In 1992 my three children were at Megalong School and had gone to Playgroup at the Community Hall and attended the Bush Gymkhanas and Christmas Parties; we had all attended the Megalong events for the National Bicentenary and the bush christening at the little church opposite the school of our youngest son. Life was a blend of the old and new, the big and the small, and there were things remembered and things forgotten – as there always are. We had remembered the year before at a P&C meeting that the school began in 1892 and decided to celebrate the centenary. Write a history of the school? Great idea; happy to do it. Now here I am twenty-five years later and it has become a big part of my life: the first edition of “Megalong School’s First Hundred Years” was published by a small business and curtailed by high costs and a small budget, and went out into the world without its footnotes and with few pictures. That is something I can correct this time – in the intervening years I have learned with other women of the valley how to use computers (Outreach TAFE classes in the Community Hall thanks Norma) and gone back to university to get a degree with a major in history (distance ed in the shed by kerosene lamp thanks CSU). Although we no longer live in the Valley we are not far away – I visit often and see old friends and neighbours now and then. So the second edition is on the way and I hope you found it via the link from the facebook page? Good, well here’s a pic
Building Blocks for Telling The Story
Researching ordinary people – people who weren’t famous, who didn’t belong to boards of corporations or government bodies, who may not have had their birth registered or had a wedding celebrated – is very hard. How do you map out their life and discover where they went, who they affected, what they did? Why their children didn’t appear on the School Roll, and what other school they attended?
I was presented at the start with the petition to the government for a school, with its list of families detailing the children’s names and ages – what a find! It also had property names for some although that wasn’t informative if the name was no longer in use.
I looked for the couples’ marriages in the NSW BDMs, and then for births of people with that surname and parents whose names matched that couple:
NAMES ON 1891 PETITION – MARRIAGES and CHILDREN (where found):
People not found:
Mrs Matheson
William Taylor
Joseph Borsyd (?)
Charles Gallagher
Thomas Powell
Joseph Brown
Neil Clark
Mr Hunter
A Power
A Johnstone
D G Jones
A H & E Pearson
J Fleming
A & J Ross
A Rowe
John Wilson
W A Lee
W Dawson
Joseph Meredith
John Simpson
George Lee
D J Moore
W & J Meredith
James R Davey
John Gilfillan
Guy de Montfort
Walter Auyman
John Lewis
E C S Chapman (govt surveyor)
Andrew Lamm (?)
Cormick Smith
People found:
John Sheard married Eliza Wilson in Hartley District certificate number 3360/1878
| 19459/1883 | SHEARD | ARTHUR EDWARD | JOHN | ELIZA ELIZABETH | LITHGOW |
| 21851/1885 | SHEARD | WILLIAM A | JOHN | ELIZA | LITHGOW |
| 23408/1887 | SHEARD | HENRY C | JOHN | ELIZA | LITHGOW |
| 15029/1879 | SHEARD | JOHN THOMAS | JOHN | ELIZA | HARTLEY |
| 22792/1889 | SHEARD | ANNIE G | JOHN | ELIZA | LITHGOW |
| 17634/1891 | SHEARD | CAROLINE C | JOHN | ELIZA | KATOOMBA |
| 18286/1893 | SHEARD | JAMES L | JOHN | ELIZA | KATOOMBA |
| 12846/1898 | SHEARD | CHARLOTTE E | JOHN | ELIZA | KATOOMBA |
John McAviney married Margaret Keenan in Hartley District cert number 2467/1869
| 12637/1875 | MCAVINEY | CATHERINE ELLEN | JOHN | MARGARET | HARTLEY |
| 13332/1877 | MCAVINEY | EMILY | JOHN | MARGARET | HARTLEY |
| 12009/1869 | MCAVINEY | MARGARET | JOHN | MARGARET | HARTLEY |
| 16013/1880 | MCAVINEY | JOHN | JOHN | MARGARET | LITHGOW |
| 19505/1883 | MCAVINEY | THOMAS A | JOHN | MARGARET | LITHGOW |
| 22654/1886 | MCAVINEY | JAMES H | JOHN | MARGARET | LITHGOW |
| 17400/1890 | MCAVINEY | LOUISA C | JOHN | MARGARET | KATOOMBA |
E M & PJ Dwyer
(Pierce and Elizabeth had Pierce Jr, registered Hartley 15138/1879)
James Keenan m Margaret Ryan regd Sydney cert number 745/1871
| 11258/1871 | KEENAN | LOUISA JANE | JAMES | MARGARET | HARTLEY |
William Lynch
| 9239/1866 | LYNCH | CHARLOTTE | WILLIAM | FANNY | HARTLEY |
George Susans
| 22725/1889 | SUSANS | MARGARET M | GEORGE | EMILY | LITHGOW |
| 3853/1902 | SUSANS | MARY G (d1903) | GEORGE | EMMA | KATOOMBA |
| 3932/1899 | SUSANS | GEORGE (d1899) | GEORGE | EMMA | KATOOMBA |
| 16521/1904 | SUSANS | ELIZABETH W | GEORGE A | SARAH W | ST LEONARDS |
| 37643/1905 | SUSANS | FLORENCE M W | GEORGE A | SARAH W | ST LEONARDS |
| 26123/1900 | SUSANS | GEORGE W | GEORGE A | SARAH W | ST LEONARDS |
| 37642/1905 | SUSANS | RAYMOND W | GEORGE A | SARAH W | ST LEONARDS |
William Russell married Ellen Lynch in Sydney District cert number 1179/1879
| 11933/1879 | RUSSELL | JAMES M | WILLIAM | ELLEN | COOMA |
| 5509/1880 | RUSSELL | ELSIE LOUISA A C | WILLIAM | ELLEN M B | NEWTOWN |
| 7706/1881 | RUSSELL | EDWARD | WILLIAM THOMAS | ELLEN | REDFERN |
| 21258/1882 | RUSSELL | MARGARET ANN | WILLIAM | ELLEN | COOMA |
| 24781/1884 | RUSSELL | EVELINE F | WILLIAM | ELLEN | COOMA |
| 26359/1891 | RUSSELL | WALTER P H | WILLIAM | ELLEN | NIMMITABEL |
| 222/1906 | RUSSELL | WILLIAM T | WILLIAM | ELLEN M | SYDNEY |
John England m Margaret McAbiney (sic) Lithgow District cert number 5265/1888
| 17377/1890 | ENGLAND | ETHEL B | JOHN | MARGARET M | KATOOMBA |
| 17654/1891 | ENGLAND | JOHN H | JOHN | MARGARET M | KATOOMBA |
| 17250/1894 | ENGLAND | GRACE | JOHN | MARGARET | KATOOMBA |
| 22405/1896 | ENGLAND | EDGAR S | JOHN | MARGARET | KATOOMBA |
| 31283/1899 | ENGLAND | GLADYS C | JOHN | MARGARET M | KATOOMBA |
| 32504/1901 | ENGLAND | STELLA A | JOHN | MARGARET M | KATOOMBA |
| 25506/1908 | ENGLAND | JOSEPH F | JOHN | MARGARET M | KATOOMBA |
| 25507/1908 | ENGLAND | JOSEPH | JOHN | MARGARET M | KATOOMBA |
Patrick Smith m Ellen Keenan in Lithgow District cert number 4732/1882
| 19425/1883 | SMITH | PATRICK PHILIP | PATRICK | ELLEN ELIZABETH | LITHGOW |
| 21822/1885 | SMITH | CORMICK P | PATRICK | ELLEN | LITHGOW |
| 23419/1887 | SMITH | HENRY | PATRICK | ELLEN E | LITHGOW |
| 17416/1890 | SMITH | MARGARET M | PATRICK | ELLEN E | KATOOMBA |
| 18263/1893 | SMITH | ELLEN E | PATRICK | ELLEN E | KATOOMBA |
| 13315/1896 | SMITH | LILLY | PATRICK | ELLEN E | KATOOMBA |
| 32468/1902 | SMITH | JAMES J | PATRICK | ELLEN E | KATOOMBA |
Robert O’Reilly m Elizabeth O’Reilly in Camden District cert number 1925/1871
| 18193/1875 | O’REILLY | ROSE ANNE | ROBERT JOSEPH | ELIZABETH | PICTON |
| 19168/1877 | O’REILLY | MARY | ROBERT J | ELIZABETH | PICTON |
| 21683/1879 | OREILLY | PATRICK | ROBERT | ELIZABETH | PICTON |
| 12607/1881 | O’REILLY | ELIZABETH | ROBERT JOSEPH | ELIZABETH | PICTON |
| 13951/1883 | O’REILLY | THOMAS LUKE | ROBERT JOSEPH | ELIZABETH | PICTON |
| 16142/1885 | O’REILLY | LUKE J | ROBERT J | ELIZABETH | PICTON |
| 23993/1888 | OREILLY | JOSEPH F | ROBERT | ELIZABETH | LITHGOW |
James Cullen m Sarah Keenan in Lithgow District cert number 4760/1882
| 21982/1885 | CULLEN | JAMES | JAMES | SARAH | LITHGOW |
| 19587/1883 | CULLEN | PATRICK | JAMES | SARAH | LITHGOW |
| 23494/1887 | CULLEN | WILLIAM | JAMES | SARAH | LITHGOW |
| 19597/1890 | CULLEN | MICHAEL | JAMES | SARAH | LITHGOW |
Michael Cullen m Bridget Hughes in Bathurst District cert number 2395/1878
| 23497/1887 | CULLEN | MARTHA | MICHAEL | BRIDGET | LITHGOW |
| 22671/1886 | CULLEN | ANNIE | MICHAEL | BRIDGET M | LITHGOW |
| 19514/1890 | CULLEN | ROSE C | MICHAEL | BRIDGET | LITHGOW |
| 19494/1883 | CULLEN | ELIZABETH E | MICHAEL | BRIDGET | LITHGOW |
| 22292/1903 | CULLEN | ETHEL L | MICHAEL L | BRIDGET | LITHGOW |
Andrew Robb m Eva Chauncey in Sydney District cert number 274/1880
| 8138/1880 | ROBB | WALTER | ANDREW | EVA S | ST LEONARDS |
| 9204/1882 | ROBB | ANDREW C | ANDREW | EVA | ST LEONARDS |
| 10231/1883 | ROBB | EVA MARION | ANDREW | EVA L | ST LEONARDS |
| 11915/1885 | ROBB | HECTOR G | ANDREW | EVA | ST LEONARDS |
| 10910/1887 | ROBB | ARTHUR V | ANDREW | EVA | WOOLLAHRA |
| 8082/1889 | ROBB | RUBY M E | ANDREW | EVA | WOOLLAHRA |
| 19887/1891 | ROBB | ALLAN C | ANDREW | EVA | LITHGOW |
| 17282/1894 | ROBB | HUGH D | ANDREW | EVA | KATOOMBA |
| 32167/1897 | ROBB | ALEXANDER MCD | ANDREW | EVA | KATOOMBA |
Alfred Whalan m Agatha Wilson in Lithgow District cert number 1802/1874
| 7335/1875 | WHALAN | CHARLES C | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | BATHURST |
| 7759/1877 | WHALAN | EMILY G | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | BATHURST |
| 8983/1879 | WHALAN | FREDERIC CLAUDE | ALFRED SAMUEL | AGATHA J | BATHURST |
| 10553/1881 | WHALAN | WILLIAM EVELYN | ALFRED SAMUEL | AGATHA J | BATHURST |
| 11590/1882 | WHALAN | CLARA E E | ALFRED SAMUEL | AGATHA J | EAST MACQUARIE |
| 14037/1884 | WHALAN | ALFRED H | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | EAST MACQUARIE |
| 15534/1887 | WHALAN | RICHARD P | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | OBERON |
| 15259/1889 | WHALAN | GLYNDWR M | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | OBERON |
| 26886/1891 | WHALAN | ERNEST L | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | OBERON |
| 25256/1894 | WHALAN | WILSON R | ALFRED S | AGATHA J | OBERON |
Isaac Sidney
| 16207/1905 | SIDNEY | ISAAC W | ISAAC | ELIZA | PADDINGTON |
Ernest E Sampson m Mary F Robbins in Rylstone District 5871/1883
| 25920/1884 | SAMPSON | SELWIN FREDERICK C | ERNEST A | MARY F | RYLSTONE | |
| 27440/1886 | SAMPSON | GEORGE E | ERNEST A | MARY F | RYLSTONE | |
| 28803/1888 | SAMPSON | JANE M | ERNEST A | MARY F | RYLSTONE | |
| 31134/1890 | SAMPSON | CONSTANCE | ERNEST A | MARY F | RYLSTONE | |
| 31979/1892 | SAMPSON | ELIZABETH J | ERNEST A | MARY F | RYLSTONE | |
| 16678/1895 | SAMPSON | HERBERT R | ERNEST A | MARY F | RYLSTONE | |
| 16205/1897 | SAMPSON | CECIL | ERNEST A | MARY | RYLSTONE | |
| 34414/1899 | SAMPSON | HAROLD M | ERNEST A | MARY | RYLSTONE | |
| 6774/1902 | SAMPSON | GORDON W | ERNEST A | MARY | RYLSTONE | |
| 40241/1908 | SAMPSON | DORIS B | ERNEST A | MARY | RYLSTONE |
Megalong - some History 