Newsletter 44, June 2023

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February and March were busy months for the Friends of the Orphan Schools. For those who were unable to make it to the various events - and for those who did - a chance to read all about it!

Fox's Feast 26 February 2023

The annual event for descendants of Orphan School children was held on Sunday 26 February 2023 at the Old Sunday School.

Lisa Hutton gave a talk about her great grandfather Daniel Kenna, a resident at the Infant and Male Schools in 1853-5. Daniel had accompanied his convict mother, Margaret Kenna, from Ireland to Van Diemen's Land as a toddler. Despite this rather unpromising start Daniel went on to establish farms at Tunnack and Woodsdale and to found a large family. A number of his descendants continue to live in Tasmania.

After a picnic lunch attendees took part in the customary scattering of rose petals to commemorate the children who died at the Orphan Schools - including two of Daniel Kenna's young shipmates, John Brennan and Patrick Nolan.

The event was topped off by some rather sumptuous cakes kindly provided by Jane Hodgman and David Lewis.

 

Fox's Feast in the Old Sunday School (photo Antoine Guichard)

Open Weekend at the Orphan Schools 25-26 March 2023

In recognition of the 195 ^th anniversary of the establishment of the first Orphan Schools in Van Diemen's Land the Friends organised an Open Weekend on 25-26 March. Thanks to a partnership with site lessees KickStart Arts most of the weekend's activities took place within the Orphan Schools buildings themselves, principally the marvellous North Wing Theatre where the furniture installed by KickStart has to be seen to be believed.

Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC officially opened proceedings in the Theatre, part of the original Boys Orphan School. She referred to the good intentions - rarely realised - of those responsible for establishing VDL's Orphan Schools and went on to acknowledge the significance of the entire St John's Park precinct and its 'long history of care to various sectors of the populace' expressing the hope that heritage protection can be secured for the site as a whole.

The full text of the Governor's speech is available here:

North Wing Theatre, Former Boys Orphan School (photo Bruce Woods)

A number of other speakers gave presentations over the course of the weekend:

• Lisa Hutton: The Children of the Midlothian and the Orphan Schools
• David De Little: John De Little and the Building of the Orphan Schools
• Jan Liddicut: The Campbell Children
• Heidi Patrick: Elizabeth 'Betsy' Clements, Mellish 1830
• Lucy Frost: Convict Orphans (book)
• Dianne Snowden: Neglected Heritage, the Orphan Schools as a Convict Institution

Other highlights were tours of the Orphan Schools buildings conducted by Jane Hodgman and Richard Watson and a service on Sunday morning at St John's Anglican Church. There were also opportunities for 'cousins' previously encountered only by email or on line to meet face to face.

Thank you to all those involved in the organisation of the weekend which was much appreciated. We can only endorse the comments contained in this letter to the editor of the Mercury from 28 March.

Descendants of William Butler, Orphan School inmate

Front: Chris Meaker, Vicky Solah, Dianne Snowden, Pam Guest

Back: Les Bird, Les Butler (photo Graeme Crosbie)

Jan Liddicut (Victoria), Lisa Hutton (France) & Jill Warren (Victoria). Distant cousins with connections to the Orphan Schools

Book Launch - Hidden Histories of the Orphan Schools

The highlight of the March Open Weekend was the launch by Her Excellency the Governor of the latest publication from the Friends: Hidden Histories of the Orphan Schools .

Hidden Histories is the collaborative work of nineteen authors, many of them descendants of Orphan Schools children, under the editorship of Dr Dianne Snowden AM. It includes stories of individual children who were inmates of the Orphan Schools from the 1830s to the 1860s rounded out by accounts of other people connected to the institution such as Building Superintendent, John De Little, and teachers James Dickinson and GV Roberts. It also places the Schools in the context of the convict system and VDL society.

For information on purchasing a copy: https://www.orphanschool.org.au/hidden_histories.php

National Heritage Listing Nomination

In April, the Friends of the Orphan Schools submitted a nomination to the National Heritage List. Regular updates will be provided on the progress of the nomination.

Orphan Schools Descendants in World War I

We have received the following query:

Has there been any research into descendants of the orphans having involvement in WW1? It was of interest to me to see the commemorative gum tree planted at St Johns Precinct (relocated from Villers-Bretonneux) when we visited earlier this year. One of my great uncles George William Jacobs was KIA at Poziers and his name is listed at Villers-Bretonneux. He was the eldest son of George Jacobs who was admitted to the orphan school along with his three younger siblings in 1869 for 18 months before being returned to their mother, Ellen Jacobs (nee Duke).

Memorabilia, George William Jacobs, courtesy Mark Jacobs

If you can help with answering this query please get in touch with the Research & Publications Subcommittee:

2023 Deadlines for Friends of the Orphan Schools newsletter articles

1 August 2023
1 November 2023

Editor: Lisa Hutton
Publishing: Andrew Cocker

Contact us

Friends of the Orphan Schools
PO Box 4659, Bathurst Street PO
Hobart. TAS 7000

Email: secretary@orphanschool.org.au
Website: https://www.orphanschool.org.au