A Night to Remember

NSW Premier, Barry O'Farrell, with local MPs, Ku-ring-gai Mayor, Jennifer Anderson and members of the Society Executive at the dinner last night.

150 members and guests gathered last night at Roseville Golf Club to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our Society.

Thanks to the Dinner sub-committee, chaired by Don Nicholson, for organising such a splendid event.

In the coming days we will be sharing, here on this blog, some of the many photos taken at the event.

We're Celebrating Today

Members and Friends of the Ku-Ring-gai Historical Society will gather this evening to celebrate out 50th Anniversary

Among the guests will be Life Members of the Society, Local Parliamentarians, the Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Councillors and Council Staff members.

Please stop by the Society Rooms to see member Jocelyn's new display that details the history of our Society.

New Display

The Society is mentioned in Hansard

Hansard which is the official record of the proceedings of The Parliament of New South Wales is an excellent resource for local and family history research. The Hansard Records for New South Wales are available to search online. 

This extract from NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard and Papers Thursday 31 October 2013 is of a speech given by The Member for Davidson, Jonathan O'Dea. 

Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) [6.46 p.m.], by leave: Dr Harriet Biffin is not a household name, but thanks to the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society she will never be forgotten. Dr Biffin is just one of the thousands of colourful characters brought to life by the Ku-Ring-Gai Historical Society, which celebrates its fiftieth birthday in one week's time. Dr Biffin practised in Lindfield from 1904 to 1928 and was notorious for doing house calls in a dogcart, wearing a straw boater and a suit, while exercising her flair for the Greek language. One can only imagine the impact she would have had on Ku-ring-gai's rather conservative establishment: a woman dressed as a man offering medical advice peppered with Greek.

Dr Biffin also joined with Dr Lucy Bullett to found the NSW Association of Registered Women Doctors. The pair then went on to open the New Hospital for Women and Children in Surry Hills, which became the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children in Redfern in 1921, a bastion of women's health. She was not only a great contributor to women's health but also a wonderful personality in Ku-ring-gai's rich and colourful history. That history has been tirelessly documented by the volunteers and members of the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society.

On 7 November the society turns 50. I am looking forward to joining its members and volunteers on the night for an anniversary celebration dinner at Roseville Golf Club. The Ku-ring-gai Historical Society was formed in 1963 when Ku-ring-gai Council cast a wide net to find a team of local residents willing and experienced enough to document their municipality's history. It was the remarkable foresight of Mayor George Nicol that brought together representatives from business, schools and service clubs, genealogists and members from the Royal Australian Historical Society to collate Ku-ring-gai's history.

Councillor Nicol was elected first president and Sir John Northcott, a former New South Wales Governor, was the first patron of the society. One of the society's first decisions was to invite each newly elected mayor of Ku-ring-gai to be patron of the society, a tradition that is still in force today. Archibald and Nancy Gray, both prominent genealogists, were among the first members. It is because of these dedicated founding members, with their enormous wealth of experience and passion for the past, that the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society has catapulted from strength to strength, offering maps, heritage listings, water board sketches, land titles, an enormous database on local people and places and more than 10,000 local photos.

Today it boasts more than 600 members and 90 volunteers and it is housed in the old Gordon Public School, adjacent to the Gordon library. Volunteers offer their expertise in research to the public every day except Wednesdays and Sunday, when the database is built. Queries from the public range from questions about the origin of their street name or Aboriginal art they glimpsed in the bush. A local resident may be curious about Ku-ring-gai's famous sphinx, the 110-year-old former Killara post office, or how a gentleman with the name of Eccleston du Faur was responsible for creating Ku-ring-gai's much-loved national park.

These days, computers make the job of research so much easier. In the early days of the society its volunteers often travelled to the Mitchell Library in the city to research information. One of the most popular meetings hosted by the society occurs on the first Saturday of every month when the family history group meets. Help is on hand to newcomers who want to explore their family tree but have no idea where to start. The society has also produced publications about Ku-ring-gai's colourful history, including Focus on Ku-ring-gai, Women of Ku-ring-gai and its annual research publication The Historian, which combines local history, built heritage and family histories.

At the moment society volunteers are scouring local honour boards and war memorials to assist them in writing a World War I compendium which will list and provide the history of all Ku-ring-gai residents who served during the Great War, including nurses and ancillary staff. The society has inspired thousands of local residents to connect with each other and their pasts. It is a marvellous interest, in particular, for retirees, with their research assisting the whole community to understand a little more about what has shaped Ku-ring-gai. It has been a fabulous and productive 50 years for the society. I hope the next 50 years of recording and documenting the times we live in now prove just as fruitful.

50th Anniversary Dinner

INVITATION

Members and friends are invited to join us for our 50th anniversary celebration dinner at 6.30 pm on Thursday 7 November 2013 at the Roseville Golf Club, 4 Links Avenue, Roseville.

Enjoy a complimentary drink on arrival as canapes are served.  This will be followed by a two-course meal.  Drinks will be available at bar prices.  Please advise any dietary restrictions when you book.
Our guest speaker is Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker, President of the Royal Australian Historical Society. We will be launching our latest publication Ku-ring-gai Historical Society – the first 50 years 1963-2013.
Tickets are $50 per person and bookings are now open.

Bookings can only be made in the Rooms with payment to a room volunteer (see the specially labelled folder in the Rooms). Cash or cheques are acceptable.  If you wish to pay by EFT, please contact our Treasurer, Peter Stehn in the KHS Rooms on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm on 9499 4568, or email him at khsinc@tpg.com.au. Enquiries to Don Nicholson at dinner@khs.org.au or 9144 6948.

You may book as an individual, a couple, or a group of people.  You may ask to be seated with other people or you may book a whole table (8 or 10).  Numbers are limited to 150, so book early to ensure that you don’t miss out.

Bookings close on Thursday 10 October and your booking will only be confirmed once you have paid.

Let us know if you will have trouble getting to the dinner and we will arrange transport for you.

Writing Ku-ring-gai History Winners

Bridget's winning poster

It was a full house on Monday night, with excited children and proud parents at the awards night of the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society writing competition. 

Ku-ring-gai Mayor, Elaine Malicki acknowledged the high standard of entries as she presented the winners with their cheques.

The Years 3-4 students submitted posters depicting Ku-ring-gai Then and Now. 

The joint winners were:

Madeleine McDonell of Abbotsleigh and 

Bridget Lennon of Gordon East Public School. 

Sophie Manning of Masada College and 

Mia Clayton of Pymble Ladies College were the runners up.

Madeleine's winning poster

Years 5-6 students wrote an essay on an important historical person and the winner was: 

Lukas Hallett of Wahroonga Public School with his essay on Vernon Hordon Lumby (1933-2012).

Runners up were: 

Romi Grauman of Masada College and 

Penelope Lovell of Wahroonga Public School.

Years 7-9 students wrote about a location of historical importance and the winner was: 

Kate Soonius of Pymble Ladies College with Ku-ring-gai's Unique Blue Gum High Forest. 

Eloise Hanna of Pymble Ladies College the runner up.

The adult section was won by Sandra McGregor of Mt Ku-ring-gai with Echoes of Time and Place throughout Ku-ring-gai, 

and runner up was Evelyn Wyatt of Turramurra.

All entrants will receive a certificate, and a commemorative book published by the Society containing many of the entries.

You can see more of our winners and their entries on our website.

The copyright to all posters and essays has been vested in KHS © 2013. All rights reserved so if you would like to reproduce or use any of the posters or essays, please contact us (higher resolution copies are available). 

Trove Tuesday - Writing Competitions

Have you considered entering our Writing Ku-ring-gai History competition?

It's not too late and there are great prizes!
The competitions close on Friday 3 May.

Please go to our Society website for full details of the topics, to read the Terms and Conditions of the competition, and to download the entry form. There is no entry fee.

There are information flyers in our research rooms.

Here are a couple of clippings from Trove about history writing competitions from past years - maybe some ideas to get you started?

What is Trove Tuesday?

Well, it was started last year by blogger Amy Houston at Branches, Leaves and Pollen to celebrate the wonderful NLA resource Trove.

Don't forget to check our Calendar tab for other upcoming events.

Trove Tuesday - Liberated Sheep

Here's an article with an uncommon misspelling of Ku-ring-gai (a double r).


It must have been quite big news, or just a slow news day in Dubbo to have made a newspaper so far away.

I like the phrase "some sheep were killed, and a number liberated about the country".

Some have asked us about Trove Tuesday.
Well, it was started last year by blogger Amy Houston at Branches, Leaves and Pollen to celebrate the wonderful NLA resource Trove.

Trove is a remarkable resource that helps all historians, both family and local fill in the stories and add a bit of extra 'colour' to their research.

This wonderful resource could also help if you are entering our 50th anniversary Writing Ku-ring-gai History competition.

“Writing Ku-ring-gai History” Competitions

Do you fancy yourself as a published writer? …or are you a budding historian?

Have you always wanted to write but never quite found the motivation?

Would you like to help us celebrate our 50th anniversary and win a prize?

Then, enter one of our competitions. 

There are five age categories, four for school students and one for adults. The topics focus on Ku-ring-gai history, buildings, events and/or families and there are great prizes.

The total prize pool is $2000.

The competitions close on Friday 3 May and will be judged by members of KHS and local authors.

Short-listed entries will be displayed in the Gordon Library and then published in a small booklet available later in the year. Yes, you could be published!

We hope this will encourage you all to discover the extensive resources of Ku-ring-gai Historical Society and in the process learn more about the wonderful community we live in.

Please go to our Society website for full details of the topics, to read the Terms and Conditions of the competition, and to download the entry form. There is no entry fee.

There are information flyers in our research rooms.

Don't forget to check our Calendar tab for other upcoming events.

The support of the Ku-ring-gai Council and the Turramurra and Lindfield Community Bank Branches, Bendigo Bank for these competitions is gratefully acknowledged.