Several years ago, eight old letters written between 1835 and 1849 were discovered in an old family trunk in Tasmania. They were written by Cornish relatives to the French and associated families who had emigrated to Van Diemen’s Land in 1831 and 1833. Letter from William and Anne (nee Blake) Bound One letter was written […]

The only girl ever to attend the Launceston Junior Technical School The 1946 Launceston Junior Technical School Technicalities magazine recorded for the Old Boys Association – “We welcome back to the Association Mrs Gardner(sic) who was the only girl to attend the Launceston Junior Technical School. Mrs Gardner (sic) was then Miss J. Littler and […]

When looking through the original land grants at Bishopsbourne, Tasmania the name of Thomas Collicott appeared, and not knowing anything about him, decided to make an investigation of him and his family. The following pages reveal some information discovered on his association with Bishopsbourne, his life’s activities and that of his immediate family. Physical Features […]

John Alexander Jackson (1809-1885) who had strong connections with Tasmania, joined the English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank Limited at its foundation in 1851, with branches being opened in Australia soon after. He had been recruited by Bank directors in London to the position of Senior Audit Manager, with stationing to be at Melbourne. His […]

Dad, Eric, continued to follow the occupation of his father, Melvyn, and both Grandfathers, William Badcock and Isaac Richardson, that of a mixed farmer growing various crops and the running of stock. The family held to the philosophy of “not having all eggs in the one basket”, the thought being that if one segment was […]

STEAM ENGINES Steam engines were never numerous in the Bishopsbourne, Tasmania or Green Rises districts but did play an important part in farming for at least 70 years until being replaced by the tractor in the 1940’s. The earliest engines were stationary units and were moved from place to place by teams of bullocks, however, […]

Coins  are very much part of our lives, and are used to transfer value when we purchase goods, or make a donation, meet car parking fees and with small coins sometimes being used as screw drivers, amongst other uses. We think of coins as being of either gold, silver or copper. When Australia was settled […]

Originally published in the Cornwall Family History Society Journal 157, September 2015.