Book Launch

As most members are aware, the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society is launching Volume II Rallying the Troops. This will take place at the Memorial Hall, St John's Anglican Church, Gordon next Sunday, 6 December from 2pm.

of

It will be launched by the Hon. Paul Fletcher and others attending will include Major General Gordon Maitland (who wrote the forward to the book) and his wife; Mr Jonathan O'Dea and the current and immediate past Mayors of Ku-ring-gai.

This is a significant event for the Society as a major contribution to the World War I Commemorations focussing on the involvement of Ku-ring-gai veterans.  All members and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The official program will be followed by refreshments and the chance to socialise so, for catering purposes, if you have not already registered would you please advise Kathy Rieth of your attendance on frithie@netdata.com.au.

General Meeting Reminder

Author Vashti Farrer will be the guest speaker at our General Meeting this Saturday, 17th January at 2:00pm in The Gordon Library Meeting Rooms.

She will discuss her latest book : Ellen Thomson: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt? which examines a controversial 1887 murder case in Northern Queensland which still raises doubts as to whether the accused woman was given a fair trial.

Afternoon tea will be served after the meeting.

Visitors are most welcome.

General Meeting - 18th October

Dr Ian Hoskins, who has  worked as an academic historian, a curator and a professional historian in Sydney for 25 years is presently employed full-time as North Sydney Council's  Historian,  will be the guest speaker at our meeting in the Gordon Library Meeting Rooms at 2:00pm on Saturday 18th October.

Ian, who is the author of several books, will diiscuss with members his latest book, Coast: a history of the NSW edge.

For further information on Ian's work and publications please visit his blog at http://ianhoskins.com/

Maralinga Invitation

The Society just received this invitation. If you are free next Wednesday you may wish to attend.

----------------------------------------------

To whom it may concern,

On behalf of the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, we will be holding a free event for author and journalist Frank Walker who will come in and talk about his book Maralinga. We would be gracious if you could promote the event amongst your institutions and come along!

The details are as follows:

Venue: Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt St, Sydney 2000

Date & Time: Wednesday, 15 October 2014, 12:30pm – 1:30pm

KHS History Book

 Ku-ring-gai Historical Society – the first 50 years is an interesting account of the beginnings and stages of
 evolution of our Society, written by our member, Helen Davies.

Each membership is entitled to a free copy. To save the Society postage, this is available for collection from  The Research Centre.

This free offer must end soon!

Extra copies are available at $20 each. If you would like it posted please send a cheque for $5.

Book Launch

News from The RAHS eNewsletter March Issue 1 includes notice of this Book Launch.
_____________________

Saturday 29 March 2014 - Hawkesbury Historical Society
Spanning the centuries of Hawkesbury History: Hawkesbury Personalities

The Hawkesbury Historical Society announces the forthcoming publication and launch of Spanning the centuries of Hawkesbury History: Hawkesbury Personalities, a volume of Biographies as its Society Journal No 3; the result of joint collaboration between:
Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society, Hawkesbury Family History Group, Hawkesbury Historical Society, Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society, National Trust of Australia (NSW), Hawkesbury Branch.

Launch:
10.30am for 11.00am
Hawkesbury Regional Museum
8 Baker Street Windsor
Light refreshments will follow the launch
Enquiries: Neville Dehn: 4578 2443

Book Launch

In a recent newsletter the Society received from the RAHS there was the following  notification of a book launch that may only be open to RAHS members. The author, Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker, was our guest at our 50th anniversary celebrations last year. If you are interested in attending further details can be found here on the RAHS site.

Members may be interested in putting this title on their "To purchase" list.

----------------------------------------------------

Join us at History House on Wednesday 16 April 2014 at 5.30pm for the launch of our President, Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker's new book entitled William Cox and Cox’s Road: a bicentenary souvenir commemorates William Cox and the road he built in 1814–1815 which first expanded European settlement outside the Sydney basin. It contains a new transcript of Cox’s journal as well as seminal documents from Governor Macquarie and a list of the men who ‘laboured for their liberty’ to build the road. It also presents a new biographical study of William Cox, and details of his 13 children and 88 grandchildren from hitherto-unpublished family papers. Most important of all it includes a field guide for intrepid history buffs on where they can see the road and important features associated with it.

Anne-Maree Harriet Cox Whitaker is William Cox’s great-great-granddaughter and the President of the Royal Australian Historical Society. She has a doctorate in history and has written ten books and numerous journal articles. Public recognition of her expertise as a historian includes shortlisting for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards in 2001 and receipt of a National Trust Heritage Award in 2010. Anne-Maree is also a Fellow of both the Royal Australian Historical Society and the Royal Historical Society (UK).
 

The book will be launched by Dr Siobhan Lavelle OAM, whose book 1813: a tale that grew in the telling told the story of the First Crossing and its commemorations over the past 200 years.

Book Review

Society member,  Jenny Joyce, has published an excellent book review on her blog. You can access it from this link:

http://jennyalogy.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/book-review-paul-bushell-second-fleeter.html

Ann Howard - Dangar Island

Ann Howard at Ku-ring-gai today

Local historian and author, Ann Howard a longtime resident of Dangar Island was the guest speaker at the Society General Meeting today.

Ann, who has written several books on the history of the island, spoke to us about the island and some of the characters who resided there.

Firstly Ann set the scene by giving us a short history of the island. Captain Arthur Phillip visited the island in March 1788 and was so impressed by the number of fish that his party caught that he named it Mullet Island. It was renamed Dangar Island by a member of the Dangar family who purchased it in the mid nineteenth century.

The members' interests were piqued as Ann told tales from her books so that, at the end of the meeting, a long line of people wanting to purchase Ann's books formed. Ann graciously spent time signing books and conversing with members.

Books by Ann Howard

Christmas General Meeting

Our last General Meeting for the year will be held this Saturday 17 November at 2pm.
The meeting will be followed by our guest speaker, Pauline Curby and then an afternoon tea.



To celebrate Randwick City Council's 150th anniversary, Council commissioned professional historian, Pauline Curby, to write a fully referenced, illustrated, comprehensive new history of Randwick.
The 406 page hardcover book celebrates the history of one of New South Wales' oldest local government areas and tells the story of the diverse range of people who live in this scenic part of Sydney. Indigenous Australians, Anglo-Celtic Australians and more recent migrants all feature in its pages, as do jockeys, surf lifesavers, bodgies and widgies. Social problems such as the care of neglected children and the issues of crime and punishment, drinking and gambling are also part of the rich tapestry of this history.


Come and hear Historian Pauline Curby as she draws on an abundance of stories of people and places using images and records researched for this award-winning book on the Municipality of Randwick.

Please bring a small plate of food to share for our Christmas party.

Visitors are welcome to join us for the meeting and afternoon tea at 2:00 pm on Saturday 20th October in the Ku-ring-gai Library Meeting Rooms, The Old Gordon Public School, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (adjacent to the Gordon Library at the corner of Pacific Highway and Park Ave).

Annual General Meeting

Carol Baxter

Our General Meeting and Annual General Meeting will be held  at 2:00 pm on Saturday 18th August, 2012 and will include the election of Officebearers.

Following the formalities we will be entertained by local author and genealogist, Carol Baxter, who will share the fascinating story behind her book of "Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady", the true story of New England bushranger Frederick Ward and Mary Ann Bugg.

Carol Baxter is an adjunct lecturer at the University of New England, Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists, and author of An Irresistible Temptation and Breaking the Bank. Her website is www.carolbaxter.com

The Society warmly welcomes visitors to its meetings and events.