Mrs Sheena Liley 2021/01/08
Dear Mrs Westcott - I am just finalising some research into my paternal grandmother and her parents' family - the Gibsons of Bingera - and have wandered onto this website and your lovely description of Elsie Westcott (nee Gibson) - your mother-in-law? My great aunt, Thelma Noble Paterson (nee Gibson) sang at Elsie and Herbert's wedding in the Bingera Plantation Hall. I just wanted to make contact and thank you for bringing another person in my family story to life for me. I am descended from William Gibson Jr - Angus Gibson's brother. I am retired and live in Toowoomba and I am hoping my research will benefit my cousins, children and grandchildren and record all the wonderful stories we have about Bingera. Sincerely Sheena Liley (nee Snow)
Stephen Locke 2020/05/24
I am Stephen Locke, Younger brother to Timothy Locke. I am the current historian for the “Locke” family known to follow our particular branch timeline from an John Locke born in 1600 in England. In the recent course of my research I chanced on a free Online Internet Genelogy program called WikiTree. I have created an new account using this program and have added the names of Isaac Westcott and Mary Ann Maynard as names to follow. Another researcher using this program, Beryl Meehan, has advised that she has a Westcott line which traces the name back to 1600 in Somerset.
Additionally, she has advised that if we have a look at “Familysearch.org > wiki > tull,_somerset_genea” we should find more information about our Isaac. Of further interest, it would appear that the name “Ïsaac” is a comon one used by many branches of the family, including the present day, much like “John” is in my family. Do you know the exact place that our Isaac was born. I have a part of the original document written by Hilda which just gives the place as Taunton. Beryl says that he was baptised in All Saints Church, Tull, a parish, in the union of Taunton, hundred of Taunton and Taunton-Dean, W. division of Somerset, 1 mile (SSW) from Taunton.
Tim Locke should remain your contact for details of our joint family, but I wouls appreciate if you could respond to me about our Isaac’s birth place.
Timothy Locke 2020/04/23
I am Timothy Locke a grandson of Alice Henrietta Westcott who married William Henry Locke at the Mt Erica Wesleyan Church in Prahran, Victoria on March 27th 1900. Alice was the daughter of Thomas Westcott, Shire Secretary and Priscilla Thomas Moyle.
Alice was born in 1876 in Ballarat and died in Sydney in 1942. William Locke had emigrated from England to Melbourne in 1891.
They moved to Sydney and in 1914 William was appointed the General Manager of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company he remained in that role until his retirement in 1935. As I was only 3 when grandmother died I did not know her. William had 2 brothers who had settled in Western Australia and a sister Rosalie who married John Birdsey Cant in Victoria. William was the youngest of the siblings.
I do not know anything of the Westcotts except that I seem to remember my father saying that a cousin Westcott was the head of Electrolytic Zink in Tasmania. That would have been at least 50 years ago. I hope this is interesting in which case perhaps we can swap some history.
Annemarie Taylor (nee Ryan) 2020/03/27
Hi, have just done a search on Catumnal and read the wonderful story by Mrs Mary Westcott. How I loved reading this....so many memories for me......my Dad was Kevin Ryan and he was the manager at Jindaroo for 10 years back in the late 50s/early 60s. Reading about how we lived took me back there after all these years.....I remember Mark breaking his leg and was there at Catumnal the night the fireworks spark set fire to all the fireworks. Bruce and I were the same age and Drew a bit older than my sister Patricia, with Meran somewhere in between !
I remember Eric Bingley having lunch with us most Saturdays and Clan Vincent who brought mail each Wednesday......ah.... so many wonderful memories! Mr Westcott always brought a packet of Milkshake lollies for us when he came over to Jindaroo or if my dad went to Catumnal he would always have a treat for us. I have never been able to find a Milkshake lolly that ever tasted as delicious as they did! Thank you for bringing back wonderful memories of those great, fun times. Annemarie I was hoping to travel out there this June/ July but this present world crisis will no doubt stop that till next year all going well.
Lyndell Brock 2019/11/09
Very interesting reading! Isaacs son Lewis Edward Westcott (married Elizabeth Lester) had 5 children – Maynard, Lester, Ina, Amy and Beth Westcott. I am the granddaughter of Amy Westcott. Amy and Hilda Blainey were friends and I remember typing up the family history for them all those decades ago – I still have it – plus so much more. Not sure if that would be of interest if you have a family historian 🙂
Bill Heussler 2018/08/16
My Dad was a Jackeroo and Book-keeper at Brookwood in the 20s. His older brother Jack had been living in Julia Creek, managing a wool scour there. Jack helped Get my father a job at a property near Julia Creek, and Dad went from there to Brookwood. If his stories are to be believed, they had a wonderful social life. I think he may have spent more time involved with the Muttaburra Turf Club than managing the books at Brookwood.