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Tales from the Grave
Uncovering family history from down under
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Daughter discovers murder-suicide
What makes a person so crazed that they would want to harm a family member? This is the question that may have been asked by May Kathleen Lees when she came home from work on the evening of 6th December, 1944. As May stepped into the Enfield home she shared with her mother and elderly aunt, after 6pm on that fateful day, she had no idea of the scene that would greet her. When she entered the laundry or washroom, she discovered her mother, Clara Evelyn Lees (nee Shepherd), 63,
Samantha Elley
Jan 202 min read


A Deadly Trifecta for one family
Every family experiences its fair share of tragedy and death. For the Seccombe family, however, a triple portion was heaped on their plate when three children left this life before their time. John and Rebecca Seccombe were early pioneers in the Wollongbar district on the Northern Rivers and had established themselves with their nine children. They had taken up the third selection in the area and were very involved in the dairy industry. It was first in 1903 that tragedy stru
Samantha Elley
Jan 132 min read


Life and times of the Chadwicks
There are many headstones in our graveyards where finding information about their lives can be somewhat difficult. The resident of these graves may have lived quiet lives and not done anything spectacular for the wider world to know about. Headstone of Clarence and Sarah Chadwick and their infant son. Courtesy ancestry.com The challenge with the life of Clarence Chadwick was to find out what he had achieved while alive. His grave is located in Burwood cemetery, Victoria and a
Samantha Elley
Dec 30, 20253 min read


He raced to his last hurdle
It was on the second day in the first event of the annual Richmond River races at Casino.
Samantha Elley
Dec 16, 20252 min read
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