Colleen You should look at the WA Post Office Directories, you should find all of your answers there. http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/battye/pods/Post_Office_Directories_Contents.html regards Lorraine Clarke jaych10@arach.net.au ----- Original Message ----- From: "Colleen Dunk" <cdunk@ozemail.com.au> To: <AUS-WA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 6:16 PM Subject: [AUS-WA] Early history of Donnybrook - help needed > Hi All > > I am feeling very sentimental today after receiving some very sad news > last night. > > One of my beloved Aunt's died at age 96 ,even at that age is was still a > shock because she was as fit as a fiddle & not at all sick. > > My Mum & other Aunty had both seen her on Monday & Tuesday & she was > perfectly fine - but by late Wednesday had passed away. > > > > I have been looking through my family history notes of some of the > conversations I had with my Aunty over recent years. > > I know she & the other older sisters & brothers of my Mum's went to > school > in Donnybrook.( Mum was the baby of the the 7 kids & was born in SA after > the family had left WA ) so the time frame would have been probably been > after 1915 that they attended the local school - but it may have been a > few > years before.The family had left WA & were living in Adelaide by late > 1922.I > know at one stage in WA my Grandfather worked on cutting down "The tall > trees " as he called them & at other times he did various jobs with his > horse & cart. > > > > I have been told that at the time that the area of Donnybrook where my > DOUGAL family lived was ,it was very basic living conditions,especially > for > a family with 6 kids. > > Apparently my family were good friends with many of the families from > these > railway cottages .The only brick places were the railways cottages & > everyone else lived in tent type structures- including my family. > > It seems that my Aunties & Uncles had to walk a very long way into the > school.There were no roads or even proper paths to follow ,they had to > follow the fence lines in order not to get lost.I'd loved to figure out > where these railways cottages where that my family lived by & their > neighbors - in regards to where the actual school was.I get the > impression > that my Aunt's & Uncles had to walk a very long way to get to school & not > just 5 > 10 minutes - I get the impression it would have easily been > between > 30 > 60 minutes walk to get to school. each day. > > > > Our family is Catholic but there were no early Catholic schools or > Churches > to attend at the time.I have been told that Mr Padman was the only teacher > at the time.My deceased Aunty had said that there were about only 6 kids > in > each class level but it was all one big classroom in the public school of > the time.Funnily enough I did a white pages search of Donnybrook & there > are > 3 PADMAN's still living in the area.Any locals know of a Mr Padman that > may > have worked in the local school ? Are there any current records of the > Donnybrook local school from the early 1900's ? How do I find them from SA > ? > > > > > I am very interested in hearing & learning about any early history of the > Donnybrook area from 1910 onwards till 1922 & the local school & community > Are there any early school records or census ,voting rolls of the local > area > ? If so then how can I access these from SA ? Are there any early maps of > the area - in order to work out where my family could have lived ? > > Any advise or ideas would be truly appreciated & would help me on my > sentimental journey re my family. > > Thanks for any help & for allowing me my sentimental journey > > Colleen Dunk - Adelaide > > cdunk@ozemail.com.au > > PS - I keep on hoping that one day " The Tardis " will appear in my > backyard & I will have all the answers I am looking for <LOL> > > > ==== AUS-WA Mailing List ==== > > Q: Why do WA's cyber-genies hang out at the Perth DPS & use DPS-CHAT-L ? > A: Check out: ' http://www.perthdps.com/dps-chat.htm ' > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx > > >