Henry and Hannah Collis, Sawyers Bay, Flinders Island.
These photos were found in the another of Lizzie Parkinson’s family albums.
They have all come up a treat. The photo of the Dawn was picked up in a 2007 Examiner clipping and where to find this photo of the Dawn. This will be a treasure for the families of the Willett’s (James (commissioned the build), Holt’s (were the key family on board when she was lost) and Jacks (shipbuilder) & Cutt’s (owner when she was lost)
William Holt with son Claude another on to scan up incredibly well/
In Hannahs family album the above photo with the words Mrs Domney – Bercherche Bay noted on the back and somewhat difficult to read / decipher, we assume the B should be R.
We are confident the lady in this photo is Rosanna Domeney, wife of William and friend to Hannah and Henry Collis, during their time teaching at Ramsgate / Recherché Bay.
Hannah 37 had son Henry November 1866 and Rosanna 32 had daughter Violet in April 1867. Hannah possibly taught Rosanna’s older children until she left for Badger Island in 1872.
A little research on the Linc website regarding the name Domney – revealed Domeney as a well established family business at Ramsgate / Recherché Bay. Contact with a descendant through Ancestry revealed the Domeney family and history.
‘My great, great grandparents were William Lemuel and Rosanna DOMENEY. he owned a number of cutters and transported Huon pine from the south west to Hobart and on return trips dropped off supplies to Bruny Is and to Recherché. He also owned a numbers of inns, one being the Sawyers Arms and another the Ramsgate Inn. The remains of the latter are still there. There was an article printed in the newspaper of March 1869 by a conchologist, W Legrand, who sailed to Recherché on William’s cutter, the Ripple, and stayed at one of his inns while doing his survey of shells in the area. At that time he writes that Mrs DOMENEY was in Hobart having a baby so he didn’t get to meet her’
Thank you Marie for these wonderful photos from Louisa and William Pearsal – a family treasure, thats for sure….
I can now identify William Pearsall in Hannah’s family photos from her album.
Number 63 is William Pearsall, so 58 we could safely say is one of he and Louisa’s children….
I am not so sure about their children – think it goes like this
Isabella Hannah (grandmother)1876
William Henry (grandfather) 1880
Florence Emily (Aunt) 1883
Maud Louisa 1887
Ella Charlotte (Great Aunt) 1891
Claris Clara (Aunt) Caroline 1893
Learning about our Collis Clan tells us that Louisa’s six children’s second names were from her Collis family, indicating a strong family connection.
58, 61& 63
Charles Wherrett (senior) 83 Elizabeth St 1872 – 1881 his son Charles Wherrett with various others at various locations in Hobart 1884 – 1897.
W Burrows and Co was W.H. Burrrows at Wherretts; Melbourne & Sydney Portrait Rooms, Launceston 1878 -1895. Duval and Co was with Burrows 1888 – 1900
Hannah, Henry and the kids!
How blessed to connect with several of Louisa’s descendants. Patience and time the key to this little project started in April 2014.
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A huge thank you to Steve and Marie for your interest and generosity.
1) London Palace of Art 10 Park St Sydney 1888-1892. 2) Mendelssohn and Co 80 Swanston St Melbourne ‘Queens Walk Studio’ 1889-1900 3
Duval and Co 1883 and 1898.
W Burrows operated out of Melbourne and Sydney Portrait Rooms, Launceston 1878-1895. Duvall & Co was 11 Quadrant, Launceston 1883-1890ish also with A.E. Burrows. There were many S Spurlings across the years Spurling the 2nd had Studios in Launceston St Johns St 1873-78 then Brisbane St 1878 -1900, Spurling Studio was 93 Brisbane St 1902 – 24 Spurling S the 3rd L’ton 1902 – 1941 at various locations.
58, 61 & 63 – Charles Wherrett senior 83 Elizabeth St 1872 – 1881 his son Charles Wherrett with various others at various locations in Hobart 1884 – 1897. W Burrows and Co was W.H. Burrrows at Wherretts; Melbourne & Sydney Portrait Rooms, Launceston 1878 -1895. Duval and Co with Burrows 1888 – 1900
George and Georges Federal Studio. Emberson and Son
Henry and Hannah Collis made their way from Canterbury to Hobart aboard the ‘Fair Tasmanian’ in 1852. (Image 072)
The book ‘Blue Gum Clippers and Whale Ships of Tasmania’ found at a local market’s a few weeks back has a little history about the Fair Tasmanian.
The launch of the ‘Fair Tasmanian’ in 1848 was a double launch.
It seems the ‘Fair Tasmanian’ a 200 ton Barque was a Tasmanian crafted Blue Gum Clipper and launched from John Watson yards at Battery Point in a double launching with the 160 ton Schooner Circassian’ in Hobart on 22 January 1848. The ‘Fair Tasmanian’ was besieged by bad luck just after launching, a fire started on board and one of the crew grabbed a bucket of what he thought was water?? however it was a bucket of tar??, thus causing the fire to rage out of control. A decision to scuttle the Fair Tasmanian was made to put out the fire. She was later raised and repaired. The Fair Tasmanian sailed 4 months later 21 May 1848 to Port Albert in Victoria where she loaded with livestock bound for New Zealand. She had on board 62 cattle that arrived in good health, with a loss of 65 sheep.
The Fair Tasmanian sailed to Mauritius, London and San Francisco with all types of cargo. such as sugar, potatoes and timber. She returned to Hobart on 17 August 1850 after a deal with a load of timber didn’t go as expected.
In 1852, she loaded with stock at Twofold Bay (near Eden NSW) to recommence trading livestock to New Zealand, the first trip ended in disaster for the stock that simply didn’t survive a heavy gale, the ship returned to restock then went on its way. I note Henry and Hannah returned to Hobart along with a handful of other passengers and ballast, no stock.
The ‘Fair Tasmanian’ was wrecked of Warnambool on 6 June 1864 after her anchor broke.
My siblings and I have by coincidence a paternal and maternal family history giving us two connections stretching from the southern tip to the northern tip of Tasmania.
Dad’s great grandparents Henry and Hannah Collis lived at Recherché Bay. They worked for the Education Department as teachers from the late 1860’s until transferring to Bass Strait in 1871.
Mum was 6 months old when her father Trooper Ken Johnson moved to his first country posting at Hythe in 1940. Hythe had a name change to Southport in 1969. Recherché Bay was part of the Hythe district.
Grandfather Ken was involved in the search for Critchley Parker – the search party dropped at Port Davey (in May) where they walked through the Southwestern Wilderness arriving at Maydena near New Norfolk quite a time later. Nan wrote of all her experiences as a young wife and mother of those times – she thought they had perished given the time of year and the area to be covered. Nan was relieved when grandfather returned home. Grandfather was quite ill and took a long time to recover. Grandfather had multiple splinters to both hands causing blood poisoning. Nan had to write all his reports for him.
Grandfather Ken was transferred to Cygnet in 1942 and in April 1944 he arrived on Flinders Island taking he position as Senior Constable. Mum remembers going to school and the end of WWII.
William Richard Collis – this photo was in the family album of Williams Uncle Henry and Aunt Hannah Collis Flinders Island.
Link to photo: older William with wife and family in South Africa.
OK………. another family connection to the Heart of Oak Lodge in Daniel Wright husband of Clara Dora Collis, stumbled upon while looking at Peter Arnold’s Great Grandmother Clara Dora – her death and funeral notice establishing connection to the Heart of Oak No 84 Lodge Launceston. I don’t think this will be the last Holt/Collis connection to come to light. I just happen to know the perfect Wright descendant who maybe able to help out with the questions I have on the UAOD Heart of Oak or at least point me in the right direction. A few photos found (a side effect of researching another unrelated piece of family history as is often the case) about the UAOD throughout Tasmania – purely to view the dress code.
Flinders Island: Badger Corner and Samphire River 