Yesterday I met a long-lost relative from the Collis side of the family – whilst here in Victoria a wonderful opportunity to meet her. We had a lovely lunch – a little later than planned due to my seriously getting lost – oh my what a headache!! When we met she seemed familiar!! We had a great afternoon talking family history filling in more history gaps also scanning photo’s.

Fred met Nell when she was working on one of the Sister Islands – she was 19 and Fred 46. The oral history is she put her age up and Fred brought his down, to cut the age gap when they married.

Nell Collis remarried twice after beloved husband Fred passed away from cancer –  she married second husband (Denholm), a heavy drinker and they lived in Hobart and after his death Nell married Richard Batten (wife Bessie died in 1946). Dad remembers visiting them with his parents – she was a lovely person with a good sense of humour,  Dad said she had to contend with his father Horace’s teasing………..which he was well-known for.

This last picture  taken after a major fire – once I was able to enlarge, taken possibly a little below where the latest wind turbine, Nalinga.  The main road is gravel and the turn off to Trousers Point visible there are regular white lines beside the road,perhaps PMG poles.