Leslie Charles Cracknell

A significant date in the history of the Cracknells of Picton and the Australian Military. Well I think it is worthy of note. Leslie Charles Cracknell died on 31 Aug 1918 in WWI he was only aged 22 at the time of death. He was the third child of my great great uncle Charles and his wife Emily Cracknell of Picton.

This makes Les Cracknell my first cousin twice removed.

Photo courtesy of Lynda Cracknell

Monica's 50th at North Avoca Surf Club

I attended my cousin Monica's 50th Birthday celebration at North Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club. It took a while to find it as I had not been to the area for many years. It was a fun afternoon, beginning with a game of matching obscure words with an unknown partner and ending with adults scrambling for the best lollies in the jar. Don't you just love the photo of Shirley on her way to fill the bag!!

It was certainly a great celebration of Monica's life, her family and friends. A wonderful strong woman and light to all of us!!

I had such a good time, and it brings back memories of boyhood staying at Avoca with the Cooney's in the Old House at the southern end of the beach. I remember being rumbled by the gals and reading to all hours Leslie Charteris, The Saint from the house library.

Click on the title for more photos....

Celine in China

Celine spent a month in China. Here she is at the Great Wall. Just recently returned to France she has sent me a bunch of photos of her chinese painting and calligraphy. I believe she has also learnt some conversational Mandarin during her stay and commenced her Kung Fu training....pity that she is back to studies soon as I will miss chatting with her in China.

Nicole returned from Spain

We took the opportunity while in the area to drop in on Nicole who has only just returned from Spain. It was great to catch up for coffee in Warringah Mall and chat about travel and stuff.

Dr Seuss

Fooling Nobody is one my favourite images from the Dr Seuss [Theodore Seuss Giesel] exhibit.. not the one we purchased as it was about $3.5k. It was interesting to see his earlier satirical political works and some of his more raunchy private pieces. Well worth drive to Seaforth.

Cafe Pazar

Chand at Cafe Pazar just before we decided to go to the Dr Seuss exhibit at Seaforth. Is a great place to eat, mostly vegetarian meals, in a turkish style. Thats Yuri in the background, who used to serve at the Hazelbrook Cafe our old haunt. The cafe crowd in the mid-moutains tend to follow the trend.

J Sheridan Moore on James Lionel Michael

Great great grandfather J Sheridan Moore crops up frequently in the writings about early colonial literature. This is an entry in the Dictionary of Biography that I had not seen previously. Click on the title of this this post to go to the source webpage.

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MICHAEL, JAMES LIONEL (1824-1868),
poet, and friend of Kendall (q.v.),

born in London in October 1824, was the eldest son of James Walter Michael, solicitor, and his wife, Rose Lemon Hart. Michael afterwards told his friend Joseph Sheridan Moore, that the passage on page 12 of John Cumberland, beginning "My earliest memory", gives an exact picture of his childhood. He was articled to his father and began to mix in artistic and literary circles. Sheridan Moore states that Michael became friendly with Millais and Ruskin, and published a pamphlet which made some stir at the time, vindicating the position of the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Moore also says that though "always temperate and abstemious in his habits he had a talent for frittering away his money". This may possibly have been one of the reasons for his coming to Australia.

Michael arrived in New South Wales towards the end of 1853 and practised his profession with some success. He became friendly with Sheridan Moore who introduced him to Kendall, whom he afterwards took into his office and "treated as an affectionate elder brother would a younger one". In 1857 he published Songs without Music, a volume of lyrics, and in 1860 John Cumberland, a long poem largely autobiographical. In the same year he removed to Grafton on the Clarence River and for a time practised successfully; but towards the end of his life he appears to have made enemies and was in money difficulties. On the evening of Sunday 26 April 1868 he went for a walk and two days later his body was found floating in the river. The medical evidence stated that there was a deep cut over the right eye "such as might be produced by falling on a broken bottle". The coroner's jury returned an open verdict, and although a set of verses Michael had written a few weeks before suggested to some people that he had contemplated suicide, the possibility of this was indignantly denied by his friend, Sheridan Moore, who declared that the evidence suggested either foul play or accident, rather than suicide. Michael married in 1854 and was survived by a son.

Michael wrote musical verse, some of which has been included in Australian anthologies. His long poem, John Cumberland, contains some good passages, but is marred by many patches of prose. Though distinctly a minor Australian poet Michael's encouragement of the young Kendall gives him a special interest. His friends were agreed about the charm of his conversation and personality.

J. Sheridan Moore, The Life and Genius of James Lionel Michael; The Clarence and Richmond Examiner, 28 April and 5 May 1868.

http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogMa-Mo.html

Canberra

A quick dash down to Canberra to get Pao back online. A little glitch that did not take too long to correct. It was priceless to see his enthusiasm to be connected back to email and the web.

This is Pao and Amara discussing the newspaper in the Kitchen on Friday morning.

Pao online again

Pao was eager to work online getting out emails and catching up on the Khmer News as soon as we had the computer back online. Here is hard at it responding to questions from his grand-niece in Moscow. Very happy to be connected back to the cyberworld.

Inaugural Regional Tai Chi competition Tamworth

The Inaugural Countrywide Regional Tai Chi Competition was held in Tamworth. Alex was the chief judge at this competition and invited me to be one of the judges. This photo includes all the trophy winners, the judges and Brian Gregson the organiser of the competition. The day went well with a high level of competition and quite a few demonstations to finish off the day.

Tai Chi Association of Australia

I have officially joined the TCAA Tai Chi Association of Australia, the peak body for Tai Chi Instructors in Australia.

Tai chi Springwood

Alex was not well today so I took the class at Springwood through Yi Yin Jing (18 Tendon & Muscle Rejuvenation exercises). Class of about 20 people went well. A few of us are making a regular event of going to the Springwood Bowling Club for lunch after the classs. Geoff came along after his visit to town to recover items for the business of secretary of OMNI, following Len Sweeney's resignation. I am now officially a member of OMNI and Alex has joined up too.

David's stairway to heaven

I spent two days working with David and his father-in-law John building some garden beds in their new improved and recently turfed back yard and then the long and winding stair from the driveway to the house. The stair gets a little complicated with odd angles but it will be lot better than the one we demolished.

Erins Perthonia

I had a chat with Erin in Perth and she sent through some pics of her adventures in the far west. Thats Al and Emma, Siti, Erin and Chivonne.

I haven't previously put in Erin's art page. So here it is..

Random Thought

phoebe and viv

Phoebe and Viv a chance meeting in the street before Phils birthday party

Lorrina with butterfly quilt

Lorrina with butterfly quilt that is her major work for Textiles and Design in the HSC

Campfire Chat - Men's Network

I helped organise the Local Men's Network Springwood first social function, a campfire chat in chilly Hawkesbury Heights. We warmed our bums in the glow of a roaring fire and sustained ourselves on Argentinian bbq chicken, garlic bread and curry puffs. We had some lively discussions with Professor John McDonald and Michael Woods, from the UWS Mens Health Information and Resource Centre. A good social evening with some purpose.

More Photos

Springwood Tai Chi & Qigong class

Springwood Tai Chi & Qigong class, run out of the Neighbourhood Centre. One hour of training keeps us all on our toes as we run through 12 Tendon & Muscle Rejuvenation and Shibasi. Alex is leading the class and it was good to see Bob join us again today.

Blogs Blogs Blogs

Blogs everywhere, it seems that I have inspired Erin to start up her own blog to keep us all up to date on her adventures in Perth.

Local Mens Group thought it would be a good idea to have a blog of their own as well.

And Lynda Cracknell already has a blog of her own.

OTVA

Hey I had my name in the paper.. well the OTVA Newsletter that is. I was mentioned for collecting new memberships for the OTVA. After confronting the chaps from my year at Paul McCann's 50th, I manged to get some new signups and few outstanding fees paid.

If you want to sign up, download a membership form and send it in or just come along to the next function.

Knees and ankles

Today was strange. I woke up with a pain in my bad knee, either from too much Tai Chi or too much standing about at Garry's 50th party. Anyway, it meant that I was not up to going for a walk around the oval with Chand as planned. This was unfortunate because when Chand returned home she had fallen during her walk and badly injured her ankle and her knee. Fortunately, there were two other women walking the oval at the time. They came to her aid and as one of them was a nurse, they were able to strap the ankle and get her back to the car.

She is laid up now after having ice baths for the ankle and ice packs for the knee.

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Rox is moving to Wagga Wagga with Kate to take up a position with Charles Sturt University.

Joseph Silvester Marter HOPKINS

Today, I received an email from Martin Casey who has a website detailing the descendants of Edward Hopkins who was my great grandfather. Martin is the first husband of my second cousin Dinah Jean GIBSON. However, they maintain contact and I am hopeful of maintaining a dialogue with the the family. This was one of the families that dad was seeking to contact from his own research into his father's family.
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Edward HOPKINS was born about 1857 in Sydney, NSW, Australia. He married Margaret OWENS on 24 Jun 1878 in Laurieton, NSW, Australia.

Margaret OWENS was born about 1863 in Macleay River, NSW, Australia. She married Edward HOPKINS on 24 Jun 1878 in Laurieton, NSW, Australia.

They had the following children:

M i Edward HOPKINS was born about 1879.
M ii John James HOPKINS was born about 1881.
F iii Mary Ellen HOPKINS was born about 1882.
M iv Peter Henry HOPKINS was born about 1887.
M v Francis Silvester HOPKINS was born about 1889.
M vi James Allen Aden HOPKINS was born about 1895.
M vii Joseph Silvester Marter HOPKINS was born 17 Jul 1897
and died 19 Oct 1971.


Joseph Silvester Marter HOPKINS was born 17 Jul 1897 in Buccrabendinni, Nambucca Heads, NSW, Australia. He died 19 Oct 1971 in Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, NSW, Australia and was buried 02 Nov 1971 in Wollongong Crematorium, NSW, Australia. Joseph married Thelma Beatrice GIBSON about 1927 in Chatswood, NSW, Australia.

Thelma Beatrice GIBSON was born 15 Jan 1898 in Faithfull St, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. She married Joseph Silvester Marter HOPKINS about 1927 in Chatswood, NSW, Australia.

They had the following children:

F i Irene Adair HOPKINS was born 08 Oct 1930 and died 02 Mar 2002.
F ii Vacey A HOPKINS was born about 1931.
M iii Aden K HOPKINS was born about 1934.
F iv Margaret E HOPKINS was born about 1935.

Irene Adair HOPKINS was born 08 Oct 1930 in Croydon, Sydney, NSW. She died 02 Mar 2002 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and was buried 07 Mar 2002 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Irene married Patrick John FAHEY on 17 Feb 1955 in St Gregorys Catholic Church, Queanbeyan, NSW.

Patrick John FAHEY was born about 1933 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. He married Irene Adair HOPKINS on 17 Feb 1955 in St Gregorys Catholic Church, Queanbeyan, NSW.

They had the following children:

F i Dinah Jean GIBSON was born 18 Jun 1956 m. Martin Casey
M ii Malcolm GIBSON [scrapbook].
M iii Graham GIBSON.
F iv Christine GIBSON [scrapbook].
F v Jennifer GIBSON [scrapbook].

Garry Rosnell 50th

Che Guevarra without sunnies

Attended Garry Rosnell's 50th birthday party. With 60's theme and everyone dressing for the occasion it was a fun event with fashions from Che Guevarra impersonator and birthday boy Garry to tye dyes and flares, boots and headbands. I had a blast in tye dye shirt and corduroy jacket, but declined to join in karaoke despite being held at gunpoint by the revolutionary in a red berret. Even Rolf Harris dropped in with an extra leg.

Hazelbrook chinese and the Bayliss connection

On Erin's Birthday we were at the Hazelbrook Chinese and came across Tegan and Christian.. we called up Erin to wish her a happy birthday and gave Tegan the chance to say hello.

We even sang in the restaurant. ... woo hoo

First past the Post

this is my first post .. lots more to come.....

Chand in Nepean Hospital

Chand in Nepean Hospital after the Meninjitis scare

The Holy Grail of Australian art resurfaces

In January this year in the most unlikely of places - an old tin shed surrounded by bushland - one of the most remarkable and important discoveries in Australian art was unveiled: two Margaret Preston rugs, forgotten for more than 30 years.

Who knew that Berowra held such treasures.

Mick Joffe & Rhonda Davis view rugs.