May 2020 Issue of MacFarlane’s Lantern Now Available In the Members Area

MacFarlane’s Lantern No. 149–May 2020 is now available in the Members Area along with back issues.  Please click on Membership Info in the main menu if you are interested in joining.

• Published amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and with memories of the catastrophic bushfires over summer, this issue opens by paying tribute to front-line emergency workers and also those providing essential services in our community.
• We share some ‘MacFarlane Memories’, including photos of Julian Millar, Duncan McFarlane and Ron Robb, (pages 2-3).
• In ‘Flowers of the Forest’ we report on the passing of two members of the Scottish community. We also welcome new members who have joined our society since November 2019, (page 3).
•  In ‘Gravestone Transcriptions’, Glenda Dickson reports on an opportunity to volunteer from home with ‘2nd Pass Transcriptions’ at BillionGraves; while Anita Renfrey brings to our notice the book School of the Moon: The Highland Cattle Raiding Tradition; which is followed by some  ‘Clishmaclaver’ – a Scottish word for idle talk, gossip, or empty chatter, (page 4).
• ‘Bundaberg’ is a poem published in 1910 about the Scots who attended a gathering in Queensland; ‘Is this your MacFarlane?’ highlights a missing relative message from 1909 for a Robert McFarlane, Stamford, Queensland; ‘The Last Chief’ outlines how our Clan came to have no Chief, and how a claim could be made for the Chiefship, (page 5).
• ‘The MacFarlane Family of Perth, Scotland’, is a follow-up to an article published in the May 2018 issue, (No. 145), ‘MacFarlane Photos Unearthed’; while ‘Soldiers of the Queen’ is a website dedicated to researching British military photographs from the Victorian era, (page 6).
• ‘The Chasin’ O’ the Hat’ is a poem about ‘MacFarlane’, who is joined by others as he tries to retrieve his hat after the wind takes hold of it, (page 7).
•  ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 1846’ has an extract for the parish of Tulliallan, in the county of Perth, (page 8).
•  In ‘McFARLAN/MacFARLAND’ you will find an explanation for these variations in the spelling of the MacFarlane name; we also suggest you try this classic Scottish recipe, ‘Cock-a-Leekie-Soup’, (page 9).
• ‘Anzac Day’ – Our President, Jason Moore is pictured playing the bagpipes, and we highlight Private Leslie William Laurence McFarlane (4113) from South Grafton, New South Wales, who enlisted in 1916 aged 20; which is followed by ‘Grannie Mac’s’ memories of holiday time when she was a wee lassie, (page 10).
• ‘Coming Events’ lists more cancellations and postponements due to the current pandemic, (page 11).