Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club – End of Year Concert – Sunday 7 December 2014 – Balwyn, Victoria
11th Battalion A.I.F. at Khufu (Cheops) Pyramid, Giza, Egypt – 10 January 1915
Cheops Pyramid: Amateur detectives identify Gallipoli-bound diggers in WW1 photo mystery
This is the headline for a story published on 11th November, Remembrance Day, about an ambitious project being carried out by a team of researchers at the Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc. (WAGS). They are aiming to identify all of the Australian soldiers posing on the steps of this huge Egyptian pyramid shortly before they were shipped off to the battlegrounds of Gallipoli in 1915. Many of these men never returned home.
The men pictured were all from the original contingent of officers and men of the 11th Battalion A.I.F. who embarked Fremantle in Western Australia on the 31st October 1914 and joined the convoy from Albany destined for Egypt.
Of the 703 men in the photo, 200 have been identified so far (highlighted in colour in this version of the photograph). The team at WAGS need your help to try and identify the rest of the men by the centenary of the day the photograph was taken, 10th January 2015.
One of the men listed on the Nominal Roll for the 11th Battalion A.I.F. was an officer in A. Company – 2nd Lieutenant Archibald Henry MACFARLANE whose next of kin were from Perth, Western Australia.
ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO!
On Sunday 16 November 2014, the Immigration Museum will be hosting a special one-day community festival to mark the opening of a new community exhibition exploring Scottish migration to Victoria. It will be a colourful celebration of Scottish culture and traditions still practiced across the state. The festival will feature community performers, speakers, stalls, food, and other activities.
11am – 4pm
Entry $12 for adults, free for children and all concession holders (inc. seniors, students, carers etc.)
For further information please visit the Museum Victoria website:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whatson/scottish-festival/
or telephone 131102 (Victoria only) or (03) 9927 2700 (Australia Wide)
Immigration Museum, Old Customs House, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria
The 11th Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival will run from Sunday 24th May, 2015 through to Sunday 31st May in Wingham, New South Wales.
The program begins on Sunday 24th May with a Scottish Concert at the Catholic Church followed by a Genealogy Fair on Thursday 28th May at the Wingham Services Club. On Friday 29th May there is a full program commencing with a Bravehearts Poets Breakfast at the Anglican Church Hall, and a District Bus Tour (Wingham Historical Museum) and ending with a Scots Night Out at the Wingham Services Club.
On Saturday 30th May there will be a Street Parade followed by Highland Games at Central Park from 9.00 am to 4.00pm. In the evening there is a Grand Scottish Ball at the Wingham Services Club.
The festivities continue on, with the final event on Sunday 31st May being a Luncheon and Ceilidh/Concert at the Wingham Services Club.
Please see the full program for details, as some events require bookings.
Scottish House Australia invite you to join them for lunch to celebrate their first 20 years.
Sat 22nd Nov, 11am-3pm
Campsie RSL Club, Anglo Road, Campsie, New South Wales
Entertainment includes comedienne Toni Stevens, who will “Address the Haggis”, sing, tell a tale or two, and MC. John MacDonald, Scotland’s own international accordion/ entertainer/ comedian, now living in Australia, will have us in stitches. And wee highland dancers the “Pocket Scots” have the “aw” factor. Piper for the day will be Rob McLean.
Cost $35 pp/ Children (12 & under) $17.50, includes delicious roast buffet, choice of sweets and tea/coffee. Drinks can be purchased at the bar. Prizes and surprises. All good clean fun. Families encouraged. Join us to celebrate the first 20 years; may there be many more.
Enquiries: info@scottishhouse.org.au
Life in the Burghs of Auld
A 17th century dictum from the council of the royal burgh of Dumbarton ruled that the ‘bailies’ of the town must be informed, by all means possible, of ‘All idill maisterless men or unprofitable men within the parische.’
The town authorities were not merely reviewing local unemployment figures, but were enacting a much older law dating back to the time of King David I (1124~53). David was a younger son of Malcolm III (Canmore) by his second wife, Margaret (later canonised as Saint Margaret). Young David spent much of his youth among his mother’s folk in England, where he seems to have become firmly addicted to the doctrines of Feudalism ~ a system of government brought into Britain from France in 1066 by William the Conqueror.
The basic credo of feudalism demanded that ‘every man should find him a lord, who would take him under his protection’ ~ in theory, the king was seen as lord of lords who ruled supreme. Thus, young David saw the personal benefits of such a programme, and no sooner had his regal posterior warmed the cushion on the Scottish throne than he set about putting his newfound ideas into effect. read more…
On Sunday 2 November, 2014, an anniversary picnic will mark the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the ship “David Clark” bringing the first assisted immigrants to Melbourne, all of whom were Scots. To view the full index of passengers please click here (then search for the ship “David Clark”).
A brief look at the index reveals PETER MCFARLANE as one of the passengers who arrived on the “David Clark” in October, 1839. We would love to hear from anyone with further information on this person.
The anniversary picnic is to be held at the historic farm “Gulf Station” at Yarra Glen, which was established by William Bell, a “David Clark” passenger. In 1989 the farm hosted a day of celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the ship’s arrival.
For full details of the event please click here.
The organisers hope especially to reach descendants of “David Clark” immigrants but everyone is welcome.
If any bagpiper would like to play, please email the Gulf Station’s manager, Ken Dague (gulfstation@nattrust.com.au) for a place in the program.
Scottish Valuation Rolls for 1875
ScotlandsPeople have just announced that the Valuation Rolls (VR) for 1875 are now available on their website. More importantly, the index is FREE TO SEARCH and can be browsed free of charge until 31st December 2014.
The Valuation Rolls for 1875 will enable a search (by name and address) for property owners, tenants and occupiers across the whole of Scotland. This can often reveal valuable information about the years between Census records.
You can find out more about the release of the Valuation Rolls here.
From Friday 7th through to Sunday 9th November 2014, the historic town of Beechworth in central Victoria will celebrate all things Celtic. The program will include live music, theatre, dancing, comedy, village markets, pipe bands and a street parade. To read more about this upcoming event, please click on the following link:
In the September issue of MacFarlane’s Lantern (No. 131) is the first part of a report by our Membership Secretary, Anita Renfrey on her recent tour of Ireland and Scotland with members of our kindred society, Clan MacFarlane Worldwide.
A full copy of the newsletter is available in our Members Area, but you can read Anita’s report below:
Anita’s Travels (Part One) – From Dublin to Derry
Part Two will be included in the December issue of the newsletter.
