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I just love history

~ Local and Family History

I just love history

Category Archives: Events

Special Memories

09 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Family History, Important news

≈ 1 Comment

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David Solo, Dr Joan Elizabeth HUNT, Gary Hunt, Jamie Solo, Paul Solo

This morning I received a very special email from the Gisborne Genealogical Group – they sent me a photo from just two weeks ago – a VERY special photo reproduced here with the permission of the Gisborne Genealogical Group.

The reason it is so special – Joan Hunt and I were the presenters at the Gisborne Genealogical Group’s Land Records seminar.  It was a terrific day with a terrific audience.  It was also the last time I saw Joan.

I spoke to her the following week when she and Gary were generously chasing up photos from Linton for another friend who had just lost his father and brother in a fire at Ocean Grove.  His late Mum’s ancestors were from Linton and he had lost his family and most of his family history archives in that fire.

This is a special photo because of the smile it brings to my face remembering Joan.  It’s how I remember her – vibrant, generous, knowledgeable and constantly teaching all who heard her speak.

It also reminds me of two people I feel most for at a tragic time like this – Gary – Joan’s soul-mate, and Jamie who lost his father and brother – the last members of his immediate family.  My thoughts and prayers go to both of them.

Vale Dr Joan Hunt

07 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Local History, Personal History

≈ 2 Comments

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Dr Joan Elizabeth HUNT

I’m still numb with shock – my heart goes out to Gary and my thoughts and prayers are with Gary and their family.

My thoughts are also with the myriads of people and groups who have been touched by Joan’s incredible knowledge and support with both local and family history.

Facebook pages:

  • Joan Elizabeth HUNT
  • Victoria AU Genealogy

See my Special Memories of Joan.

Still some vacancies – Thursday 30th August 2018 – see you there?

29 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Family History, Geelong Football Club

≈ 1 Comment

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AFL, Football, Football Families, Geelong Family History Group, Geelong Football Club, Geelong Heritage Centre, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, National Family History Month, NFHM, VFL

I’m talking about the National Family History Month Closing Ceremony being held in Geelong tomorrow, Thursday 30th August 2018.  It’s free and full of great entertainment, including afternoon tea.

It’s being co-hosted by the Geelong Family History Group and the Geelong Heritage Centre.  Members of the Family History Group have had a special preview of our keynote speaker – Col Hutchinson – he spoke to our group about local (Geelong) football families.  Even a couple of non-football-loving members said how much they enjoyed Col’s presentation!

It’s all about Football Families and the amazing family connections.

And a special thank you to groups around Australia who have contributed images and details of their National Family History Month events for the special slideshow that you’ll see tomorrow – during the prize draws and afternoon tea.

A great afternoon ahead – hope to see you there.

NFHM – prize drawer closing in THREE days!

17 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Family History, Geelong Football Club, Important news, Local History

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Closing Ceremony, Geelong, Geelong Family History Group, Geelong Heritage Centre, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, GFHG, GHC, GL&HC, National Family History Month, NFHM, Prizes

Have you found the details of how you and/or your organisation can enter the amazing prize draw for National Family History Month?  You have until Monday 20 August 2018!

And of course the title should be DRAW and not DRAWER (auto spelling – grrr) – but if I change the title the FB links won’t work! 😦

To register for the draw, go to the NFHM SPONSORS page and read all the details from the generous sponsors and how to register.

And while you’re at it, have a good look at the NFHM Closing Ceremony details.  This is being co-hosted by the Geelong Family History Group and the Geelong Heritage Centre.  You have until Monday 27th to register – remember bookings are ESSENTIAL and LIMITED.

It’s really easy to get to from Melbourne and country Victoria.  And of course there is no reason you can’t combine a trip to the Closing Ceremony with a research day at the amazing Geelong Heritage Centre.

Always check the HOME page

05 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Family History, Warnings

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BDM Certificates, BDMs, Certificates, Planned Outage, Victorian

Most of us have links to specific web pages that we use regularly BUT this is why it’s important to check the HOME page.

Planned outage

There is a planned outage on Saturday 7 April 2018 from 10am to 2pm due to network upgrade.

During this time you will not be able to access our online services.

We apologise for the inconvenience.

You might change your plans or times for your Family History research this weekend!

 

VAFHO Family History Expo in Sale, April 2018

20 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Important news, VAFHO

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Family History Expo, Sale 2018, VAFHO

Start planning NOW to get to the VAFHO Family History Expo in Sale – it’s just 2 months away so a good time to make bookings and plan your visit to Sale.

VAFHO has a web site and blog that will continue to give you updates on the Expo – the details, the speakers, the exhibitors, and anything you need to know about the Expo.

History comes alive!

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Heritage, My projects

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Businesses, Ocean Grove, Shops, The Terrace, videos

History can come alive in video even if it’s static photos.

This image is of Ocean Grove shows the main shopping strip – The Terrace – from the corner of Presidents Avenue near the bottom right up to the intersection with Hodgson Street at the top left.  The building at the top left is the Corner Store on the south east corner of The Terrace.

Watch these amazing videos of The Terrace.

Blowing up the Milo tin !

12 Tuesday Dec 2017

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, My Family, Personal History

≈ 5 Comments

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Drumsticks, Family History, Games, Peters Ice Cream

What?  What has that got to do with history?  Well a lot more than you think but you’ll have to be patient.  I have to set the scene, explain the background, then we’ll get to the blowing up bit.  The big problem is where to start.

I think it has to start with my darling late Dad.  He would have been 95 tomorrow – 13th December 2017.  I think about my Dad often – and ‘chat’ to him regularly.  He died far too young – back in 1989 – but in my mind he is as alive today as way back when those Milo tins were getting blown up.

But I digress – a bad habit I have.

My brother and I had a totally decadent upbringing – Dad was Production Manager of Peter’s Ice Cream and we were the official taste testers of EVERYTHING that came out of that factory.  There’s a special photo of Fussy and me in an earlier blog.  Fussy is my brother – two years older – and he was called Fussy because our surname was Fussen (French) but as a little tacker I couldn’t say ‘Graham’ – Fussy was MUCH easier to say!  And more than 60 years later he’s still called Fussy!  And of course he answers to it.

See – I said I have a bad habit of digressing!  Back to Peter’s Ice Cream.  That’s the factory in Adelaide although Dad started at Peter’s in Taree, then Grafton before the family moved to Adelaide.

The two-storey part at the front was Dad’s floor – his office, laboratory, cool room, and a view and access to the factory floor below.

Getting back to that decadent upbringing – Fussy and I would get home from school, grab our homework and run around to the factory and upstairs to Dad’s area.  What new exciting concoction had Dad created that he needed an honest opinion on?

Of course the BIG one was the Drumstick – yes, our Dad created Drumsticks.  And lemonade ice blocks and all sorts of other things.  Every kid’s fantasy!  And of course the workers at the factory also believed in spoiling the boss’s kids.  Can you image a birthday party when a team of men jogged around from the factory with a special ice cream cake for me.  Remember the little plastic dolls with a fancy ice cream skirt?  Well, the reason for the special trip from the factory – that doll was bigger than ME – I think it was my sixth birthday.

There I go – digressing again.  Drumsticks – some years ago I met my brother in Mount Gambier.  He lived in Adelaide, and still does, and I was living in Ocean Grove at the time – Mount Gambier was about half way and he was there at a Rotary Conference.  He stayed on so we could have a bit of time together.  We went down to Port Macdonnell doing the tourist bit.  We remembered we had been there on a holiday with Mum and Dad when we were quite young.  We were about to walk out on the very long jetty when Fussy yelled … WAIT!  Why?  He ran across the road and bought two drumsticks – we couldn’t reminisce about Dad without having a Drumstick!

In the early 60s we moved from the house around the corner from the factory to the house that Dad built – and he really did build most of it.  He hired the tradesmen and worked side-by-side with them every weekend until we were able to move into our first ‘real’ home in Adelaide.

OK – I’m getting to the Milo tin but this is an important part of it.  It was a two-storey house – my bedroom was the dormer window on the left and Fussy was in the one on the right.  We had our ‘wardrobes’ in the eaves of the roof and for two little tackers it was so easy to crawl from one room to the other via the built-in-wardrobes.  We rigged up a string on hooks just inside each cupboard door and attached a small cardboard letter box which we could send to and fro simply by pulling the right string.  And of course we rigged up a small bell to signal when there was mail.  Just like on your computer these days – You’ve got mail!

Back then there weren’t as many obstacles in the front yard and there was no roller door blocking the driveway – it was important to be able to run quickly from the back yard to the front yard.  YES – this is ALL relevant!

Although we’d moved further away from the factory we were still regular visitors to the tasting laboratory a number of times each week.  Dad was also the ‘ice-cream’ man for our school fetes.  He would pack up the big green canvas bags with the obligatory dry ice in the bottom.  The walls of the green bags were a good four inches thick – heavy insulation.  On top of the dry ice was a thick wad of newspaper, then the bag was chock-a-block full of Dixie Cups (ice-creams) to be sold at the school fetes.  Dad had a trailer that was loaded up at the factory with a number of canvas bags that he would then deliver to the schools.  He’d also collect the bags to go back to the factory and sometimes there were a number at home in the carport or on the back verandah.  The ice cream was all gone but that dry-ice lasted forever.

OK – I’M GETTING THERE!

Because we spent so much time roaming around the factory, in and out of the freezer rooms, and helping Dad load up the big green canvas bags, it was essential that we were taught about the dangers of dry-ice and how to handle it without burning the skin off our fingers.

OK – ARE YOU READY?  Back in the 60s we didn’t have computers and the electronic games etc that are so prevalent today.  We made our own fun and games and unless it was bucketting down we spent weekends outside.  The neighbourhood kids gathered at our place because we had the best game – and their parents were happy – as long as they could hear the explosions they knew where their kids were!

Of course these days we wouldn’t be able to blow up Milo tins – for LOTS of reasons including:

  • We wouldn’t be able to get hold of dry-ice
  • Milo tins aren’t real tins any more – they’re foil lined cardboard or thin tin – not nearly sturdy enough for our needs
  • Our game would be deemed too dangerous – no-one EVER got hurt!

It was SO MUCH FUN and we got HEAPS OF EXERCISE.

This is how the game worked.  Only Fussy and I could set up the ‘bomb’ as we were trainined in the use of dry-ice.  We knew exactly how much water to put in the milo tin and exactly what size piece of dry-ice.  We pounded the lid on so that only a really good explosion would blow it off.  We also had a little mound of sand to tilt the Milo tin at the right angle.  This was all done in the back yard so all the kids in the front yard couldn’t see what we were doing.

Then we ran like blazes to the front yard (with no roller door blocking our path), and then we waited, and waited, and waited, and then BANG.  That’s why it wouldn’t work these days – the Milo tin was STRONG so that only the lid blew off and the tin stayed intact.  The lid went flying up in the air, OVER the two-storey house, and into the waiting arms of the excited mob of kids in the front yard.  The winner was the one who caught or grabbed the lid first.  Lots of cheering and shouting.  And then we did it all over again … and AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN.

We never tired of blowing up that old Milo tin.  We sometimes stopped for lunch – a picnic lunch that Mum or one of the other mothers supplied – then it was back to blowing up the Milo tin.  All the other kids understood that you needed special training to set up the ‘bomb’.  There were never arguments about it, just the excitement of waiting to see the lid come flying over the roof of the house.

By the end of the day we were exhausted but happy and safe.  The explosions stopped and the other Mum’s knew their little darlings were on their way home.

Now do you understand why Dad’s birthday tomorrow reminded me of blowing up Milo tins?  Oh, and of course tomorrow I will be eating a Drumstick and ‘chatting’ with Dad.  And YES – this is all important history that should be recorded.  These days I have diabetes but one of the first things I worked through with my Diabetes Educator was how I could eat an occasional Drumstick without causing havoc with my blood sugar levels.

It’s a bit like making a toast with Champagne or Whiskey – in our family we make a toast with Drumsticks!

Happy Birthday Dad – love you lots.

Geelong Heritage Centre – this weekend

16 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by Susie Zada in Events, Important news

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Geelong Heritage Centre, Research

 

A great opportunity for locals and out-of-towners to research at the Geelong Heritage Centre this weekend.

As part of the Word for Word Festival the Heritage Centre will be open Saturday AND Sunday this weekend.

SATURDAY: 10am – 5pm

SUNDAY: 10am – 4pm

Do we belong here?

04 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by Susie Zada in Essentials, Events

≈ 2 Comments

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Do we belong here, Graeme Davison, MUST read, Victorian Community History Awards

Sometimes you just have to read something!  It’s not very long – less than 1,670 words – in fact less than 4 pages.

I challenge anyone who has ever done any family or local history research to read this and not want to go back for more or to pass it on to others.

Graeme is well known for a number of books such as the Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne.  On 16th October 2017 Graeme spoke at the 2017 Victorian Community History Awards at the Arts Centre in Melbourne – fortunately you can read his words in the Public Record Office Victoria blog.

I hope this blog never disappears as it deserves to be read again and again.

In fact if you ever find it missing, I’ve copied the text to a safe place and would not hesitate to ask for it to be reinstated.

Enjoy – it’s definitely worth reading.

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