Dear Lisa, Marilyn and list I am on this list because I feel the need to identify my Aboriginal heritage. The was a minor rumour in my family for years about the "abo nose" (sorry for the language, but that's what was said) we have... I thought nothing of it until a great uncle told me that we were in fact descendants of an aboriginal woman who married a white guy. My uncle told me that his grandmother's mother was a full blood Aboriginal whose unmarried name had been Gorman. There are other reasons, besides simple curiosity, why I want to find out. My grandmother's father ran away from the family before she was born and the family was consequently split up. Years later, my mother was made a ward of the state, removed from her family altogether. There are deep scares in my family, and many secrets. I know you don't have to have Aboriginal heritage for this to occur and that having Aboriginal heritage doesn't mean this will happen. However, I have recently decided to find out the "truth". It's true that my mother has dark looks and olive skin. Two of her sisters and her brother are even darker... This isn't conclusive enough for me though. Looks aside, today all I have is sketchy BDM records. Here they are: George Kinchington married Mary Ann Bakes in Albury in 1903. (their oldest son, William was my grand mother's father) I know George Kinchington is not Aboriginal, I have the family line back to England. The Kinchington's did farm land in Yackendandah, Vic. that belong to an Aboriginal group (they remained living on the farm land) . Mary Ann Bakes is more mysterious. I can't find her birth record. There is, however, a Mary Ann Kinchington dieing in 1973 (aged 89) in Victoria. This may be her. Her parents are listed as James Bakes and Eliza Dorman (that's close to Gorman). There is a marriage of James Bakes and Eliza Dorman in Yack. in 1881. He was born in Yorkshire. AN Eliza Dorman is born to Eliza Chambers and James Dorman in 1861 in Yack. I can't find a marriage or death for either of these two. This is a clear as mud, but it's all I have. Thanks for the time, and I hope this clears up any questions. Sam

Thanks Sam I can surely understand the need to identify your Aboriginal heritage, my mother was told her grand mother was African Negro. It has certainly been very fullfilling over the years to meet the rest of the family, funnily enough we had Aboriginal relatives living close by, they knew who we were but thought we did not want to know them. Very much the opposite I could get very political but I'll steer clear of that.... Your info has certainly given me something to work on... it may take me a little while to check records but I will keep you informed Three questions 1. in your info you stated "The Kinchington's did farm land in Yackendandah, Vic. that belong to an Aboriginal group (they remained living on the farm land)". Do you have any further info on this? 2. Mary Ann Kinchington dieing in 1973 (aged 89) in Victoria, do you know where abouts? if you do the local community may know of her and she may of had family living there? 3. Should we communicate via our own email addresses? Bye for now Lisa -----Original Message----- From: Sam Beattie [mailto:russam@bigpond.com] Sent: Monday, 22 January 2001 1:38 PM To: AUS-KOORI-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [AUS-Koori] who I am Dear Lisa, Marilyn and list I am on this list because I feel the need to identify my Aboriginal heritage. The was a minor rumour in my family for years about the "abo nose" (sorry for the language, but that's what was said) we have... I thought nothing of it until a great uncle told me that we were in fact descendants of an aboriginal woman who married a white guy. My uncle told me that his grandmother's mother was a full blood Aboriginal whose unmarried name had been Gorman. There are other reasons, besides simple curiosity, why I want to find out. My grandmother's father ran away from the family before she was born and the family was consequently split up. Years later, my mother was made a ward of the state, removed from her family altogether. There are deep scares in my family, and many secrets. I know you don't have to have Aboriginal heritage for this to occur and that having Aboriginal heritage doesn't mean this will happen. However, I have recently decided to find out the "truth". It's true that my mother has dark looks and olive skin. Two of her sisters and her brother are even darker... This isn't conclusive enough for me though. Looks aside, today all I have is sketchy BDM records. Here they are: George Kinchington married Mary Ann Bakes in Albury in 1903. (their oldest son, William was my grand mother's father) I know George Kinchington is not Aboriginal, I have the family line back to England. The Kinchington's did farm land in Yackendandah, Vic. that belong to an Aboriginal group (they remained living on the farm land) . Mary Ann Bakes is more mysterious. I can't find her birth record. There is, however, a Mary Ann Kinchington dieing in 1973 (aged 89) in Victoria. This may be her. Her parents are listed as James Bakes and Eliza Dorman (that's close to Gorman). There is a marriage of James Bakes and Eliza Dorman in Yack. in 1881. He was born in Yorkshire. AN Eliza Dorman is born to Eliza Chambers and James Dorman in 1861 in Yack. I can't find a marriage or death for either of these two. This is a clear as mud, but it's all I have. Thanks for the time, and I hope this clears up any questions. Sam ==== AUS-KOORI Mailing List ====

Hello Sam and everyone I would say the Mary Anne you found is most likely your Mary Anne. Now a good way to confirm this is by getting both the Marriage cert and Death cert for her. Marriage certs are a very good source of information (usually) as it is a happy event and all the participants have the information fresh; parents names occupations place of birth etc are shown. As with the death cert, however the information is sometimes not as reliable. The informant can sometimes not have all the correct information about the person. You can order the certificates for Victoria from the net. I'm not sure of the address but I think you look up Vic Gov. site. If you have trouble let me know and I'll do a search. Also its cheaper if you have the registration no. of the event. I hope this of some help to you Cheryl ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sam Beattie" <russam@bigpond.com> To: <AUS-KOORI-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, 22 January 2001 1:38 Subject: [AUS-Koori] who I am > Dear Lisa, Marilyn and list > > I am on this list because I feel the need to identify my Aboriginal > heritage. The was a minor rumour in my family for years about the "abo > nose" (sorry for the language, but that's what was said) we have... I > thought nothing of it until a great uncle told me that we were in fact > descendants of an aboriginal woman who married a white guy. My uncle told > me that his grandmother's mother was a full blood Aboriginal whose > unmarried name had been Gorman. > > There are other reasons, besides simple curiosity, why I want to find out. > My grandmother's father ran away from the family before she was born and the > family was consequently split up. Years later, my mother was made a ward of > the state, removed from her family altogether. There are deep scares in my > family, and many secrets. I know you don't have to have Aboriginal heritage > for this to occur and that having Aboriginal heritage doesn't mean this will > happen. > > However, I have recently decided to find out the "truth". It's true that my > mother has dark looks and olive skin. Two of her sisters and her brother > are even darker... This isn't conclusive enough for me though. > > Looks aside, today all I have is sketchy BDM records. > Here they are: > George Kinchington married Mary Ann Bakes in Albury in 1903. (their oldest > son, William was my grand mother's father) > I know George Kinchington is not Aboriginal, I have the family line back to > England. The Kinchington's did farm land in Yackendandah, Vic. that belong > to an Aboriginal group (they remained living on the farm land) . > Mary Ann Bakes is more mysterious. I can't find her birth record. > There is, however, a Mary Ann Kinchington dieing in 1973 (aged 89) in > Victoria. This may be her. > Her parents are listed as James Bakes and Eliza Dorman (that's close to > Gorman). There is a marriage of James Bakes and Eliza Dorman in Yack. in > 1881. He was born in Yorkshire. > AN Eliza Dorman is born to Eliza Chambers and James Dorman in 1861 in Yack. > I can't find a marriage or death for either of these two. > > This is a clear as mud, but it's all I have. > > Thanks for the time, and I hope this clears up any questions. > > Sam > > > > > ==== AUS-KOORI Mailing List ==== > > >