Jan (Jaan) Ferdinand Jouke Boersma (1943-2020)

Jaan Boersma was dux of the Launceston Technical High School in 1959, gaining eight credits from all eight subjects which  provided a springboard for his distinguished career. Jaan, as an eight year old, arrived in Tasmania from Holland with his parents and siblings. Here he completed his primary school education at the Cormiston Road State […]

Scrivener – Bishop – Brownrigg Families

James “Simon” Scrivener (1815-1845) and Mary Ann Scrivener (nee Bishop) (1814-1907) and second husband, William Brownrigg (1811-1875) James Simon Scrivener, known as Simon, and Mary Ann Bishop were my g.g. grandparents they arrived together at Launceston, Tasmania on 6 March 1840. They departed London/Gravesend on 2 October 1839 with 60 passengers travelling aboard the 297-ton […]

Edgar Shreeve Scrivener & Ipswich Photographs (1845 -1915)

Edgar was a cousin of Susan Badcock (nee Scrivener) and they corresponded for about 40 years. In his letter of 25 July 1910, he included eight photos of scenes around Ipswich, England. Edgar operated as an ironmonger merchant and “oil and colour man”. Other Scriveners were photographers. The Scrivener family had lived at Ipswich for generations. […]

Vaughan Drag Saw

In 1924 Grandfather Page (John Thomas) purchased an American made Vaughan portable drag saw to help with his timber cutting operations. He continued to use it for almost 30 years until going blind in the 1950s. Over the near 30 years from purchase he cut vast amounts of timber with the machine. On several occasions, […]