Request for lookup of PHYSICAL/ORIGINAL Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Adv

[transparu]

Thanks Craig,
I appreciate the offer.  I'm waiting on a response from a librarian at the moment but may need to take up your offer.
Regards from COLD Melbourne.
DY

[transparu]

Well, folks,  thanks to each of you - especially to Craig who did some serious work on my behalf.

Unfortunately it seems there may not be a copy (original or otherwise) available of the missing part of the article of interest.  Microfilm at both NSW SL and NLA do not have it and the only copy of the newspaper in question is in the NSW SL and I'm told this was the source of the microfilm.  I have not be able to have this copy opened to check. I'm told it is too old to look at.

ANY other suggestions for an alternative location would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again folks,

DY

[majm]

Oh dear.  Some thoughts....

1. So, do you think that another newspaper may have taken up the item on either page (the paragraph/s you wanted and also the article on the 'other side) and shared either (or both) with their readership, perhaps up to a week or so later and perhaps attributed it to the Grenfell Record?

2. Have you considered that it may be worthwhile asking RChatters to look through their own local offline resources for answers to the quest that brought you to that elusive item in that edition of that particular newspaper....

So, basically, what is it you are looking for that you were expecting to find in the missing clipping?


JM

[transparu]

Thanks JM,

Extensive searching doesn't show that any other paper printed this report in original or modified form either before or after the date. There is one brief letter criticising the report and that is how I know the author and title. There are numerous references to the party over several newspapers and several other reports of similar trips from Wyndham to or from the now Halls Creek area.  This letter was sent to the Grenfell paper for the benefit of Grenfell residents as it refers to quite a number of their community.

It is rather difficult to search for the article on the previous page (other side) as it was completely removed!  There appear to be 75 lines missing from the item of interest and presumably this gives some idea of the size of the clipped item too.

I'm looking for the content of the first 75 lines of the letter by WB Filby entitled "Grenfell to Kimberley" published in the Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser, 16/10/1886, p2. This would have included an introduction of some sort, a date of writing, possibly the location in which it was written (probably Grenfell, but possibly Sydney), the details of the journey from Grenfell to Sydney and from Sydney to a port (probably Wyndham, WA), perhaps details of the horses and donkeys, equipment and supplies involved and daily details and distances for the first several days travel from Wyndham toward the Elvire River. It may also have included details of O'Donnell's map followed.

Grenfell Library/Historical Society do not have the newspaper and they had not even been aware of the expedition of interest here.

I would be more than grateful to hear from anyone who has a copy of the page involved or of the previous page or any other related information.  I've face quite a number of brick walls in my family history research in the past, all of them further back than this and none that looked as ominous as this one does at present.

Thanks for your attention and interest - and with the hope of some positive response.

DY

[majm]

Some thoughts ...

   Have you checked for archival material with Grenfell Council ... The Mayor in the 1880s was a Mr Filby.
http://www.weddin.nsw.gov.au/

  Cootamundra Herald and Bathurst Free Press in Oct 1886 makes mention of the report ... perhaps other regional papers NOT yet digitised may also have accessed Grenfell Record and perhaps have written up in full detail    NSW state library may be worth re-contacting and asking from that point of view.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143439794
  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62016939

  Have you checked if NSW State Archives has deceased estate and/or probate files for any of the men named as perhaps there's a logbook there? .... or Mitchell Library ... or local libraries or local museums or LGA records ...

  Check further than just Grenfell ... if Coota and Bathurst newspapers reported, then what about the local papers for Cowra, Young, Forbes, West Wyalong, Orange, Blayney, Carcoar, Parkes, Condo, Dubbo, .... all the way down the Lachlan even ... 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=792267.0

[Macushla]

This has probably already been mentioned, as it seems too obvious, but have you checked with the Grenfell Record itself, as it is still published? Apologies if you've already checked and I have missed the reference.

[transparu]

Thanks folks for these suggestions.

So far Fairfax (who own the Grenfell Record) have not responded to my enquiry.

I already have the two NLA/Trove references thanks JM.  The Cootamundra paper gave the Title and Author of the notes in question so was quite important for me.  WB Filby was my wife's great grandfather. He was quite prominent in Grenfell from 1868 (I've written a book chapter about the family during the near-century they lived in Grenfell). The Bathurst paper gave me an approximate return date for WB Filby from the Kimberley and confirmed some names.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of the council as a source.  We know the Historical Society/Museum folk quite well and they know I am after that paper, and why.  They were unaware of other material in town that could be useful.  I'll look at the State Archives and also see if there is anything I can turn up in other towns around.  I have pretty well given up on thinking there may be a copy of the issue of the Grenfell Record without the missing column.

Thanks again for the thoughts, time and effort in responding.

DY

[transparu]

EUREKA!!!

I was feeling a but cheeky and wrote again to the NSW State Library with exactly the same request I had a couple of years ago. I thought maybe they would look at the paper copy of the text I was after.

The response I had was a bit unexpected.  The lady responding by email said that she had looked and the microfilm they have shows the particular page intact!  I couldn't believe it.  I immediately ordered a copy only to be phoned next day to say that the page was not, in fact, intact!  When I recounted the content of the email the caller said he'd speak with the sender as he had seen the page himself that day and it was missing the piece. He called again and said that he had been to the store with the other staff member and they had found there were TWO copies of this paper on microfilm, and they were different.  The one that had been scanned more recently (and since my quest began) was intact.

So now I have the the Grenfell Record, 16/10/1886, page 1, and another piece of history has fallen into place.

Thanks folks for the help, ideas and encouragement you have given.

[majm]

May I shout

'EXCELLENT'

Fingers crossed they will forward  copy to NLA

JM