May 09 Newsletter
MAY 2009
Our Annual General Meeting took place last month and your Committee Members for 2009/10 are:
President Sylvia Williams
Vice President Pat Price
Secretary Bryce Henley
Treasurer Tony Hall
Committee Members Fay Hall, Olwen Henley and Terry Price
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Thank you for your continued support. I am delighted to back again after my surgery. To all members of my Committee, past and present a heartfelt thank you for your support. A special word of thanks to Pat for acting on my behalf during my absence. I am delighted that Bryce and Olwen Henley have joined the team.
We all look forward to a busy and enjoyable year ahead. For a start we will be having a "Nosen Lawen" and Welsh Supper next month on 17 June, and I will be asking members for contributions to the program. I know this will be a lovely night of verse, song and happy memories.
Sylvia Williams, President.
The rest of this newsletter contains details of our coming events, an article on the early years of WA, and members news.
OUR PROGRAM FOR THIS YEAR
17 June - Welsh Supper and "Nosen Lawen"
15 July -"Golf'. A card game organised by Owen and Bryce
19 August - Guest speaker. To be announced.
16 September - "Bring a Guest Night". Quiz.
21 October - Guest speaker. To be announced.
18 November -"Bring & Buy"
16 December - Christmas Social
OUTINGS
A Dinner at T.A.F.E. is on the program - to be discussed.
Other ideas are a visit to the Parrot farm near Pinjarra, visit to "Cartref' Rose Gardens at Toodyay, a boat trip from Mandurah, a trip to Gin Gin.
Your ideas would be very welcome.
EARLY WELSH SETTLERS - An article by Odwyn Jones
Our researcher for the Welsh Free Church history project, Sue Hart, has unearthed a wealth of interesting facts about some of the early Welsh settlers in Western Australia. As in life, many of these stories have elements of sadness and joy. Let us therefore look at the first known Welsh settlers, John and Jane Thomas and their family, who arrived here in December 1829, the first year of the Swan River Colony. I wonder why they took such a gamble in emigrating from the beauty of Laugharne in Carmarthenshire to the wildness of this embryonic new colony, because their lives soon took a turn for the worse?
It started with Jane's death in April 1830, soon after giving birth to an infant son, who also died of dysentery in May. Surely these disasters would have caused the family to question their momentous decision to move to the other side of the world. But their bad luck didn't end there because having remarried Mary Ann Hoskin, a widow whose husband had drowned in the Swan river in 1833, John was caught plundering a wrecked ship, the Cumberland, and was sent to the infamous prison in Van-Diemens Land (Tasmania) where he died in 1839.
However, don't lets close this story with terrible consequences to John and Jane of their move to WA. As Sue records the rest of the family remained in WA and eventually did well for themselves. The eldest son, also known as John, became a landlord and hotel-keeper and I can but wonder where their descendents are now.
(Note: My thanks to Sue Hart for revealing these and a whole host of other interesting facts about the lives and fortunes of Welsh people in WA). Odwyn
LENDING LIBRARY
Thank you to Doug Higginson, who has donated a fine copy of "Labour of Love in Liverpool" by 0 Ben Rees. In English. This is a History of the Welsh Congregation in the Chapels of Smithdown Lane, Healthfield Road and Bethel, Liverpool. This is fascinating reading!
More new additions to the Library are:
"The Brothers of Gwynedd Quarter". Again in English. By Edith Pargeter.
We also have "25 Poems - Dafyd ApGwilym" by Nigel Heseltine, in English.
I draw your attention to "Henebion Cymru 5" in Welsh.
We also have books 2 - 5 of the Pendragon Cycle, in English. Fay Hall
MEMBERS' NEWS
Best Wishes to:
Moyra McLaren is recovering from having a stent op.
Ann Jones is still recovering from her broken arm.
Odwyn Jones has had a recurrence of back trouble.
Owen Williams has not been at all well recently.
If we have missed anyone out of our list - please let us know.
WELSH CHURCH
Don't forget the Service next Sunday 3pm at Trinity!