~11th December 2002 ~  

Hawkesbury Family History Group 2003

Today is the last meeting of the group for 2002. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 12th February 2003 as there is no meeting in January. Michelle & the library staff would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe Christmas and will catch up with you all in the new year.

Dennis Gosper

Dennis Gosper passed away on the 22nd November 2002 after a short illness. Dennis will be remembered for his long association with research on the Gosper family, his involvement in the Gosper Family History Association and
author of "The Pragmatic Pioneers" published in 1991. He has also been a longtime supporter & member of the Hawkesbury Family History Group and a speaker on several occasions.

New book available on the NSW Goldfields

Diary of a Goldfield (a day to day account of life on the Gulgong Goldfield
1871-1873 by Barry Baldwin & Ruth Boyd-Davis now available for sale for $35 + P&H $6.50. Contact 6374 1937.

Bega Valley Forebears

Bega Valley Genealogy Society has recently published "Bega Valley Pioneer Register-Pre Federation" 2nd ed and copies are now available for sale for $40 + $9 P&H. Send cheque or money order to Bega Valley Genealogy Society, PO Box 19, Pambula 2549

Seasons Greetings

Hazel & Bill Reidy and Lillian Smith send their greetings to the group.

Surfing the internet**. Sites for family historians

The Library has free access to the internet, contact 4560 4460 for bookings. Richmond also has access, for bookings phone 4578 2002.

Ancestral Scotland (for persons researching in Scotland) www.ancestralscotland.com

Old Windsor Hospital (Commemorative booklet for the official opening of the restoration PDF file) www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/hawkesbury/tourism/hospital/brochure_cover.pdf

Police history - Australia www.standard.net.au/~jwilliams/police1.htm

World War Two Nominal Roll (Australia) www.ww2roll.gov.au

Great North Road Convict Trail Project http://www.convicttrail.org/convicts.htm

Let us know of any new addresses, that you have tried with (or without) success

Member's Profile

We have been featuring a section called "Member's Profiles" providing details of members. More are needed. Details required include a bit about yourself, your background, and your interest in family history & importantly the names you are researching. We will keep featuring this article as long as members contribute. To date we have featured Ian Brothers, Del Swain, Des
Nicholson, John Norris, Hazel & Bill Reidy, Grace Douglass, Don & Jill Mills, Sue Bennett, Laurie Hession, Laurel Legge, Michelle Nichols, Ernie Byrnes, Judith Norris, Elaine Greentree, Graham Thom, Wendy Stalker, Trish Moon, Robynne Winley, Geoff Ford & Loreley Morling.

Member's Profile - Eric Cupitt

I was born and raised in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale. I was the fourth of four boys, and I tell anyone (that wants to listen) that my parents couldn't perfect the male side any better than me so they had a girl and then called it quits. At school I always had an interest in history and was disappointed with the fact that very little (if any) Australian history was being taught.

In 1982 I was posted to Townsville with the Army and this is where I currently reside.

In 1986 I attended a family reunion on my Mother's side (ELBOURN) and it was at this reunion that my interest in history was rekindled. This led me to an ongoing active interest (in my retirement) into the CUPITT family and its long associated history. Sixteen years later I have written four books about my family history, including an ongoing index that records about 99% of Australian born Cupitt's, born descendants of George & Mary Cupitt (nee Wicks). George & Mary Cupitt arrived in Australia onboard the Ganges on the 2nd June 1797. George was a Private in the NSW Corps and very little is known about Mary WICKS.

In 1995 I met Michelle Nichols for the first time and Michelle informed me that although the CUPITT family were a pioneer family of the Hawkesbury area, there was very little information readily available on them in the Hawkesbury library. To rectify this situation I have submitted several articles to the Hawkesbury Crier, along with donated copies of my books. In 1997, along with a cousins, David Cupitt of Vineyard, organised the Cupitt Bicentennial Reunion which was held at Windsor during the October long weekend. There was over 400 people signed the visitors' book, which was a very pleasing result.