DID you know in our district there are 2700 missing graves?
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The fact we know this information is thanks to the dedicated voluntary work and research of the Family History Society Singleton Inc, which this month celebrates its 30th birthday.
One of the foundation members of the organisation, John Tindale, said members had carried out a thorough research of the district’s 67 separate burial sites and documented all the headstones.
“But obviously there are many missing headstones; perhaps one answer may be the fact people were buried on private land or wooden crosses were used to mark the graves and they were lost in bushfires,” he said.
“We are also hampered in our research because so many local documents were lost during the 1955 flood.
“But our members will keep trying to locate the missing graves because that information helps people research their family history.”
John, along with two other foundation members Miriam Knight and Dot Clayworth, reminisced about the early days of the organisation and how much they loved the fact their research or documents held by them leads to families reconnecting.
“It’s a pleasure finding the information that links families together – that’s the wonderful part of our organisation and we have achieved that many, many times,” the society’s long term researcher, Dot, said.
“I just wish people would realise not everything on the internet is true or reliable,” said this indomitable primary source research guru.
“And once it’s on the internet people think it must be accurate and often it isn’t.
“I get very cranky about all this fuss saying how the best thing is the internet.”
Despite Dot’s concerns about the internet, all three agree it has it uses when people outside the region, interstate or overseas are looking for information.
“We get many requests from people who live interstate, for example, and the internet is a real help for us and them,” president Lyn MacBain said.
But, back to the beginning of the organisation, Miriam said it all began when she and some other locals attended a family history course at the WEA in Newcastle.
“From there we held a meeting and formed the group in 1984 and we used to meet in the bowling club near Albion Park,” she said.
“At that time we started the Pioneer Registrar and began collecting documents.
“A real boost to the organisation took place around the bicentenary in 1988 – people started to want to know more about their family history and even trying to find out if they came from convict stock.
“Because up until that time, it wasn’t considered fashionable to admit your family tree contained a convict.”
The organisation’s collection, valued at between $60,000 and $70,000, is housed in the Mechanics Institute in George Street.
John estimates there would be 2000 items catalogued in their library.
“We have purchased part of the catalogue and fortunately many items have been donated,” he said.
Among their documents are a collection of obituary and death notices plus many microfiche records such as shipping notices.
All three members said the foundations of any family history research must involve birth, death and marriage records.
“Sometimes we can connect families, sometimes we can’t and people get very frustrated but that’s just what happens,” John said.
Lyn MacBain added people sometimes romanticise their family history and that often causes a lot of confusion for later generations.
At present the organisation is busy helping people trace connections with their military history, due in part to next year’s the centenary of WWI.
The society’s military history collection is expanding as is the general collection and the group welcomes interest from people who wish to contribute.
The Family History Society Singleton Inc library opens Wednesdays and Saturdays afternoons, and the first Monday night of the month, or by appointment.
Further details can be obtained on 6573 1848 or 6572 2235.