I discovered today the National Library of Australia has begun digitising millions of old newspapers from microfilm. These archives are progressively being made available online.
What a wonderful project and how tremendous it will be for researchers.
I spent days browsing microfilm while studying the family history, often picking dates at random. Now it’s possible to search for names.
A quick look tonight for “Gorey” revealed these extracts:
5 March 1930: The Argus
Re: James Herbert Gorey (Bert)
“Sub Inspector Gorey, who until his recent promotion was officer in charge of the Collingwood police district, was entertained on Tuesday afternoon at the town hall by the citizens of Collingwood, on whose behalf the mayor (Councillor WF Angus) presented him with an inscribed gold watch.”
Comment: I never knew Bert was such an important officer or that he was based in Collingwood. This would have been during the John Wren days as well. Fascinating.
There were several other references to Bert Gorey making arrests and giving evidence in court.
He was my grandfather’s cousin, which I think makes him my third cousin.
Another one of my grandfather’s cousins, also James Gorey (a common name in our family) died in a mine disaster at Marvel Loch and that was reported in the Melbourne Argus.
I wrote briefly about this in February 2006 while living at Kalgoorlie, which was where James was from. I read the more detailed reports at that time in the Kalgoorlie Miner. Here is what The Argus published.
19 May 1915
Re: James Gorey
“PERTH, Tuesday – The Minister for Mines (Mr Collier) visited Marvel Loch on Tuesday and presented a miner, Frank Mazza, with the departmental certificate for bravery. In November last James Gorey, Frank Mazza and Michael O’Brien were tributing in the Marvel Loch mine, and while engaged in the work of taking out stone a heavy fall of earth occurred in a stope over them, instantly killing Gorey and pinning O’Brien in a position which rendered him unable to extricate himself.
“Mazza, at great personal risk, and even with the ground crumbling all around, and though twice driven from his task, succeeded in the third attempt to release his remaining mate just in time to avoid a further fall of earth, which would have overwhelmed them both. Making their way to a sounder part of the mine, the two were subsequently imprisoned for 8 1/2 hours before a rescue party, working under extreme difficulty and in immediate peril, effected their rescue.”
Here was another sad discovery, involving my grandfather:
2 April 1932: The Argus
Re: Michael John Gorey
FARMERS’ RELIEF
IS THE ACT INCONSISTENT?
“LANG LANG, Friday – At the Lang Lang Court before Mr RH Down PM, Michael John Gorey, farmer, of Dalmore, applied for protection under the Farmers Relief Act.
“The applicant stated that he was a potato farmer, and that his debts were approximately £1600 and his assets £2000. He was on a closer settlement block of 60 acres. Some of his creditors were pressing him for payment. It would be to his advantage to obtain a protection certificate.
“Mr Marsland, who appeared for several creditors to object to the application, submitted that the act required that the interests of creditors should be considered. The plan of distribution of income under the act permitted new creditors, such as fertiliser and jute merchants, to take preference over storekeepers who had carried the farmer for years.
“Mr Down said that he felt obliged to agree with Mr Marsland. It appeared that Parliament had overlooked the aspect placed before the Court, and that protection certificates would be difficult to obtain. The application would be refused.”
Comment: This was during the Great Depression. My grandfather subsequently left Dalmore with his wife and 11 children to carve a farm out of virgin bush at Fumina near Mount Baw Baw.
My father was the 12th and final child born. He would have been interested in this article.
Grandfather Michael was 48 in 1932. I can’t imagine the difficulty of having to start life again with a large family at that age.
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