Wondering where I went

Well it has been about four weeks since I last posted about moving. So I guess some of you might be wondering where I went.

I’ll tell you.

Brisbane.

Definitely not somewhere that I ever thought I would live again, having left some thirty or so years ago. When I came back to Australia to study last year, I had a hunch that Bendigo might not be a long term home, but I kinda thought perhaps Melbourne, Canberra or Sydney might have been possibilities – even Newcastle at one time.

But, in my job searching research I began to think about Brizzy again. Lots of former colleagues now call Queensland home so it can’t be all bad, right ? I came up in July to have a bit of a look around, look at rentals, meet some recruiters, catch up with friends. It definitely seemed to be offering 100% more than Bendigo.

Not just workwise; it is nearer the coast, there is always something going on, there is a river or two and they even have way more water flowing in them than Bendigo Creek had in the whole time we were there.

Life got in the way a bit and my return was delayed.

But I’m here now, still job searching but with so many more possibilities. I like the new neighbourhood and I’m enjoying finding my way around again.

Public transport is amazing. You can get to anywhere easily but I think a car will be near the top of the list once there is an income. It’s been a while. Most of the boxes are unpacked too, although there isn’t quite as much storage as I had hoped.

There are jacarandas everywhere and other flowering trees and shrubs to learn the names of. There are even Kookaburras in the park – never even saw or heard one around Bendigo in all that time.

The most surprising and refreshing thing has been the rain. In the last two weeks there has been at least 200% more precipitation than there was in an entire year in Central Victoria.

So far, it feels so much more like a place I want to be.

I’m looking forward to joining groups, meeting people and reconnecting with friends. I have completed my Diploma, results for my final assignment are due this week. It has been a tough 12 months, but I’m still looking on the bright side.

But my primary focus right now is still getting work. Watch this space.

#52Ancestors, Week 42, Conflict

I don’t think there have been any conflicts on the scale of the Montague and Capulet feud in my family. Sure there have been secrets and disagreements, everyone has those. But I’m not aware of any intergenerational feuds that have lasted so long that there are descendants still holding the grudge who never knew the antagonists.

I’m pretty sure there would have been conflicts over marriage partners, or children born out of wedlock. Many will have felt conflicted when leaving the village and all they had known, to emigrate to the other side of the world. Their parents and remaining family too would have been conflicted at their departure, while trying to understand or accept their motives. Or maybe a conflict was the catalyst for them to leave in the first place. Others will have been conflicted about their sons, husbands or brothers signing up to take part in a much larger conflict – fighting a battle that wasn’t personal.

Did they get annoyed when each of their siblings and cousins named their children the same names that they had chosen for their own ? I know I would feel a bit annoyed – but then, we are a lot more imaginative with our naming conventions now, so the chances are less likely.

Growing up the only conflicts I remember in our house were the battle to get me to eat peas, and the arguments about who was going to wash and who was going to dry the dishes. We each had our own bedroom, so there was no conflict about space and dividing the room down the middle which some of my friends endured. I do remember witnessing Mum giving the bank manager a telling off over Dad’s pay not being processed on time though.

We all handle conflict differently though. Some of us are explosive, others just shut down and say nothing or withdraw from the situation, then there are those of us who quietly fume under our skin which can’t be great for our blood pressure. Sometimes we mull over all the scenarios; lodge complaints, plan what we should say, and endeavour to manage our reactions.

Some of us are control freaks and things outside our control cause all sorts of internal conflict for us. Others are planners, list makers and when we need to deal with last minute people we can get quite testy. Yet others just cruise along and all the drama washes over them as they carry calmly along their way.

Which one are you ?

#52Ancestors, Week 40, Ten

Ten what ? Toes and fingers…Years…Children…Siblings…Living at #10…10xggrandparents…

Well what about the Gregorian calendar ? It is the one which most of us use every day. I don’t know lots about it, except that when we look back in time there are some dates which are dual dated.

And keeping to the TEN theme, it happened in October 1582.

Up until then the Julian calendar had been in use, since 46BC – time for a change in more ways than one then. The Julian calendar was similar in many ways to the Gregorian calendar; it had 12 months and included a leap year every four years. It was first introduced after Julius Caesar consulted with an astronomer named Sosigenes. It was based on a tropical year – calculated by the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. Leap days were to be added to February which was the last month of the year. by 450BC February had moved to its current position as 2^nd month of the year.

Leap years were not observed initially due to a counting error and then occurred every three years before being altered to be every four years. However, every four years was still too often and by the 16^th century important religious holidays were out of sync with astronomical dates such as equinoxes and solstices. The calculations adopted by Caesar were 11 minutes short over each solar/tropical year.

Pope Gregory XIII was concerned at the non-alignment of astronomical and religious events and issued a papal bull to adopt the new calendar. This calendar changed the frequency of leap years; to only occur in years which were divisible by 4 or 400 and not in years which are divisible 4 and 100 (making 1900 an exception). The calendar, although named for Pope Gregory, is actually an adaption of a calendar designed by Luigi Lilio (Aloysius Lilius) – 1510-1576 – an Italian scientist.

Of course it didn’t just happen overnight, although in some respects it did.

Catholic countries adopted it first as was decreed by the Church. But Protestants feared that the calendar was an attempt by the Catholic Church to silence them. The decree stated that the calendar the day after the Julian calendar October 4, 1582 would be Gregorian calendar 15 October 1582.

Most of the Protestant European countries also adopted the calendar by 1700. Britain held off. By the time they changed in September 1752 the difference between the Julian calendar and the Gregorian was ELEVEN days. Imagine the confusion travelling back and forth between France and Britain ! Jetlag and the International dateline has nothing on that.

In Britain in addition to skipping eleven days in September, the start of the year was moved from Lady Day (March 25) to January 1, 1752. For most users of the Julian calendar January 1 had been the start of the year since its inception in 46BC. During the Middle Ages European countries replaced it with dates which held more religious significance; December 25 and March 25 (the Feast of Annunciation).

The longer countries waited to adopt the calendar the more days they needed to miss. When Russia (1918), Greece (1923) and Turkey (1926) joined they needed to skip THIRTEEN days.

What happened to all those birthday celebrations that would normally have fallen in those “skipped” TEN, eleven, twelve or thirteen days ? Imagine telling your kids they don’t get a birthday this year, at least that only happens for leap babies now.

The calendar still isn’t perfect – by 4909 it is estimated that the Gregorian calendar will be one day ahead of the Julian. At least we wont need to worry about that correction.

#52Ancestors, Week 38, Unusual Source

What would be the most unusual source I have used, or made a discovery by using ? Hmmm.

Newspapers aren’t an unusual source, but I think they are often overlooked.

What is newsworthy today isn’t necessarily what was newsworthy in the past. Our communities were smaller and different events were of interest to our forebears who couldn’t just check their email o r smartphone to stay up to date.

Local sports fixtures – who knew cricket competitions between small towns was such a big thing when our nations were young, and that the Davys brothers were regularly members of their local team. Baking skills, vegetable and flower gardening, poultry too. Great grand uncle Thomas Vose was a member of his local and national Poultry Club and frequently had his White Leghorns competing in national egg-laying competitions. (I really must watch that movie.)

Marriages and engagements were often reported with great descriptions of what everyone wore and who the members of the bridal party were, sometimes what gifts were given was included. Other celebrations such as silver and golden wedding anniversaries, church gatherings, recitals and plays were often reported. How many of your relatives played instruments or acted ? You might be surprised.

Local businesses, council meetings, court affairs, who has been on holiday where, or who has come to visit, local and international news, shipping arrivals and departures, weather, school grades and examination results, accidents. It’s all there.

Birth notices, death and funeral notices might give you an exact date without having to buy a certificate. Death notices too often personalise those relatives we never knew, often listed by their nicknames or diminutives rather than their full names we have from official sources. Some are listed as Mrs so and so giving a clue to who they may have married, and often grandchildren’s names are there too.

My elusive great great grandfather Julius was mentioned in a death notice for one his apparent friends, a lodge was mentioned too. Was that a clue that Julius was a Mason or a Druid ?

So they aren’t unusual, but they are a treasure trove helping to build the character of those who are no longer here. Wouldn’t it be great if todays news was a little richer too.

#52Ancestors, Week 41, Sport

So, I’m a Kiwi.

I don’t play sport. I used to; netball and soccer mostly. Sometimes I think I should do so again.

I don’t think there has been anyone from the family in any national teams; maybe Roller Hockey ? But hey, New Zealand is so small everyone is pretty much separated by just two degrees, so the chances are that at least one distant cousin has worn BLACK for the country in one sport or another. I just haven’t discovered the link yet.

Sport is a pretty big thing in New Zealand. For a little country, everyone is fairly heavily invested in supporting their local and national teams. Regardless of who they are playing or what size or shape of ball is involved.

Rugby, League, Netball, Cricket even Football, Basketball, Softball, Hockey – we are all there; at the game or watching at home or in a local pub with our mates. Proudly wearing our team jerseys, be they national, regional or club level.

All Blacks, Black Ferns, Silver Ferns, Kiwis, Kiwi Ferns, Black Caps, White Ferns, All Whites, Tall Blacks, Black Ferns, Black Sox, White Sox, Black Sticks.

We are their biggest fans, and their harshest critics.

In a close game the nation collectively holds their breath, ‘til the final whistle is blown or the siren is sounded. The most fiercely contested rivalry is with our mates across the Tasman. If we aren’t in the game and they are, we might even back them. Our end of the planet against the world. ANZAC spirit.

But most of us wouldn’t go as far as wearing their jersey !

#52Ancestors, Week 39, On the Farm

There were lots of farms in different branches of my family. Sheep farmers, dairy farmers and orchardists. I remember going to visit some of Dad’s aunts who lived on farms near Hamilton, but only to visit for afternoon tea, on our best behaviour.

In February 1965 my grandmother remarried, to a farmer from Southland who had been a bachelor up until then. They had met on a cruise which Nana had gone on with a couple of her sisters and their husbands – part of a group of members of Federated Farmers. (Hope I have these bits right).

 

 Anyway, after they married Nana moved with Bert to his farm at Spar Bush, near Invercargill. SO far away from her family, sisters, nieces, nephews, sons and grandchildren. We stayed in contact by writing letters – well Mum and Dad did more than us. We also used to record our news on to Dad’s reel to reel tape recorder and they’d be packaged up and posted to Nana – then we would get one in return from her.

In December 1965, we left on the biggest school holiday trip we had ever had. I am sure I remember coming home from school and Mum was packing the car, shoving bits into little nooks and crannies. I think it might have been raining. I can’t remember though whether we left after Dad came home from work and drove to Whakamaru to stay with Nana and Grandad, or whether we left really early the next morning. I do remember though, that we stopped for a breakfast picnic by the side of Lake Taupo; at Mission Bay. Was this the time Dad forgot to pack his razor ? Or did Mark forget his jammies ?

Anyway, we went all over the place – we had Christmas in the snow at Milford Sound, and then went and stayed at Nana and Bert’s farm. I don’t remember too much about the operation of the farm at all. There was milking happening in the cowshed next door, on a farm run by one of Bert’s grand nephews. Their son Robert used to come to see us when he didn’t have work to do around the farm. His parents – or perhaps the people on the next farm – had Shetland ponies which I remember going to see one afternoon.

There was a monster vegetable garden, and sheep and cattle. And the kitchen seemed enormous with windows looking out to the farm and the morning sun pouring in.

Bert had a sheepdog, Tip. I suspect from other holidays there that there were different dogs, but they all seemed to be called Tip. Bert could whistle instructions to him so that he would round up the sheep and direct them to the paddock or pen that he wanted them to move to. There was a fluffy cat too – named Fluffy. She seemed to have kittens in tow each time we visited.

 One night a bull got through the gate and into the vegetable garden. I remember a bit of consternation among the adults, but he was steered back to the correct paddock and the beans and peas were a little worse for the wear on inspection in the morning.

So there you have it – on the farm. There is probably more, but it is all a bit muddly in my memory so I will need to spend some time getting it all into chronological order for another time.

#52Ancestors, Week 34, Non-Population

I have been puzzling about this one for over a month, and I am still not sure what to write about.

I have found people on sort-of non -population records; Sheep owners, Wise’s or Kelly’s street directories, depasturising notifications etc. But none with anything really riveting to write about. I did think about the family of my great great grandmother. They lived near Imber, Wiltshire in the 19^th century. Some of their descendants may have been among the families ordered to leave and never return when the Ministry of Defence took over ownership of the surrounding area on the Salisbury Plain during World War Two. But is that really non-population ?

So. For many years I volunteered with GirlGuiding New Zealand. Each year we were required to undertake a simple census recording the numbers of girls in each age group, the numbers of units in each district, the number of leaders in each unit, the numbers who had attained specific proficiencies and the number of leaders who had completed training qualifications.

I don’t have any examples of them as they were all returned to Head Office to assist them with long term planning for the organisation.

But – between 1993 and 2010 if you were a leader or a girl member in Onslow chances are you will be one of the numbers on one of my returns.

Just like me.