Hello - I'm a newbie to Australian and Victorian research, and have been directed toward your list by another researcher. I really need your help. The family I'm researching is that of Henry THOMAS, bapt. 2 Apr 1820 in Camborne, Cornwall, UK, father John THOMAS, mother Eleanor EVA Thomas. He emigrated first to New York City, US, circa late 1840's and stayed a year, then moved on to Australia. If one accepts what is on his death certificate, that would have been 1854. Henry appears to have moved to Clunes, and was a partner in a foundry there. (His father was an iron founder, and all the boys were brought up with that trade.) He married Sarah SPITTLEHOUSE in Clunes in 1856. They had several children, half of whom died in infancy. His death certificate shows he was buried in St.Arnaud, near the children, in 1875 - aged 55. His wife died in Geelong in 1910. Now for the queries! His death cert. shows he lived in Conover, in the district of Kera Kera. I looked at lists of place names, and the only thing close is Coonooer. Might they be one and the same, or was there a Conover in 1875? (His sister-in-law & fam. was living in Coonooer in 1885.) On his death cert., he's shown as a farmer in Conover. That must have been a terrible stretch; can't imagine a life-long 'town boy' trying to farm! No wonder his cause of death was shown as "1. hepatitus" "2. exhaustion". That aside, was the land good for farming, or did it take thousands of acres to 'farm', as I've read? (more like ranching in the US) Is the land around that area fertile, or semi-arid desert? Are there any records for Clunes, where I could confirm that my Henry Thomas was partner in the foundry? (not that Thomas was a rare name....) Thank goodness they named one of their daughters for his mother - Ellen Eva - and thank goodness Australian records are so thorough! Thanks for any information. I really appreciate it! Regards, Julia Julia Mosman, OPC for St.Austell,Charlestown, and Treverbyn website http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staustell W. Briton newspaper transcripts at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad

Julia, From the 1879 Gazetteer of Victoria - Conover County: Kara-Kara Population: 500 Location: St. Arnaud 15 miles Jackie/Melbourne -----Original Message----- From: Julia Mosman [mailto:jwmos99@msn.com] Sent: Monday, 25 July 2005 5:17 AM To: AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Thomas family, Clunes & St. Arnaud-1854-1890 Now for the queries! His death cert. shows he lived in Conover, in the district of Kera Kera. I looked at lists of place names, and the only thing close is Coonooer. Might they be one and the same, or was there a Conover in 1875? (His sister-in-law & fam. was living in Coonooer in 1885.) On his death cert., he's shown as a farmer in Conover. That must have been a terrible stretch; can't imagine a life-long 'town boy' trying to farm! No wonder his cause of death was shown as "1. hepatitus" "2. exhaustion". That aside, was the land good for farming, or did it take thousands of acres to 'farm', as I've read? (more like ranching in the US) Is the land around that area fertile, or semi-arid desert? A ==== AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS Mailing List ==== The mailing list for the golden triangle of Ballarat, Bendigo and Maryborough VICTORIA