HEADLINES OF OLD: March 2023

Tuesday 28 March 2023

IRISH REBELLION CASTLE HILL 1804 Trove Tuesday 28th Mar 2023

Convict uprising at Castle Hill 1804, unknown artist. National Library of Australia

Those of you who are interested in Australian history no doubt have heard something of the history of the Irish Rebellion at Castle Hill, also known as Vinegar Hill.

Possibly one of the best sites to learn more about the history of the Sydney area is the Dictionary of Sydney. To quote just a small excerpt..

Castle Hill Rebellion and the Battle of Vinegar Hill

In 1804 there was an uprising of 200 convicts, known as the Castle Hill Rebellion. They were mostly Irish and they planned to escape from the colony in boats, which they hoped were moored in Sydney harbour. The rebellion culminated in the Battle of Vinegar Hill, where the convicts were defeated.

Settlers grew wheat and raised sheep until more suitable lands were opened up to the west of the Blue Mountains. Citrus growing then took over and the Castle Hill area became renowned for its fine orchards.

by Joan Rowland 2008

You can also find more in Wikipedia

The following clips are from the first edition courtesy of the Catholic Press. Links to the rest of the articles are at the end of this post. Interesting times in the early days of colonisation. To enlarge the pages, just click on them or go to the underlined link to read the original.

Catholic Press (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1942), Thursday 28 April 1927, page 18 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107972123

Sydney in 1904

George Johnston, who led the military response to the rebellion,

as a lieutenant colonel in 1810. Public Domain

Further articles:

The Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish Exiles' Gesture of Despair 5 May 1927

Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish Exiles' Gesture of Despair 12 May 1927

The Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish Exiles' Gesture of Despair IV. 19 May 1927

The Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish Exiles' Gesture of Despair IV. The Castle Hill Rebellion. 26 May 1927

The Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish Exiles' Gesture of Despair V The Governor's Enemies. 2 Jun 1927

The Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish Exiles' Gesture of Despair GOVERNOR BLIGH. VI. Bligh's First Plot Story. 9 Jun 1927

Tuesday 21 March 2023

UNCLAIMED LETTERS 1888 Trove Tuesday 21 Mar 2023

Unclaimed letters can be intriguing. You can't help but scour the lists in the hope that you will see a familiar name.

Before we explore them further, let me answer the same questions I am always asked when I post these lists..

" NO, they aren't available for researchers, or anyone else to read."

"Yes, they most likely have been destroyed."

"Sorry, I have no way of knowing if any of these people mentioned have been found."

Of course, that won't stop us wondering.. what if?

They can be helpful in that they may lead to an area that an ancestor lived in or worked near by. When searching, try to ascertain as to what industries/businesses/farms were in the area mentioned. You just might find the names mentioned in Trove in newspaper reports or notices.

You can click on the image to enlarge or use the link to go to the original item.

New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Thursday 20 September 1888 (No.600) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article219882228

Note: The above clippings are just the first of the batch that was printed 20 September 1888. You can use the link to read the rest of the list.

Tuesday 14 March 2023

RETURNING TROOPS WW1 Trove Tuesday 14h Mar 2023

Australian service personnel repatriated during World War I.

National Archives of AustraliaReturned World War I soldiers ...

These articles are but a few of the collection to be found in TROVE. The articles refer to not only some of the names of those returned but also the Welcomes, the Committees involved (often the Red Cross), offers to help, including the supply of housing and medical support. While the soldiers were in many ways happy to be home, it was also for some, mixed feelings about being able to settle into domestic life again.

These mainly young men had seen sights they would never be able to speak about, made great mates, though many of them would not be returning. Some were worried about how they could ever return to their former lives..or jobs.

Women had been employed in various jobs that would never have been accepted pre war.. and many didn't want to give them up. Hospitals were overcrowded and there weren't enough beds for all, even in the military hospitals.

If you haven't already, you can look for your connections via record search Almost all WW1 records held are free to all. You will find some still restricted, though not many. Search TROVE for articles in your family areas re returning soldiers, stories of their hometown, how were they welcomed, etc.

Some of these articles may be a little hard to read, you can always go to the highlighted link to see the original.