Written by Celine Louie
As you venture up the stairs of the Maryborough Historical Centre perched safely above the Mary River, an old building brimming with its own stories of the past, it seems a most fitting venue to house one of the largest collections of genealogy records in Queensland- and the volunteer organisation, Maryborough District Family History Society (MDFHS), who have taken on the laborious task of connecting the dots of our past.
Entering quietly, I find a small group of dedicated volunteers, absorbed deep in their never-ending search through the archives. I try hard not to disturb them as they navigate their way through an array of information from books, photos and online records, in a search to uncover the untold stories of the early settlers who arrived by ship, those who first set foot upon the banks of the Mary River.
Thanks to the volunteer group and the tireless individuals who volunteer there, valuable information that may otherwise have been forgotten continues to be collected and collated.
Much like a jigsaw puzzle, as snippets of information come to light, the society ensures that it continues to be added to its data-base, in order to form a clearer picture of the past.
I’m met by the society’s president, John Ruhle, who has been volunteering for 15 years, and while he feels his time here may be nearing an end, his un-ending desire to see this much-needed organisation stay open and running keeps him coming back each week.
“It’s really important. There’s such a lot of information here, which if we were to close, would be a terrible shame,” he says.
It’s estimated that between 25,000 to 30,000 people arrived in Australia via the Port of Maryborough between 1861 and 1892 in the hopes of making a new life in Australia. Record-keeping on entry wasn’t quite what it is today, so the hefty task of unearthing the information available doesn’t come easy.
“A couple of years ago I looked at the shipping lists of the boats that came here, and I reckon I’ve got 10,000 people that aren’t listed. There are still missing shipping lists that we have no information on,” he says.
Set up 40 years ago, well before the online services we use today were even available, and with the help of countless hours of the volunteers’ time, the information uncovered by the society ensures that the records they hold are as accurate as possible, unlike the information often found via online resources.
John explains that while online services are a good place to start if you want to trace back your family tree, more often than not the information hasn’t been verified and is inaccurate, so once you’ve got your family tree it’s up to you to check records on Births, Deaths & Marriages, and delve deeper into the archives to substantiate that information. This is where the society can be of tremendous help in supporting you in your detective work.
If you have ever wondered who you really are, you’re not alone. Most of us have questions about our family history and how we came to be where we are today. The heartfelt journey we venture on when delving into our past is one of introspection and the answers found may allow us to know ourselves that little bit more.
While it can be time-consuming, it is worth every moment not only for ourselves but for the generations that come after us. However tread carefully as it may uncover hidden surprises as John explains.
“We’ve had cases of people finding out that the husband had two families, returning from war and starting a new family rather than going back to his original family. The local bus drivers who’ve got in while the husbands have been away, all sorts of things come up that weren’t otherwise known.”
“Some of the things they do find are extremely interesting, some things can be a bit controversial and families won’t accept what they’ve found, but it’s amazing what you find when you start digging”
The unrelenting work done by the society plays a crucial role in keeping our history alive, yet they run on very little financial help, and struggle to find volunteers willing to help in the arduous task.
“We get people who work for the dole, but we find it hard to get people to fill the positions. We need somebody to come in and actually run the show. I’m 77 so it’s time I wasn’t here, and we were just very lucky to acquire Barbara’s services, she came to help with data entry but when we couldn’t get a treasurer that fell back on Barb.”
Barbara pops her head out from behind her computer with a smile. As it turns out almost everything falls back on Barb these days. After working at Downer for 41 years she was made redundant, but with her experienced typing skills she was quickly put to work by the society.
“I was approached and asked if I would come in and do some typing. So I came in and started working here, and before I knew it I took over the vacant secretary and treasurer positions too. It’s all sort of grown from there.”
“I really enjoy being here and everyone will tell you it’s a lovely place to work. I’m in awe of the girls that do the actual research, they are like a dog with a bone, and they just keep at it. Some of the things they come out with are fascinating!” Barb explains.
John describes how much easier it is to start your family tree these days.
“Back in the days before the internet, tracing those in your family tree was a pretty hard business. You’d write a letter to someone and they’d finally get back to you in three months time. The letter would get misplaced, or they wouldn’t have time to reply.”
John was first led to the history society by his own questions. Having lived a busy life as a ‘Jack of all Trades’ from working in the railway to owning a post office, John retired and with the extra time on his hands, took on the task of finishing his own family tree, unaware of just how involved he would become.
“My father started gathering the information the old fashioned way, but then it got lost in a drawer. When I found it, it got me asking questions. I decided to finish it off, I paid for a month’s subscription with Ancestry and in that time got as much information as I could. Then I came in here, and they helped me out quite a bit, so that’s when I started volunteering as a way to thank them for all they had done. Fifteen years later I’m still here,” he laughs.
The society is much quieter these days, most enquiries they receive are by phone or online, but they welcome anyone who wants to drop in. They are well skilled in navigating the different search engines available- some are easier to use than others, and there are numerous free resources available too such as the National Library of Australia’s ‘Trove’ website, which has digitized all newspapers, “so if Fred Jones ran a cow over in the main street of Chinchilla in 1923 and it was in the paper, you’ll find it on Trove.”
Financially the society is mainly funded by clever ingenuity. They run Cemetery Tours on the third Friday night of each month, guiding people through the Maryborough Cemetery narrating stories of those buried there. With a filing cabinet filled with 500 stories of people who have previously lived here, there are plenty of captivating tales to enthrall those who take the tour. They are also in the process of digitizing black and white photos which they are selling on their Facebook page.
The society’s valuable work will never be complete, as more information is always coming to light. Venturing down the path of discovering our own family tree will unearth information that helps the society, so take the leap if you feel stirred to have a go.
Likewise, if you would like to do something purposeful by contributing to the work they do- either financially or by joining the team as a volunteer (no prior experience required), they would be delighted to hear from you.
You can visit them at 164 Richmond Street on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or connect with them via their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/maryboroughfamilyhistory- and for something different why not head to their next cemetery tour which will be held on Friday 21 June.