Gympie Family History Society Inc.

Comments from a short note to the Gympie Family History Society in 2020,
from a Joseph Bonavier, “Miss Polly finally comes home to Gympie.”

So, we would be interested to hear if this photograph has more details about her family in Gympie.
If you have any relevant information, please dont hesitate to contact the GFHS please.

These photos belong to Elsie Portch and are images of unknown family members of unknown families. The Photographs only initial clues have markings from Gympie studios of Hugo Du Reitz, and of H. Mortimer Evans. At the request of Elise, they were posted on the Gympie Family History Society’s Facebook page on the 13th August 2023 asking for help in identifying the people in the photos.

“Elsie Portch,
(Comment 21st August 2023, on GFHS Facebook post of 13th August 2023)
These 3 photos have been a mystery to me for a few years now.
A week ago, I spent time at both the Gympie Family History Society as well as with the local history officer at the Gympie Regional Library attempting to track down the photographer, an interesting story in itself. My Gympie contacts – very special thanks for the patience and help of Wendy Flik and Rochelle Bull – could tell me that Du Reitz was a well-known architect and considered one of the “fathers” of Gympie and responsible for a large number of the earliest buildings there. It now appears that he and/or his son had a photographic business from about 1878 through to about 1884 so this gave a clue as to the date the photos were taken. It was obvious that all 3 were taken the same day. The young man appeared to me to be aged about 20, making his birth year about 1860, something led me to compare the faces of William Faulks (my great-grandfather) who was born in 1860 at Boonara. A thrilling moment to be quite confident that I had found my answer, then to realise that I was also looking for the first time at the faces of my great-great grandparents, James Faulks and Annie Phillips as well as their other child, Sarah (born 1858) and her husband, Edward Hulse.
Annie Phillips was our Scottish forebear and her mother, Isabella Smith Phillips, lived in Gympie (died 1893) as well as one of her sisters, Isabella who married Rudolf Henry Brown (she had 2 brothers and 6 sisters scattered across Queensland). Annie’s father, David Phillips died in 1859 on Boonara and lies in an unmarked grave.”

Here is a ceremonial teapot, presented to a Mrs Hughes by the Queensland Womens Electoral League, dated 23rd July 1913. The teapot stands 30cm high and about 20cm wide.  The teapot was made in England by Lee and Wigfull, Sheffield from EPBM (Electroplated Brittania Metal).  Also stamped on the bottom of the teapot are the numbers 42625 4 which would have been the model number.

What we are hoping is to obtain some more information about the Gympie division of the Queensland Womens Electoral League, and which Mrs Hughes was its owner, as well as some information about her role in the league.

If you have any information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What we are hoping is to obtain some more information about this large gathering at a local hall within Gympie area around c1920-21, believed to be a Wilbrahams gathering. There are only a few people who have been identified.

The interested party is also hoping to possibly find a desired home for the 60 x 20 cm framed picture.

If you have any information, please do not hesitate to contact us.