I found my father's aunt by marriage ( in Victoria) on the passenger lists for coastal vessels: Vic to WA. Susan ----- > > > > In a reference to the drop in marriages in Victoria, the following > observation: > > Between 1891-1901 [remember this was a massive depression time] an > efflux of single men to Western Australia and South Africa. > > To WA 17,443 adult males born in Victoria, 10,732 were single males, > 6,701 were married males and a further 6,909 were male minors (under 21 > years of age). > > So it's no wonder that males disappear from our family trees in this > period. > > Plus I have read the account of the experiences of a Queensland nurse > who went to the Kalgoorlie area during the gold rush, and the dreadful > conditions and high death rate in the desert conditions: no water even > to wash patients in the wards! > > Add to this, the necessity the Victorian Government felt by 1895 to set > up the "Intestate Widows Relief Act" listed in the registers (7 > volumes) of VPRS 1703, one of the first entries being a Bendigo woman > whose husband died in Kalgoorlie. This is perhaps a reference worth > pursuing if a husband's death seems not to have been recorded in > Victoria post 1894 ? > > Hope that's of interest > > Regards Ada Ackerly > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message