News - May 2025
Tuesday 20 May - 7:30pm General Meeting
VENUE: Old Sunday School, St Johns Park Precinct
GUEST SPEAKER: George Cresswell
TOPIC: A 175-YEAR-OLD GRANDFATHER CLOCK AND ITS LINK TO GREEN PONDS, VAN DIEMENS LAND
In 2017 George walked into a friend's living room in NSW and saw a 2.5 m-high grandfather clock with an inscription on the clock face: "Hy Speak, Green Ponds, Vandiemen's Land".
He set off on what he thought wouldn't take all that long: Who was Hy (Henry) Speak and what did he do?
It turned out that he did many things: at Dysart he built a chapel, a parsonage, a house, and a very big windmill for grinding grain.
What happened to all these structures? And where was Henry buried?
George found most of the answers, but at times it felt like a seven-year wild goose chase.
He had great assistance from Libraries Tasmania and many individuals. He looked at historic artwork, photos, Google Earth images, and aerial and drone photographs.
George Cresswell grew up in WA. He spent 1960 at Mawson studying the Aurora Australis and participating in a 600-km tractor train journey; then 6 years in Alaska and one in Canada studying the aurora borealis. He joined CSIRO in late 1969 to measure and describe ocean currents in Australian and SE Asian waters. He has worked on vessels of eight nations, most recently on CSIRO's Investigator in 2024.
More for Your Diary
Thu 15 May - 10am Hobart Committee
VENUE: Branch Library, Bellerive
Thu 15 May - 1:30pm DNA Group
VENUE: St Marks Church Hall, Scott Street, Bellerive
Thu 22 May - 2pm Library Committee
VENUE: Branch Library, Bellerive
Tue 17 Jun - General Meeting
VENUE: Old Sunday School, St Johns Park Precinct
SPEAKER: Kathy Rundle
Topic: Early Quakers in Tasmania and The Friends School
From Your Branch President
It was good to see so many of you at the recent Branch AGM. If you were not able to make it, you missed a short formal AGM, a very engaging talk by Richie Woolley, a bargain book sale and a lovely afternoon tea. Not to mention lots of friendly chatter. Many thanks to those who worked behind the scenes to make this happen.
Queenborough Cemetery Exhumations
There has been a lot of interest in the exhumations at Hutchins School of burials in the former Queenborough Cemetery. 1,981 individuals were very carefully exhumed (one-third infants) and after painstaking and challenging research, 89% were able to be identified. Their names, age and date of burial are on a website to be permanently maintained by the Hutchins School. In the identification process, extensive use was made of the old Burial Register (incomplete) and the TFHS Hobart Branch's publication Cemeteries of Southern Tasmania Vol III Queenborough Cemetery .
For each individual there is a data sheet which records everything pertaining to that exhumation, including any evidence of injury or cause of death, jewellery, where they were buried and who with, etc. Family members can request this information from archeologist@hutchins.tas.edu.au (expect a delay in responding).
The remains of each individual and any artefacts were transferred into a special box with a permanent identification plate, and all but a few have been reinterred in a section of Cornelian Bay Cemetery. A memorial with their names on bronze plaques will stand in this section. Another memorial, with the names of all those who were exhumed, is being erected in Peel Street, Sandy Bay, just below the Hutchins' tennis courts (which are over an undisturbed section of the cemetery).
Most of the above information is from a fascinating talk I attended recently by Brad Williams, the chief archaeologist for the project. It is anticipated he will give a similar presentation at our Tuesday evening General Meeting in August.
Date set for Reinterment Service in memory of those exhumed
There will be a Reinterment Service at 10.00am on Wednesday 11 June at the Wellington Chapel, located at Queens Walk within the Cornelian Bay Cemetery. RSVP required - email rsvp@hutchins.tas.edu.au by Monday 2 June with your name and how many guests will be attending. Quite a few of our members have family who were relocated, and there is a lot of community interest, so I suggest you reserve your places early. The service will also be live‑streamed at www.millingtons.com.au/wellingtonchapel .
Orphan School Statues Stolen
Supporters of our efforts to commemorate convict women and their children will be as devastated as the From the Shadows committee to learn that the two statues of children have been removed and vandalised beyond repair.
The statues, representing two orphan children were unveiled in 2022 in St John's Park, New Town to commemorate the almost 6,000 children who were sent to the Orphan Schools from 1828 to 1879. They were made by renown Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie who is shocked that this has happened.
This is a senseless act of vandalism. Thanks to the prompt efforts of the police, the culprit has been apprehended and arrested. Parts of the Sculptures have been recovered in small pieces, cut up for scrap metal. The committee are determined to do all they can to raise the necessary funds to have the two statues of children replaced.
Ros Escott president@hobart.tasfhs.org
Membership Renewal Notice
Memberships are currently due for the year commencing 1 April 2025.
The renewal form was posted with the latest Tasmanian AncestryJournal early March.
If you have not yet paid your subscription and have misplaced the renewal form, please let us know at membership@tasfhs.org and we will arrange a replacement.
Payment methods are endorsed on the renewal form. The preferred method of payment is through our website which can be accessed at https://www.tasfhs.org/renewals.php
If paying by direct deposit 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.
Cash & Cheques are still acceptable and can be paid at your local branch or cheques can 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.
45th Conference and Annual General Meeting
Have you registered for our 45th annual conference and AGM yet? Entries for the early bird prize close at the end of this month. We have made sure that we will have warm, comfortable surroundings, a delicious healthy lunch and some fabulous speakers. Join us on Saturday 21 June at the Grange Campbell Town.
Listen to Alison Alexander talk about her latest book, Land of Rogues and Scoundrels . Hear from Richie Woolley the fascinating story of the Tasmanian Nightingale, Amy Sherwin, and how her family carved out an existence in the Huon Valley. And an amazing, illustrated talk by Helen Chung as she talks about her Tasmanian family and how she broke racist and sexist barriers to become a beloved ABC journalist.
You will find a link to full details and the online registration and payment form on our home page, www.tasfhs.org . We ask for online registration because it allows faster and easier processing, but if this causes any problems for you, please just contact your local branch and they will be able to help.
Help Wanted
The Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre has just donated a book compiled by one of its members:
Women's Air Training Corps in Tasmania, 1942-1945
The author believes there may be more information available. If you can help, please contact me at jude1710@bigpond.com and I will pass on contact details. The book is now available in the library.
FamilySearch
There is a what's new at FamilySearch page here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/tag/about-familysearch/whats-new-at-familysearch
Alternatively, you can click on the on the ? symbol on the top line of the home page and then "Helpful Resources"
Some of the 57 pages of information included are:
- upcoming changes to FamilySearch indexing.
- introducing the New FamilySearch catalog.
- new Free Historical Records from 32 Countries (Each month they have a list of new records on FamilySearch from countries around the world)
There is also a FamilySearch blog https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/
And a FamilySearch YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@familysearch/videos
Maree's Mutterings
Alison Alexander's, Land of Rogues and Scoundrels: starting from scratch in Van Diemen's Land was recently launched.
From Libraries Tasmania, Wednesday, May 21 from 6 - 7pm AEST
Tasmanian Voices: a rare novel about a convict woman
Award winning writer Amanda Lohrey, and the woman who revived The Broad Arrow, Jenna Mead discuss Tasmanian Voices' Caroline Leakey
Very early notice: Open House November 2025
Open House Hobart back for another year! Get ready for a whole weekend of Open House Southern Midlands! Think Oatlands, Kempton and Dysart.
Open House Southern Midlands: Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 November
Open House Hobart: Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 November
The Southern Midlands and Hobart programs will bookend a week of amazing architectural events, talks and exhibitions. Make sure you keep an eye out for updates.
Library Accessions 2025
Books
* R. Woolley Amy Sherwin, the Tasmanian nightingale 780.92 WOO
* I. Byers (comp) Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church, Oatlands Q 929.32099463
G. Hensley Women's Air Training Corps Tasmania 1942-1945 Q 358.409946 HEN
R. Barrett Ram Island and beyond Q 929.2 PYK
Microfiche
* Renfrewshire F.H.S Hearth and Roll Taxes, 1690's
* Berkshire F.H.S. Overseer's papers East Hampstead District
* Berkshire F.H.S. Overseer's papers Wokingham District (2 sets)
* West Surrey F.H.S. Parish registers - Thorpe
* West Surrey F.H.S. PR's - Ethan, Addle stone, Virginia Water
* West Surrey MI's Ash, Chobham, Frimley, Thorpe, Horsell, Pirbright
* Essex F.H.S. M.I's North Benfleet - All Saints
* Essex F.H.S. M.I's Rettenden - All Saints
* Essex F.H.S. M.I's Orsett - St. Giles and All Saints
* Essex Record Office Parish Census Listings, 1797-1831
* Denotes complimentary or donated item