Rocket Brigade and Lifeboat Service Memorial Dedicated

The members of the Newcastle Lifeboat Service and the Rocket Brigades were about 350 over the course of their 136-year existence and are often forgotten in the Hunter’s maritime history. Many men from Stockton were members of these groups over the years, and our long time member, Eric Pitt is a descendant of James Robert who served on the crews.

On the 13th Dec 2013, a new memorial was unveiled on the Newcastle coast to remember the dangerous work done by these brave volunteers.

Eric Pitt with the new memorial to the Newcastle Lifeboat
Service and the Rocket Brigades

The Rocket Brigades formed in 1866. They were split into north and south divisions, based either side of the harbour and crews didn’t have the luxury of a boat. Instead, they trudged heavy equipment, including a rocket launcher designed to fire ropes on to stranded ships, along the 30-kilometre stretch of Stockton beach. The Rocket Brigades were last involved in a rescue in 1974 when the iconic Sygna was lost – the wreck is still visible from Stockton beach.

The articles below have some great photos of the new memorial statue and Eric features in the first one!

• Newcastle Herald - Lifeboat service memorial launched
• NBN Television - Descendants Gather For Marine Rescue Memorial Statue

Update on the Aurora

Following up on our recent post on the SY Aurora - recently a small group of negatives were found in the Antarctic which feature the SY Aurora. The full article can be found here - On Ice: 100-year-old negatives discovered in Antarctic .

"Conservators restoring an Antarctic exploration hut recently made a remarkable discovery: a small box of 22 exposed but unprocessed photographic negatives, frozen in a solid block of ice for nearly one hundred years."

Newsletter #1 - Dec 2013

We are launching a newsletter for the group. This will help keep members informed of what's happening between issues of the Journal, especially time sensitive items like upcoming events. The newsletter will also contain updates to the Library, research requests, guest speaker round ups etc. It will be published as and when required.

If you would like to have an electronic copy emailed to you when it becomes available, please email me at:

stocktonhistsoc@gmail.com

Members Interest Directory

Are you researching a family with links to Stockton or perhaps interested in shipping, coal or other topic which relates to Stockton?

We are currently developing a Members Interest Directory. This will be in two parts - one for those researching family histories and one for those researching more general topics or non-family history related topics.

If you are interesting in having the details of your researching interest shared with other members, please download, complete and return the following forms:

• Members' General Interest Directory Form
• Member Family History Interest Form

Please note, you don't have to be a member to have your interests listed.

We hope to have the first edition of the Directory available on our website in March 2014.

Trove Tuesday - SY Aurora - Antarctic Exploration Ship

As would be expected with a place like Stockton, sailing vessels have played an important role in its history. Over the years many famous vessels have visited and played host to Stocktons' people.

On 16 April 1917, the SY Aurora was moored off Stockton.

"STOCKTON." Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) 
 16 Apr 1917: 6. Web. 15 Nov 2013
 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133746731>.

STOCKTON. The Shackleton exploration vessel Aurora, which is lying at Stockton, was open for inspection yesterday, and large numbers of visitors took the opportunity of going aboard the vessel. A silver coin was charged for admission, and the proceeds were devoted to the Red Cross and Field Force Funds.

The Aurora started her life as a whaler in the northern seas around Canada. In 1910, she was purchased to be part of Douglas Mawsons' Australiasian Antarctic Expedition, helping in 1911 to establish a base on Macquarie Island. Her association with Antarctic exploration continued when in 1914 he became part of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. One of her final Antarctic adventures was being the ship used to rescue the Ross Sea Party.

The fo'c'stle head of the "Aurora" sheathed with ice after a blizzard in Commonwealth Bay
[Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914] - National Library of Australia - Creative Commons

After these adventures, she began to run coal between the east coast of Australia (from Newcastle and Sydney) to Chile. This run proved her downfall when in early 1918 she was listed as missing after leaving port at Newcastle. It was believed she was the victim of a U-boat attack, in the last year of World War One.

"THE MISSING AURORA." The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954)
4 Jan 1918: 5. Web. 25 Nov 2013
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27465329>.

THE MISSING AURORA - SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON'S VIEWS 

Sir Douglas Mawson, interviewed yester day with regard to the mising vessel Au rora, said that if she were lost it must have been due to a submarine attack. She had proved her seaworthiness by navigating 30,000 miles in the foulest weather during the Australasian Antarctic expedition. She had been the fnest boat engaged in polar exploration work. A Sydney telegram of Nov. 26 last said: "'The Aurora sailed from Sydney on June 1 and from Newcastle two days later with a cargo of coal for Iquique. Before her departure she had been overhauled and equipped with wireless apparatus. Shortly after the vessel sailed for South America stormy weather was experienced, but if disaster overtook ,the vessel the wireless plant should have been sufficiently strong to send messages to either Australia or New Zealand. On the eve of his depart ure Captain Beeves informed the Sydney agents that if the weather were favourable he would put in at Wellington, but the vessel apparently did not touch at New Zealand. As many of the crew belonged to Sydney, it is considered that if the Aurora had arrived at Iquique some mes sage would have been received in Welling ton or Sydney. The Aurora was fitted with auxiliary engines.'' Three other ships were announced to be missing, name ly, the Peruvian sailing ship Mario, 'which left Newcastle (New South Wales) five days after the Aurora with a cargo of coal for Callao; the barque Beluga, which left San Francisco with a cargo of oil for Sydney on May 16; and the barque Enoore, which sailed from Prescott, Oregon, on May 3 with a timber cargo for Sydney.

"AURORA MISSING." The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 
20 Mar 1918: 6. Web. 25 Nov 2013
 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60343266>.

More Information

• Photograph - SY Aurora
• Wikipedia - SY Aurora
• SY Aurora - Ships of the Polar Explorers
• Bert Clive Burnell Lincoln - Diary from SY Aurora

#TroveTuesday

Guest Speaker - Kel Grabham - The Mysterious Story of Ruth Emilie Kaye

At our most recent meeting we had guest speaker Kel Grabham from Newcastle Historical Society who told us of the mysterious story of Ruth Emilie Kaye, upon whose death in the 1940s, at 100 years of age, was found to be non-existent. We heard of her troubled childhood years and her later time in Australia as a nurse.

In addition to Kel, we had a number of visitors from Merewether Historical Society. It was great to have a large audience for Kel's very interesting talk.

For more information of Ruth Emilie Kaye, please check the following sites:

• The Dictionary of Sydney - Ruth Emilie Kaye
• Wikipedia - Constance Kent
• Australian Dictionary of Biography - Constance Kent
• Murderpedia - Constance Emily Kent

Upcoming Guest Speaker: Kel Grabham on Ruth Emilie Kaye

The next General meeting will be held at 7.30 pm on 18 November 2013 with guest speaker Kel Grabham from Newcastle Historical Society who will tell the mysterious story of Ruth Emilie Kaye, upon whose death in the 1940s, at 100 years of age, was found to be non-existent.