope you enjoy the articles in Tasmanian Ancestry.

New Australian Midwifery History Website 

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Australian Midwifery History Project members would like to present our new website.

The website outlines the history of midwifery in Australia as well as that of the Australian College of Midwives; it is the only site in Australia that contains this comprehensive source of information. Launched in December 2021, the site is a living history project, so we are continuously adding new historical material as colleagues, families, local communities, and others share valuable information and memories with us.

As you know, midwifery is one of the oldest recorded professions. All towns and cities throughout history would have had a local midwife. These women were important members of their communities. Besides attending women in childbirth, they were often the person who was called to assist families around death and dying.

Older members of your family or someone you know may have memories of one of these ‘Granny Midwives’ or of one of the growing number of professionally trained midwives who practised in the first half of the 20th Century in Australia. You may have knowledge of midwifery and childbirth for First Nations people, pre-colonisation. If so, we would love to hear from you.

The website is for all who have an interest in the history of midwifery and childbirth in Australia.

Canadian Rebels - Land of a Thousand Sorrows Revisited

Details of a special one-off screening of a documentary dealing with convicted Canadian exiles from 1839. They were sent to Sydney or Hobart consequent to 1838 uprisings in Canada aiming to end British rule.

Arguably it was not lawful to transport US citizens, but Governor Arthur was in Canada by then and sent them out anyway. The maker of the documentary Deke Richards will be presenting the film.

Tickets are on sale through Eventbrite.

Contributors to Tasmanian Ancestry

Are you disappointed there are no articles in Tasmanian Ancestry that relate to your family and your family research? There is a simple solution in this. Write something yourself!

The stock of articles for future editions of Tasmanian Ancestry is quite small so members are urged to make that contribution that you have been planning to write. A single page of Tasmanian Ancestry consists of no more than 500 words, or less with a photograph.

It is known that several of our members have undertaken UTAS units in the Diploma of Family History so there must be some assignments waiting to be converted to articles for our Journal.

Other suggestions might be an interesting article enhanced and sourced from the pages of the Trove Newspapers website or an article based on a surprising recent discovery based on your DNA journey.

Don’t put it off if you are a little unsure about knowing the style and layout requirements. Our editors will work with you to polish your contribution.

It was interesting to hear a comment made by Malcolm Ward after a meeting that he believed a multi-generational brick wall was knocked down when he published a small booklet on an ancestor. The publication attracted a response from a relative who was able to provide the missing piece of the jigsaw.

‘By Mountain and Sea’: 100 Years of Cadbury’s at Claremont

Did someone say chocolate? How delightful!

Savour Tasmania’s rich history in chocolate making, by visiting the Cadbury’s display – ‘By Mountain and Sea’: 100 Years of Cadbury’s at Claremont – now on at the State Library and Tasmanian Archives Reading Room.

Can’t make it to the Reading Room? View a selection of the Tasmanian Archives Cadbury’s collection online and read about the Model Factory at Cadbury’s Claremont in the research blog.

Showcasing historic photographs, film, illustrations, and product artworks from our Tasmanian Archives and items loaned from the Hodgman family, ‘By Mountain and Sea’: 100 Years of Cadbury’s at Claremont highlights one of Tasmania’s most recognised institutions – the Cadbury Chocolate Factory.

Opening in October 1922 and developed according to Quaker ideals, the factory included housing for staff, recreation, and education facilities – including a library and a cricket ground. Included in the display is information about the history of the company and its connections to dairy and fruit industries around Tasmania.

At the centre of the Reading Room display is a collection of original sketches and mock-ups drawn by Vernon Hodgman (1909 – 1984). Vernon Hodgman was a commercial artist and industrial designer at Cadbury’s Claremont between 1928 and 1940, and in 1945 became the Head of the Design Studio. These items are on loan from the Hodgman Family.

The exhibition is a celebration of our local community, shared knowledge, and creativity. From family members, factory tours and primary producers, the Cadbury’s brand has touched many Tasmanian families and is a world recognised name.

Curious about what else you might find in the Tasmanian Archives? Home to more than 1.2 million archive and heritage items, you can explore the archives from your own device including the many images from Cadbury’s through our website.

Get curious! What will you discover? Crowther Reinterpreted Project

Request for Input

I am writing today to seek your input into the City of Hobart’s ongoing project, Crowther Reinterpreted, as we move towards a permanent response to the monument. The project team and I would highly value your thoughts on the direction and approach for this critical next phase.

Project Background

Crowther Reinterpreted was developed to assist in establishing a permanent response to the William Crowther statue in Franklin Square, Hobart. The project responds to the complex history of this man, who was removed from his position as Honorary Medical Officer at the hospital in Hobart in 1869, as a result of his treatment of the body of Tasmanian Aboriginal man, William Lanney.

Crowther Reinterpreted Stage 1

As you may know, the last year has seen the first stage of this project, with four temporary public artworks installed in and around the Franklin Square statue by the following artists: Allan Mansell, Roger Scholes and Greg Lehman, Julie Gough and Jillian Mundy. Further information on Stage 1 can be found on the City’s website website.

A public survey ran throughout each of the four projects from April 2021 until February 2022. This first stage was designed to encourage discussion and raise awareness within the broader community about this complex history, whilst informing a permanent response to the monument.