SKU 2370001982710
HARDCOVER
The Shadiac’s Family Story by Julie Quigley (nee Shadiac)
told in her own words to Carmel Shadiac during 2022 and 2023.
This story is dedicated to Barakett and Kinsolia
and their beloved children for their determination and hard work
on their journey from Benache to Mile End.
ISBN 978-1-923443-56-3
HARDCOVER
An illustrated history of the Darchy family, early settlers in the Western Riverina area of colonial Australia. The mysterious history of the patriarch Thomas Darchy, his voyage to Australia, his marriage to Susan Byrne from another pioneering family, and their early years in Australia are described. Included is a description of an early droving trip and stories of his descendants. Also a number of conjectures on his origins.
The late Dr. Ann Prendergast (on left) and Nancy Gibb discussing some early research.
Born in Sydney in 1940 to Vada and Warwick Johnston, Nancy was totally deafened by meningitis when six years old. She obtained a B.Sc at the University of NSW (the first totally deaf Australian woman to gain a degree), followed by a M.Rur.Sc in Animal Genetics at the University of New England, Armidale NSW. After a stint overseas she worked for 12 years in the Biochemistry Dept at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney.
She married Englishman Geoffrey Kendall Hoffmann in 1973. They lived for ten years in Bowen, North Qld on board their converted Broome pearling lugger, together with their small daughter; taking time off from running a slipway to circumnavigate Australia in 1980-81. Following Geoff’s death from melanoma in 1983, Nancy and Nicole moved to Townsville and then Brisbane where Nancy worked as a Senior Medical Research Scientist in several succeeding faculties at the University of Queensland. She moved to Christchurch, New Zealand in 2000 and is now married to David Murray Gibb.
In 2016 Nancy & Dave made a caravan tour of eastern Australia, visting as many places associated with the early Darchys as possible. Nancy kept a blog at https://darchyblog.wordpress.com/
A keen genealogist, since her retirement she has published several illustrated travel and family history books. In 2009 she made a memorable visit to ‘Oxley’ with cousins Darchy Catt and Arthur Rowlatt. It followed a month of very welcome rain so everything was lush and green, the saltbush was blooming and it was very, very muddy! It is planned to add photos from that visit to the blog.
Ann, as she preferred to be known, was born in Hay, NSW. She is Nancy’s third cousin through the Prendergasts. She obtained a Doctorate in 1968 for a study on the History of the London Missionary Society in British New Guinea. A well-known Catholic historian, she published a number of treatises over the following years. Ann also researched the early Byrnes and Prendergasts; some of her work is incorporated in this book.
In 1985 she was on study leave under the auspices of the Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education (now known as the UTS, Sydney University of Technology). She wrote at the time: “I first came across the name d’Archy when I was putting together a history of my family who settled in what is now called the Western Riverina in the early 1850s. My GGG Aunt Margaret married as her second husband Francis, son of Thomas d’Archy squatter of Oxley station, Hay and his wife Susan Byrne.”
On first contacting James d’Archy, she told him she was researching her own family and came across his d’Archy family which appeared much more interesting (!). Among other family members she also contacted Nancy’s Aunt Betty d’Archy, who was a little bemused by all the new information and shared it with her niece Nancy …. and so began the latter’s interest in genealogy.
ISBN 978-1-923386-92-1
PAPERBACK
Francis Ormond, a great Victorian philanthropist was fired by his passion to bring education to the masses. Not having children he contributed millions of pounds to educational buildings and institutions.
Francis Ormond travelled from Scotland to Shelford near Geelong in 1843 with his father Captain Francis Ormond, Mother Isabella and her tiny baby Alfred. There they built a hotel on the road to the Western District. They were the only people making money during a rural depression and they took over several large grazing runs including thousands of sheep.
Later Francis married his childhood sweetheart Mary Greeves and they moved to Borriyalloak near Skipton. Appalled at their workers lack of education, they taught them themselves in the evenings. In 1853 when Gold was discovered, thousands of immigrants needed food so Francis’ future was assured.
Francis built Ormond College, a residence for country students to gain an education. Then to enable them to obtain a technical education, he built RMIT. He established the Conservatorium of Music. From this beginning we now have the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
In Geelong Francis contributed the first money towards the Gordon Institute and he was Chieftain of the Commun Na Fienne Society until his death. He contributed to the establishment of many rural secondary schools. He gave a great amount of money to finish building St Pauls Cathedral in Melbourne as a memorial to his first wife who was an Anglican.
He died in France in 1888 and his second wife Mary Oliphant brought him back to probably the largest funeral ever to pass along Ormond road to the cemetery in Geelong.
ISBN 978-1-923386-05-1
PAPERBACK
IN 1840 ROBERT LANGLANDS, A YOUNG SCOTTISH MAN, TOOK A HUGE STEP FOR LOVE AND LEFT HIS FAMILY TO EMBARK ON A ROMANTIC ESCAPADE ACROSS THE OCEAN…
He shocked his family by deciding to pursue his lady friend who had been deported to Australia for a minor misdemeanour.
After arriving in Melbourne, Robert immediately set off to Sydney to ask his girlfriend, Agnes, to marry him.
Robert’s brother, George, and his wife, Betsy, during his leave, and having fallen on hard times, had become interested in an offer to start a Post Office in Western Victoria.
So, they loaded their five children (including Ted’s future grandmother Margaret, at age six) on board three bullock drays and set off to find a survey peg 300 miles away on the Wimmera River marked as “A place to be called Horsham”.
Robert set up a foundry in Flinders Street in 1841 which thrived and Horsham grew around the Langlands store.
The rest, as you will discover in this book, is wonderful history…
“An authentic telling of real life in a part of our history not to be forgotten… A wonderfully written and engaging book…”
Dillon, Readalot Magazine reviewer
A retired farmer, Ted Stephens comes from a literary family. His grandfather Edward James Stephens founded the “Horsham Times” in 1873. Ted’s father Harold was brought up in his father’s many Wimmera newspapers and wrote prolifically for “The Leader”, “Weekly Times”, the “Gadfly” and others. They wrote their history as it happened, enabling Ted to publish their story, “The Langlands”, in 2024. This gave him the will to research and write about the forgotten Ormond family. After 60 years with the CFA, church and local committees, writing local histories, and 53 years developing a world-class collection of historic machinery at the Geelong Showgrounds and now a museum, he has been honoured as a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem Hospitaller for his contribution to society.
ISBN 978-1-923443-50-1
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-923523-42-5
EBOOK
In 1924, Lucy Thomson and her husband William travelled by ship from Australia to tour Great Britain and the Continent.
Part of Lucy’s diary has survived from that year, and this diary (along with her broader recollections of the trip) has been transcribed in this book. Her entries move back and forward in time across the pages. It appears that much of the diary was written during the return journey, likely drawn from earlier notes and memories rather than recorded daily.
Let her words take you there—across oceans and decades—to experience the journey through her eyes.
ISBN 978-1-923443-75-4
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-923443-76-1
HARDCOVER
ISBN 978-1-923523-26-5
EBOOK
Burdened by personal tragedy and estranged from his grieving partner Fae, London-based architect Boyd Petersen has lost sight of his purpose and dreams. When an echo from his abandoned, secret past takes him back home to Australia, he is confronted by a series of shocking revelations that challenge his beliefs about the past and hopes for the future.
Phil Roberts was born in Kenya and has lived and worked in various places throughout Australia. He began writing poetry and short stories in the 2000s and contributed to the former publications Yellow Moon and Dissent. The Loss We Leave Behind is his first novel. It emerged from his studies in creative writing and draws on a lifetime of personal impressions and the ideas that shape our world.
Phil is the author of and contributor to many scientific and interpretive documents. Apart from tending a large garden near Hobart, his current interests lie in investigating the shared mysteries of human experience and how they can be expressed through fiction and poetic forms.
ISBN 978-1-923443-96-9
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-923443-95-2
EBOOK
A True Story of Love, Loss, and Legacy
The powerful memoir follows one family’s extraordinary twelve-year journey through three cancer battles – and the lasting impact of a young man named Levi. Born on Father’s Day in 2004, Levi lived with courage and heart, inspiring those around him with a message that would become his legacy: “Don’t Waste Time.”
More than just words, it was how Levi lived. Now, through DWT Lifestyle – a venture started in his honour – his message continues to move others to live fully, love deeply, and make every moment count.
Don’t Waste Time is a confronting, uplifting, and unforgettable reminder to embrace life, no matter how uncertain the road ahead.