Cliff Carpenter was a pioneer Australian aviator, a young man who lost his life in a Sunderland aircraft over the skies of Norway on the first day of the German invasion. Through his letters home we are exposed to a fascinating and intriguing insight into the spirit of the times as World War II beckoned. A Very Short War follows Cliff’s nephew as he unravels the story of an uncle who made the ultimate sacrifice so far from home. The DVD also features an extended interview with Nancy Bird-Walton and a slide-show of the construction of Cliff’s homebuilt aeroplane. Read more of his story on page 42 of Inside History Issue 9; Mar-Apr 2012 - our ANZAC edition.
We have five copies of A Very Short War, valued at A$24.95 each, to give away. To enter the draw, simply tell us the answer to the following question:
Q. What type of plane was Cliff flying in over Norway?
Send your name and contact details to Inside History, A Very Short War Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, April 29, 2012.
We loved the series on ABC recently, but if you missed it now’s your chance to fall in love with house history!
Journey around Australia with archaeologist Adam Ford as he delves into public records, cellars and even mangroves to uncover the real story of beloved family homes in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. Each of the eight episodes is a fascinating detective story — a combination of Time Team + Grand Designs + Who Do You Think You Are? that will have you wanting more!
ABCTV is giving Inside History readers the chance to win one of five DVDs of Who’s Been Sleeping In My House?, worth $19.95 each. To enter, simply tell us the answer to the following question:
Q. How many episodes are there in the series?
Send your name and contact details to Inside History, ABCTV Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, April 29, 2012.
I know you're enjoying the new ABC series, Who's Been Sleeping In My House, and want to find out more about your house! I know we are and do!
The essential sources to assist in your investigation of the history of your property are the Sands Directories. These were the city-wide address book of the day in use in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. In Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia a similar directory was in use, and were published by either the Post Office or H. Wise & Co.
Sands Directories: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia, 1858-1932
Each issue of the Directory listed householders, businesses, public institutions and officials of the entire Sydney area. The two major components of the Directory were the 'Alphabetical' and the 'Suburban' sections. The first consisted of a single alphabetical sequence of the names of householders, business houses and major organisations, with the address of the associated premises attached. The suburban section provided similar information arranged variously by suburb, locality or local government area as the Directory developed.
The street-by-street listing of householders in Sands is useful for undertaking research on the history of properties. The type of information included is:
Householder's name and title,
Street number and house name,
Householder's occupation or type of business
They are useful in listing the residents of a building, although they may not necessarily be the owners of the property. They also help confirm the date of the house. The easiest way to do this research is to simply take a later volume of the directory and go back until your house no longer appears. You may come across a reference to the property being "vacant" or "house under construction". If so, it's likely your house will appear the following year. The first year in which a property appears in Sands may be considered an indication of when a piece of land was first developed but be cautious, the first listing may in fact be after a period of omission e.g. if the property was vacant for some time.
However, directories are not without their problems. Information was often a year behind and inclusion in them was not compulsory - the fee for being listed putting many off. Other problems identified by the Royal Australian Historical Society, says the society's librarian Donna Newton, include:
Street names may change
Street numbering sometimes absent in the early Directories
Street numbering may change
House names could change regularly
Listing may not indicate a change of use or redevelopment
Sands is not a legal document - the information was collected by Sands' agents who called door to door - and is open to error
If a property was vacant, then the Sands' agent could not collect information for the site
Where do I find a Sands Directory?
As with all research, start with your local library. These fine institutions may have hard copies or microfiche of the originals, and will likely have free access to Ancestry.com.au or findmypast.com.au, which both have Sands records from various states as part of their collections.
Use the amazing Trove to find a library near you stocking the directory.
The staple sources for most family history research should also not be overlooked in house history research. And while census returns, electorial roles and birth, death and marriage certificates may repeat a lot of information you'll find in the rate books and directories, they may just add that detail which brings your house to life. Good hunting!
Have you considered tracing the family history of your home? Who’s Been Sleeping In My House?, is a wonderful new series from the ABC that does just that. Archaeologist and presenter Adam Ford uses the tools of his trade – public records and a good spade – to discover the histories of eight houses around Australia, and the generations of families who've called them home. Think Time Team + Grand Designs rolled into one show! In the first episode, Ford travels to the heart of Ballarat in Victoria. Here, he tells Inside History why he loves digging up the past.
Inside History Magazine: It’s fascinating to see where the trail of clues leads you once you start digging. What is your highlight from the series?
Adam Ford: One of the great things about this show is that I get to do what I do! That is - go on an adventure into the past, which I have done for the past 20 years in various parts of the world. While that sounds a bit romantic, the past is (to paraphrase L.P. Hartley) a foreign country and to explore it is to go on an adventure. The highlight of this show is that the past histories of the houses are completely unknown and I get to dig them out of the records and, in some cases, the buildings themselves.
IHM: It must have been rewarding to discover the story of the 1860s dining room in episode 1 (airing Monday, November 21, 8pm).
Adam Ford: The question of the dining room was really unusual and I wasn’t certain that we were going to find the answer so, yes it was very satisfying. More satisfying and rewarding was being able to reveal the histories of the houses to the owners. In every case they were amazed and quite moved by the stories.
IHM: How and why did you choose these eight houses for the series?
Adam Ford: In a way the houses chose us. We had a look at a lot of places but these eight stood out. Not only are they beautiful, but also all had a fascinating story to tell.
IHM: What’s the first thing someone should do when researching their house?
Adam Ford: Well apart from dropping us a line - www.abc.net.au/tv/whosbeensleeping - the first port of call should be those champions of history keeping, the local libraries and local historical societies. Not only will they be able to point you in the right direction, they will probably provide you with the right questions to ask to get you moving.
IHM: Is there any hidden history about your own home in Victoria, that you’re wanting to dig up?
Adam Ford: Unfortunately not. My house was built in the 1980s – it’s a beautiful mud brick barn of a place but not very old. Mind you, we are bringing up our two daughters in it so we are creating history every day.
Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? starts, November 21 at 8pm on ABC1.
Related stories: Find out how to research the history of your house in issue 5 of Inside History. Go online to read here.
