Julia Moore & the Irish Orphans in New South Wales

Between the years of 1848 and 1850, it is estimated that over 4000 young orphan girls were sent from various Irish workhouses to the new Australian colonies. Those who arrived during these years did so under what was to be called the 'Earl Grey scheme' (thousands of other Irish orphans arrived outside of these years as part...

Image: House near Kiowarrah (Bevendale) where my great-grandmother, Evelyn May Noakes lived for a short while with her son, William Charles Noakes who was working on the property.

Two Women and Two Generations of Bevendale ‘Posties’

It has been recognised recently, through campaigns such as the United Nation's International Day of Rural Women, and initiatives like the Invisible Farmer Project, that rural women are often overlooked and left out of our rural histories. Many of the newspapers of our past often removed a woman identity, tying them to the name of their...

A Bevendale Diamond

On Easter Sunday, 1947, a diamond wedding celebration was held at 'Mayfield' (near Bevendale) for James and Emma Noakes. According to the Goulburn Post, every descendant of the couple attended, 160 in all, celebrating in a marquee decorated with bright streamers and flowers. Even the couple's elderly bridesmaid was there. Toasts were made and messages...

Bevendale Pony walks around the world (twice!).

In 1947 the 'Burrowa News' (as it was called before 1951) and the 'Crookwell Gazette', ran a story about a local horse. The pony, whose name is not given, was reared by a Mrs. Hines; a Benvendale local. The pony was used in the local mail run, and the Crookwell Gazette estimates it travelled, in...

Stories from the Whittington & Noakes family line.

This first cluster of stories are mainly concerned with members of the Whittington and Noakes families (and the families that married into them). Details on these two family groups, and the members who are most likely to be discussed here, can be found on their relevant family pages: Whittington and Noakes. More stories will be...

A 69th birthday celebration turns tragic.

It is January 1938. A group of Bevendale locals had gathered at the ‘Mayfield’ homestead, the home of Emma and James Noakes. The lady of the house, Emma Noakes (nee Brown), was turning 69 and while she was returning from her mail run, her local friends and family had gathered for a birthday surprize. Green...