Hi Lorraine, Thank you for that excerpt. I am not at all familiar with the area. Cheers Jan --------------------------------- Sick of deleting your inbox? Yahoo!7 Mail has free unlimited storage. Get it now.

Hi Jan A "Gay Family Reunion" was reported on, probably in the "Kiama Reporter" about 1981 (sorry I cannot be more accurate, I was given the newspaper clipping but no date or name of newpaper is noted) as follows: REUNION FOR FAMILY Last weekend more than 85 members, comprising five generations of the Gay family gathered together for a reunion at Ranelagh All nine branches of the family were represented, with some people travelling long distances, including northern Queensland, Brisbane, Lismore and Melbourne. Many of the descendants from the different branches had not met before and others were renewing old acquaintances. A bus tour of the district was a highlight of the itinerary on Saturday afternoon, followed by a dinner dance on Saturday night where the local folk band "The Moonshiners" provided music for the dancing and sing-a-long. Among the Gays present were local folk Russell and Lola from "Ocean View". Russell's nephew, Robert from Marsfield, Sydney has compiled the history of the Gay family. Extracts from the history outline some of the family's background: Matthew and Margaret Gay arrived at Moreton Bay, Brisbane from County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1854 on the "Monsoon". A few weeks later they moved to Sydney and from Sydney to the Illawarra district. They settled at"Crawler Forest"(later called "Crawley Forest"), a few miles south-west of Kiama, up the mountain between Mount Pleasant and Saddleback. In 1861, the Lands Act of Sir John Robertson made possible "Free Selection Before Survey" of what became known as the "Yarrawa Brush" country around the Wingecarribee Swamp, and much of this Free Selection took place in the Robertson-Kangaloon areas which were small villages that came into existence as the settlement in the Yarrawa Brushdeveloped. In 1863, Matthew Gay moved with his family to this "New Illawarra on the Tableland"and so forwarded to the Department of Lands his application for Conditional Purchase of selections he made in the Parish of Kangaloon in the vicinity of Mount Murray -- property which he later called "Ocean View" because of its magnificent views of mountain, lake and coastline, and which is now owned by Matthew's great-grandson - Russel Gay. Matthew and Margaret had ten children, three born in Ireland: Jane(married William Taylor), William (Married Isabella Armstrong) and Robert (married Lucinda Gray); and seven born in New South Wales:- Sarah (married John Armstrong), Elizabeth (married Alexander Marshall),John (married Annie Graham/LetitiaDe Lante), Matthew (married Isabella Moore),Samuel(married Margaret De Lante), Margaret (married John Goreman) and Joseph (married Annie Priest). John, Sam, Matthew, Sarah and Elizabeth moved to the North Coast - Richmond River district and took up selection in the early1880's. When their father Matthew died in 1887 in Robertson, their mother Margaret also moved North with her younger children Margaret and Joseph. Jane and William followed in the next few years. Robert and his wife Lucinda stayed on the property at "Ocean View". In 1901 Robert purchased 320 acres of land adjacent to the township of Robertson from a first selector Alfred Hindmarsh who had selected the land in 1862. This new farm became known as "Hillview". Robert commenced construction of a new sandstone house on the "Hillview" farm, where his family would live and run a dairy. "Ocean View" farm was then used mainly to graze cattle. "Hillview" is now owned and being restored by the Popp family. In 1907, aged 57 years, Robert died from pneumonia developed from a cold caught while building a stone wall around the new house. Robert and Lucinda had seven children Matthew Ernest (born 1892), Henry Stanley (1893), Robert Walter (1895),Florence Lucinda (1898) Emma Matilda (1900), Percy John (1902) and Joseph Arthur (1905). It was Emma, now aged 81 years, who brought about the Family Reunion at Ranelagh, and to whom the family owe their thanks for the success of the weekend. Hope this helps Margaret ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jan Frith" <maxfrit2@yahoo.com.au> To: <aus-nsw-se@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 8:46 PM Subject: Re: [NSW-SE] PEISLEY, MARSHALL, GAY