I joined the Air Training Corps (ATC) in 1957 as part of the Launceston Technical High School 7 Flight group, continuing until December 1960. It was stated as being the largest Flight group in Tasmania. During that time, I rose through the ranks from Cadet to Commissioned Under Officer (CUO), the highest rank achievable. […]
Author: Ivan Badcock
HINGSTON: James & Family
James and six of his children arrived at Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in August 1842, travelling aboard the 95-ton brig, “Scout”, from Port Phillip, Melbourne to Launceston. Besides James, the children were Henry, William, Elizabeth, John, James and Robert. The Hingston name is now widely known across the north of Tasmania. In Devon, England […]
Richardson Brothers: Isaac & Simeon
Isaac Richardson – 10 Feb 1804 d. 13 Mar 1873 Simeon Richardson – 21 Jun 1807 d. 6 Oct 1893 Our Richardson family reached Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land, on 18 November 1831 aboard the 638 ton convict transport “Lord Lyndoch”. They sailed from England on 27 July 1831 carrying 266 convicts which included Isaac and […]
John William (William) Chapman 1792-1852
William Chapman was born at Hatfield Broad Oak in Essex, England the eldest son of Isaac Robert Chapman (1761-1850) and Elizabeth Catharina nee Blandy (1770-1847). At the age of 13, he was convicted of stealing one sheep and two lambs and received the death penalty but was reprieved and transported to Australia for life. He […]
Ivan John Badcock’s U.K. Forbears to Australia
This article includes a list of Ivan’s British Forbears, including when they arrived in Australia and on which ship, along with other interesting information about each person. Many are featured in expanded articles on History Over Dinner. YEAR/SHIP NAME RANK RESIDENCE U.K. & NOTES 1788Scarborough (First Fleet) Herbert, John Alexander Convict London (1767-1846), tried at the […]
A history of mining at Williamsford, Mount Read in Tasmania
Williamsford was once a bustling and progressive community, with activities centering around mining which commenced in 1896 and continuously operating apart from several short shutdowns, till closing in 1986. There are now no residents. The town was located on the lower slopes of the heavily timbered 3,684-foot-high Mount Read, five miles south of Rosebery, on […]
Pieman River, Western Tasmania – 1963
The Pieman River is to be found near Rosebery and in 1963 was still free flowing but has since been dammed to produce electricity and is now covered by water and known as Lake Rosebery. The Pieman River commences at Tullah with the joining together of the McIntosh and Murchison Rivers. They have 21 tributaries […]
ABT railway excursion between Queenstown & Strahan – 1963
In 1963, the Mt. Lyell Mining and Railway Co. Ltd decided to close their rail line between Queenstown and Strahan, due to the high cost of maintaining the line. Closure was scheduled by the end of June 1963. A group from our Rosebery Methodist Church decided to take the very scenic trip before closure and […]
Tullah, Tasmania – 1963
Tullah is located on the West Coast of Tasmania around five miles north of Rosebery but separated by mountainous terrain limiting contact between the two centres. There probably was a walking track enabling some limited contacts. A connecting road was opened around 1960. Tullah was a mining town and very isolated. The only main access […]
Commercial Bank of Tasmania – Zeehan Branch
A branch of the Commercial Bank of Tasmania was opened at Zeehan in early 1891. The Bank, the second oldest in Australia, commenced in Tasmania with the opening of a branch in 1838 at Macquarie Street, Hobart. Further branches followed at a number of centres in Tasmania, and when they sold the business in April […]