Welcome!
The purpose of this website is to record and share the family history of Archibald Currie of Lismore NSW (1827-1916). Archibald arrived in Australia on 26th July 1853 aboard the Earl of Elgin. He was the first member of this family to arrive in Australia so it is fitting this site is named after him.
The site will hopefully be of use to his descendants wishing to learn more about the family and of historical interest generally. To navigate this site, click on the various names and their descendants pages will appear. Please feel free to make any contributions, comments or corrections in the 'contact' box, or email me on cathyjensen2000@gmail.com directly.
Thank you to all those who have contributed their photos, recollections and positive feedback so far! This is (as far as I know) the first time anyone has attempted to compile a comprehensive record of this family. I promise to protect and preserve the information and make it freely available to the family to the best of my ability.
Opting out - Photographs donated to the site are accepted on the understanding that the submitter and living relatives of the submitter who may also appear in the photograph consent to it being posted. If anyone finds themselves mentioned on this site and wishes to be removed please let me know and I will do so immediately. Only the name and year of birth of living relatives will ever be posted, for security considerations the date of birth will not.
Copyrights - Materials included on this educational and non-commercial research website include original works of authorship, photographs reproduced with permission and works that I believe (hope) lie within the fair use protection of the copyright laws. If any author or copyright holder objects to my use of any work appearing here, please contact me at cathyjensen2000@gmail.com and I will immediately review the propriety of including it.
Deceased persons - this website contains photographs of deceased Aboriginal people. Users of this website should be aware that in some Aboriginal communities, seeing images of deceased people in photographs can cause distress and in some cases may offend against strongly held cultural prohibitions.
Photo courtesy of Richmond River Historical Society
The schooner Garfield loading timber at Dorrough's sawmill, North Lismore circa 1880's with Archibald Curries store visible on the right hand side of the picture.
photograph courtesy Richmond River Historical Society
Family members in the original Presbyterian Church in Lismore. Note the decorations indicating a wedding or other event. Possibly Susan Currie, Archibald's wife 2nd from left and Susan Robertson Currie between her mother and her husband William Watson Wotherspoon. If this guess is correct, the photo must have been taken prior to 1894 when William died aged 42 of pneumonia.
Archibalds' 1877 Family Bible
The page displaying the births of Archibalds' children in the family bible.
The Family Bible also had a page for deaths. Whoever was entering the dates stopped after 1926.
Below is a chart of Archibalds family tree showing my own branch and where I fit in (Cathy Jensen). I will expand on other branches of the tree on the relevant pages of this site.
My son Jack and I.
Archibald Currie was Jacks Great Great Great Grandfather!
Information on this site has been obtained from various sources including:
Richmond River Historical Society
Aldine Centennial History of New South Wales, 1888
"Men and a River" Louise Tiffany Daley
"Education in Lismore" Ray Bass
NSW Dept Births, Deaths and Marriages
Victorian Public Records Office
Biography of South Australians
South Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages
Western Ausralian Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Dunoon Story
Dunoon Public School Centenary Book
Denis Matthews - Dunoon Historian
The Lismore Northern Star newspaper
NSW Dept Births Deaths Marriages
Scotlands People (website)
Government Archives
Australian Jewish Historical Society
National Library of Australia (newspapers)
Mitchell Library
NSW State Records
Jewish Genealogy Society www.jewishgen.org
recollections and photographs from family members including:
Margaret Saul
Peter Riddell
Peter Fitness
Meg Young
Richard Roberts
Margaret Parker
Joe Hayden
. . . and lots of help from Karen Saul who has been a valuable research ally.
Links:
The site below has an excellent account of conditions on an emigrant ship to Australia in the 1850's:
http://www.keithdash.net/Macdonald.html
The site below has a few thousand excellent photographs of Dundee in the late 19th century.
http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/photodb/page50.htm
A photograph of the R.M.S John Elder at Port Melbourne in March 1884. Joseph Cohen was on board its next trip to Port Melbourne in November 1884.
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/b/0/8/doc/b08136.shtml