William Marshman
William Marshman (1804-1873) was my 2nd great-grandfather on my father's maternal side. He was from Somerset, England. I imagine he was called Billy. Aged 17, he was arrested and charged with larceny of a church house (40/-) during divine service,…
Ann (Livingstone) Johnson
Someone had seen a link to my family tree and asked if I knew the story of Ann Livingstone. As it happens, I didn't know her story, or who she was. I found her in my maternal grandmother's family. Ann…
ANZAC Day
In Australia today it is ANZAC Day. A national day of remembrance of all those who served in theatres of war. Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand…
My mother’s family
Growing up I heard my mother and her sisters speak of growing up in Collinsvale during the Depression years of the 1930s. Tough times for workers and dirt farmers alike, and formative years in their lives. They were stoic. They…
Bruny Island
The Tasmanian landscape was the constant backdrop to the first 20 years or so of my life. It is stunningly beautiful, awesome, rugged, wild, and primaeval, torn northward from Antarctica as ancient Gondwana broke apart. The climate is driven by…
