Quite common Lawrence. A good book on the subject is "Rural Australia and the Great War - From Tarrawingee to Tangambalanga" by John McQuilton. The libel case of Henry Vandenberg is mentioned in the book. Cheers Jackie -----Original Message----- From: lawrence cook [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, 19 August 2005 11:39 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [AVNE] high courts and the first world war After a break I am again chasing my Vandenberg ancestors in the area. One of the things I have found is that my grt grt grandfather Henry Vandenberg took libel action in 1916 against the Australian Pictorial Newspaper and a John Michael Myers for libel. After much waiting the National Archives have digitised the record onto their site. The paper published an article in April 1916 referring to Huns and a large number of people with germanic surnames who were in Councils or were J. P.s. Obviously at this stage of the First World War feelings were running high and the article is highly inflammatory. Henry took exception to this obviously and the High Court awarded him 1500 pounds in damages. Given that Henry was a British subject born in Whitechapel (I have a copy of his birth certificate) of Dutch jewish parents who had moved to London from repression in the low countries I can see why he was upset to be labelled as a Hun. As the family arrived in the Beechworth area in 1855 it emphasises how long term and deep seated some prejudices were. My query is whether there are any members of the list who have come across this anti-german feeling in their research and whether it was in fact a feature of that time. I have very little knowledge of social conditions in the 1910s and twenties and wondered whether Henry Vandenbergf's experience was common. Lawrence Cook

Thanks for the tip Jackie, I got the book this afternoon from the local library. It is very thorough and Iwill spend some time reading it fully. It seems that there is a lot of history in this problem of racism (if that is was it was). Interrestingly the book, while referring to Henry Vandenberg doesn't mention his birth in England. Changing names also seems to be a common response. My wifes family had several who anglicised their surname at that time Laurie Cook From: "Jackie" <[email protected]> > Quite common Lawrence. > A good book on the subject is "Rural Australia and the Great War - From > Tarrawingee to Tangambalanga" by John McQuilton. > The libel case of Henry Vandenberg is mentioned in the book. > Cheers > Jackie > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: lawrence cook [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, 19 August 2005 11:39 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [AVNE] high courts and the first world war > > > After a break I am again chasing my Vandenberg ancestors in the area. > > One of the things I have found is that my grt grt grandfather Henry > Vandenberg took libel action in 1916 against the Australian Pictorial > Newspaper and a John Michael Myers for libel. After much waiting the > National Archives have digitised the record onto their site. > > The paper published an article in April 1916 referring to Huns and a large > number of people with germanic surnames who were in Councils or were J. > P.s. > Obviously at this stage of the First World War feelings were running high > and the article is highly inflammatory. > > Henry took exception to this obviously and the High Court awarded him > 1500 > pounds in damages. > > Given that Henry was a British subject born in Whitechapel (I have a copy > of > his birth certificate) of Dutch jewish parents who had moved to London > from > repression in the low countries I can see why he was upset to be labelled > as > a Hun. As the family arrived in the Beechworth area in 1855 it emphasises > how long term and deep seated some prejudices were. > > My query is whether there are any members of the list who have come across > this anti-german feeling in their research and whether it was in fact a > feature of that time. I have very little knowledge of social conditions in > the 1910s and twenties and wondered whether Henry Vandenbergf's experience > was common. > > Lawrence Cook > >