Elizabeth Farm - Museums Australia (NSW) Tour and Talk

Tour and talk conducted by Bronwyn Alcorn, Manager of Elizabeth Farm, Wednesday 3rd March, 2010, 4pm.

The farm was built in 1793 for John Macarthur, known as the father of the wool industry, and his wife Elizabeth. Tales of passion and anguish, early colonial political skulduggery and the genesis of Australia's wool trade are cemented into these walls.
Bronwyn will talk about the remaining mysteries of the architecture and past of the farm.
Elizabeth Farm, Historic Houses Trust of NSW
70 Alice Street, Rosehill

Nostalgia Festival at Kurri Kurri

From the Maitland Mercury report:
The Nostalgia Festival takes over Kurri Kurri for one weekend in March each year.

In its seventh year, the event will run on March 26, 27 and 28.
The program of events includes Elvis-escorted tours of Hunter Valley Gardens, DJs in Rotary Park, a Show and Shine and a Vegas-style wedding vow renewal ceremony.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, 22 Feb, 2010.

Bringing Them Home Online - Oral History Interviews

To mark the second anniversary of the apology to members of the Stolen Generations, the National Library of Australia has launched a special website featuring the oral history interviews with people who were involved in or affected by the removal of Indigenous children from their families.

The aim of the project has been to collect and preserve the stories of affected Indigenous people and others, including police, missionaries and administrators.
The Bringing Them Home interviews are being made available - in collaboration with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs - in consultation with the people interviewed or their next of kin.

Morpeth Courthouse : a place of justice, a place of community

Ann Beaumont's book, Morpeth Courthouse : a place of justice, a place of community is now available. Ann said "When I started to write the history of the Morpeth Courthouse it soon became obvious it must not be a mere documentation of its architectural merits and uses. It needed to reflect the social history of the town and the changing face of society."

Collections Council of Australia

The Collections Council of Australia has made a submission to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett's consultation around a National Cultural Policy.

The submission is available at the Collection Council's web site.
The CCA’s submission argues that a comprehensive National Cultural Policy must include a commitment to the care of collections. The nation’s collections are held by a range of organisations including archives, galleries, libraries and museums. These collections are an integral part of Australia's cultural life.

U.K. records - births, marriages and deaths at sea

The U.K. National Archives have announced that births, marriages and deaths at sea can now be searched for from BMD Registers.co.uk. 
Previously only available on microfilm at The National Archives you can now search online for over 150,000 individuals who were passengers at sea between 1854 and 1908.
You can also search passenger lists from 1890 to 1960 with ancestorsonboard.com to find out if your ancestor went to sea. These lists include the names of immigrants, emigrants, businessmen, diplomats and tourists and can be searched by name, destination, port of departure and ship name.

Una is show’s living treasure

From the Maitland Mercury report:
East Maitland has a living treasure in Una Farley.

Mrs Farley was born in Maitland 90 years ago and was one of Maitland Show’s most versatile women horse riders in 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. She keeps two boxes of show ribbons in her cupboards to prove it, some that date back to 1932, but it is the memories of her riding days that she really treasures.

Full article by James Law available at Maitland Mercury, 12 Feb, 2010.