Beyond Signatures: Capturing Memories Through Autograph Books

Collecting autographs is a popular hobby for many who seek the signatures of notable individuals, celebrities, athletes or renowned personalities. The tradition of autograph books has spanned several centuries, though their presence has diminished in this digital age. The sentimental value of physical autographs remains for many people, myself included. The recent passing of Joy...

Home Among the Gum Trees

This Australia Day, I set myself a challenge to write a brief overview of my ancestors who made us who we are today, fair dinkum true-blue Aussies. Some came of their own accord, paying for their passage, while others were sent here courtesy of the British Government and whom we now call Australian Royalty! This...

Last Post Ceremony

On the 12th September 2019, my brother Peter Cripps and I had the honour of representing the Cripps family at the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. It was 75 years to the day since Dad's cousin, David Charles Cripps lost his life with the sinking of the Japanese Prisoner of Warship, the...

Charlie Cripps: 1924-2000

My Dad, Charles Thomas Cripps, was the fifth child and eldest son of  Tom and Norma Cripps nee Lymburner. He was born at the Geraldton maternity hospital, which at that time was in Gregory Street. Dad was also the third generation of Cripps' to run Mumby Farm, north of Northampton, Western Australia. His grandfather, Charles...

Next to Last – Maggie Cripps

I've mentioned this beautiful lady many times during my 30+ years of researching my families history. She was the first person I went to for information, even recording her oral history in May 1986, on a tape recorder which fortunately I transcribed as the tapes are now barely audible. Margaret Ada Cripps, affectionately known as...

Thankful for Online Newspapers

There are many things to be thankful for but one that came to mind for me to write about for this weeks prompt was how thankful I am for Trove. Trove is the National Library of Australia's website for searching mostly Australian newspapers, books, pictures and photos, Government Gazettes, music, sound and video, maps, diaries...

Exploring the Causes of Death

Now, this weeks prompt should be enough to make some of our family sit up and take notice and take better care of themselves. There are many and varied reasons as to why someone dies and often it can be from tragic circumstances like an accident or in the case of my great-great-grandfather, John Snook,...

Our Sporting Family

Oh my, the prompt this week is sport, and what better time to write about sport when just last weekend we watched the grand final of the AFL (Australian Football League) between West Coast Eagles from Western Australia and Collingwood, a Victorian team at the MCG, Melbourne Cricket Ground. That is now the 4th time...

Ten Ancestors Who Shaped Us

Ten is a significant number in my family history. My father was one of ten siblings, and my grandfather also came from a family of ten, which included two step-sisters. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away when I was only ten years old, but her memory lives on through the stories and traditions passed down by...