By Sheree Hoddinett
We know a lot of the names, but how much do you know about the original landowners from across our community?
The Caboolture Family History Research Group (CFHRG) has been busy uncovering information to identify and document every original landowner in the Old Moreton Bay District from 1860 to 1910, using early Queensland Government Cadastral Maps.
The Founding Families project commenced partway through 2023 and so far the group has pinpointed more than 2200 names. CFHRG president Sue Battersby said within each family they were tracing up to the first three generations and the connection between those families as they intermarried.
“After we have collected all the information that we can find, we are entering all the family details into spreadsheets and then entering that information into Family Historian Genealogy Software, so we have a digital archive of each family member,” Sue explains. “This will allow us to generate a huge family tree showing the intermarriages over those generations. We currently have several hundred family connections through marriage. For example, the Carseldine family married into more than 45 other families in the district between approximately 1860 and the 1880’s. “This type of project has never been attempted before, as far as we know, and it is extremely exciting to see how the huge family tree is coming together.”
For this project, CFHRG is covering from Humpybong/Redcliffe/Bramble Bay, along the north shore of the Pine River to Samford, along the D'Aguilar Range up to Kilcoy, then along the Conondale Range and back to the coast towards Noosa.
“We have uncovered all sorts of things from accidents to murder, to bigamy, you name it, we have found it,” Sue said. “We have done an enormous amount of work and the ultimate aim for us is that we will have a repository of information that is available to anyone who's starting or on their journey of finding out about their family history.”
The group is always on the hunt for more information and moving forward Sue hopes to bring members of founding families together annually for a special day to share what has been found and also spread the word about their project.
They are adding lots of information to the Founding Family Archives and are on the lookout for the following information:
Family stories/histories including work histories (occupations); leisure activities, family and community events.
Shipping arrival details into Australia.
Historical documents i.e. land title documents; birth/death/marriage certificates; leases etc.
Historical (old) photographs of Founding Families and their lived experience.
Diaries; letters; newspaper articles.
War records; etc.
“These Family Founding Archives will be available to anyone researching their family tree,” Sue said. “We are here to help as much as we can on your research journey.”
CFHRG has also started a Founding Families Connect group, which will meet every few months to discuss their findings.
If you have anything that you are willing to share copies of (photos, documents, etc.) or you would like to get involved in the Founding Families project and receive newsletters, please email cfhrg55@outlook.com.
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