A group of passionate volunteers dedicated to helping keep local history alive celebrated a milestone of its own on Saturday 18 May.
The Narre Warren and District Family History Group marked 35 years since 11 people met with a common interest in family history and formed the group in the home of founding president Lorraine Taylor on 10 May 1989.
Unfortunately, Lorraine, who has the group’s research room named in her honour, couldn’t attend the event, having recently broken her arm in a fall. It was the first milestone event she had missed.
Another key player was also missing, with valued member Lyn McGregor losing her battle with cancer only weeks before the event.
Members were thrilled, however, that another of those original members, Val Holland, was able to attend and she joined life members in cutting a celebratory cake made by Abby of Abby Bites, the grand-daughter of life member Anne Blair.
Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas, Cardinia mayor Jack Kowarzik and Star News Group editor Garry Howe spoke at the birthday party and handed certificates of appreciation to its many volunteers.
Current president Jane Rivett Carnac reflected on the group’s achievements over those 35 years, which include Cemetery Walk events across the region and the publication of 17 books., 15 of those related to walks.
She said that in 2004 a small group, led by Eileen Durdin, set out to create the Casey Cardinia Combined Index so they had a fast way to search a name or place in the district and identify all the books and records within them.
“To date we have over 200,000 entries on our searchable database,” she explained.
Another project was the Casey Cardinia Remembers website, led by Lynne Bradley.
“The idea was to photograph and record the many names on plaques, honour boards and memorials in the district and create a dedicated website,” she said.
“The National Library of Australia has deemed our work on this project to be of importance and the website is regularly archived via Pandora and the National Library so it will be preserved for all time.
“Both of these projects began when Eileen and Lynne worked fulltime and held committee positions and participate in many other ways for the groups benefit. I wonder when they found time to do their own family research.”
The group had held occasional walks in local cemeteries in the early days, but in 2011 at Pakenham cemetery produced its first related book and opened another learning avenue of research and writing the stories.
A cemetery tours group was formed in 2014 for the 100-year commemoration of the Great War and the first walk, coinciding with History Month each October, was held at Berwick cemetery. This year Emerald will complete the tours.
The Berwick tour revealed the unmarked grave of a forgotten soldier and with the help of the RSL, the Cemetery Trust and the Pakenham-Berwick Gazette, Brigadier General C.H.Foott now has a headstone and recognition of his service.
Volunteers acknowledged included John Abbott and Maureen Abbott, David Allen, Heather Arnold, Val Barnett, Anne Blair, Lynne Bradley, John Byrne, Di Christensen, Moreyn Dimsey, Eileen Durdin, Ian George, Gary Glassborow, Penny Harris-Jennings, Robyn Jones, Helen Kemp, Bev Lambie, Kerryn Maxwell, Fay McCoubrie, Rex McFarlane, Mary McGrath, Lyne McGregor (posthumously), Bob Neal and Mary Neal, Judy Owen and Russell Owen, Jane Rivett-Carnac, Tracey Roberts, Cameron Rocke and Marianne Rocke and Barbara Sharp.
