First Feedback

I experienced a feeling of Joynealogy this morning when I opened an email. It was a message from Jenny, a member of our local community. 

Although I have heard from fellow researchers this was the first feedback I have received from a member of  our community. I haven't yet felt confident in promoting the CareyBay2283 study in the community so this was very special and valued reinforcement.

I'm jumping for joy
Image by Amore Seymour from Pixabay

"Hi Jill!

My son, Ben is involved in Boy Scouts and he's working on earning his Genealogy badge. Since the topic piqued his interest, his leader encouraged him to do some research at home.

Luckily we came across the Carey Bay 2283 site! Ben is really enjoying looking through the Resources page: https://careybay2283.blogspot.com/p/resources.html"

Ben is interested in resources for discovering his ancestry and suggested : https://www.portugalcitizenship.org/all-about-portuguese-history-genealogy-and-immigration/ as a resource to be added to my Resources Page.  This made me realise that I need to rename my Resources Page as it's really meant as a list of resources I have used for information on Carey Bay. I am therefore renaming that page so that its purpose is clear. 

As Ben's suggestion is valuable for those searching for ancestors and kinfolk in Portugal I will be sharing his suggested link in a post on my GeniAus blog. 

Thanks Jenny for reaching out to me, you made my day. 

Service

On ANZAC Day we honour those who served.

I hesitated to publish this post as it is a work in progress but I believe that it's appropriate on this special day.  

As I add to the Carey Bay names database I tag the records of men and women with a connection to Carey Bay who have served in various conflicts.  Further names will be added to the following list as research continues.

Remembrance Poppies outside Australian War Memorial, Canberra in 2018

Boer War

Granville John Burnage (1858-1945)

World War One

James Allan (1892-1970) 
Sergeant Arthur Armstrong 
Thomas William Brown (1885-1951)
Granville John Burnage (1858-1945)
Captain Julian Frank De Meyrick 
Richard Alfred Flemming (1889-1951)
Herbert Luther Froome
William James Stuart Gore (1894-1981)
Basil Arthur Helmore (1897-1973)
Cyril Knight Jacka (1896-1974)
Ernest Edwin Pearce (1894-1977)

World War Two 

Henry Pelham Aldrich (1915-2007)
Bertie William Channell (1918-1997)
Frederick Walter Clarke (1923-1991)
George Frederick Thomas Collins (1915-1990)
John Gladstone Westley Cornish (1922-2018)
Wesley John Costin (-1993)
John Julian De Meyrick (1920-1941) 🕇
David William Dean (1914-1993) 
Lennard Deed  (1913-1944) 🕇
Corporal C Denley 
Peter Vitold Doffkont (1916-1981)
Norman Leslie Extarem (c1920-1988)
Brian Graham Fitzpatrick (1916-2004
Robert (Bob) Gambrill (1922-1993)
Malcolm Stuart Reid Gaul (c1920-1968)
Eric Gibbs  (1921-2010)
Leslie Gibbs (1912-1988)
William Henry (Bill) Hamilton (1918-1989)
Francis William Harrison (1916-1984)
Desmond Michael Hart  (1920-1986)
Henry Perkin Jenkins (1916-2003)
George Gilmour Mallaby (-1942) 🕇
Martin Joseph Malley (1902-1991)
Norman Thomas Christopher McCrorie (1921-1990)
Raymond Morton Mudie (1919-1989)
Harold Alexander (Harry) Patton (1922-2009)
Richard Alexander Pearson (1920-2010)
Ian Henderson Peterson (1925-2013)
Reginald Proudlock (1904-1985)
Alan Roy Quist  (1929-2008)
Kevan Ryan 
Mark Stanislaus Tumpane (1910-1998)
Mary Elizabeth Whitfield (1922-2007)
Leslie Norman Gwydir Wilby (1918-2009)
Frederick Glyndwr Young (1905-1993)

Additions and further information on entries on this list will be gratefully received.
Email: jillballau@gmail.com

Before White Settlement

While I have aboriginal ancestors I have little knowledge of the first people to inhabit the Carey Bay area in Lake Macquarie, the Awabakal people.

Magil, Corroboree Dance [ca 1819-20] /
[Attributed to R.Browne], 1819.
https://search.sl.nsw.gov.au/permalink/f/1cvjue2/ADLIB110332522

I remember and respect the Ancestors who cared for and nurtured this Country. It is in their footsteps that we travel these lands and waters. I  acknowledge the Awabakal people and Elders past, present and future.

Aboriginal people of the Awabakal nation have lived in the Lake Macquarie area for more than 8000 years. The name Awabakal is derived from the Lake, meaning people of the calm surface. Traditional art and shell middens can be found around the Lake, evidence of a nation who thrived on the area's rich shores and woodlands.

An article in Wikipedia reports on the history, culture and language of the Awabakal people.

An article on the rathmineshistory blog provides further information on the Awabakal people. 

A search for Awabakal at The University of Newcastle's Hunter Living Histories Site gives links to many articles relating the the Awabakal people. 

As I discover more information on the Awabakal people I will return to this post and update it.

16 April 2025

Scouts in the news today

 Lake Macquarie Council has reported this morning that Scouts from the Carey Bay Toronto Scouts will be out in the community tomorrow cleaning up the foreshore on our Lake on Clean Up Australia Day.

The article is available here, https://www.lakemac.com.au/News-articles/Scouts-honour-Clean-Up-Australia-Day,  on the Council website.

Seagrass and shells along the foreshore at Carey Bay

Less than 1,000 Persons

This afternoon I was wondering how many people live in Carey Bay so I took myself off to the Search Census Data Page on the Australian Bureau of Statistics site. I found that data was available for four previous censuses. As a lover of spreadsheets I copied some of the Carey Bay data into a new sheet (see below). 

According to the 2021 Census of Australia there were 865 people living in 242 households in Carey Bay on Census night, Tuesday August 2021. I wonder if the recent pandemic influenced those results.

When comparing results it's interesting to note that the population in Carey Bay has been declining over the 15 year period represented in the data, Carey Bay is definitely not a growth area. That females outnumber males is no surprise. I wonder if the median age of residents is impacted by the presence of a nursing home and other over 55's accommodation in the suburb. 

One statistic that stood out was the figure for average monthly mortgage repayments which was less in 2021 than 2016. In the two recent censuses mortgage repayments took a larger slice of  median weekly household income than in earlier years.

What this data also tells me is that I have a big job ahead of me to collect data on all these current and past dwellings and residents of Carey Bay.

Carey Bay Census Quickstats Data 2006-2021

William Cary

Carey Bay was named for William Carey, as was Cary Street in neighbouring Toronto. Carey was one of the directors of The Excelsior Land Investment & Building Co. which developed land in Carey Bay.

It was interesting to note that another of the local streets was named Excelsior Parade and that Ambrose Street was probably named after another Director of the Excelsior Company, Ambrose Thornley.

As I was seeking biographical information on Mr Cary this morning I came across this article from the City of Sydney Archives,  https://www.sydneyaldermen.com.au/alderman/william-cary/, which gave me a better glimpse into the William's life than on the entry Lake Macquarie local history site, https://history.lakemac.com.au/narrative/25.

William Carey 1831-1906
Source: https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/600414

I cannot find any copyright restrictions on this image of William Cary.

Plugging Away

Recently I came across and joined a local photography group, Lake Macquarie Area in Photos on Facebook, that issues a weekly challenge or two to its members. I love a challenge so I very quickly entered some photos as it is an opportunity to share some of my better snaps. As I am mostly sharing photos of Carey Bay the focus of my One Place Study it may help me to connect with people from the local area. 

I have received lots of positive reinforcement from members of the group and even received an honourable mention for my first entry. Since then I've had a few honourable mentions. 

One of last week's themes was "Shimmer", I was overjoyed when my image of the moon's reflection in our Backyard (Lake Macquarie) was chosen as photo of the week. As well as gallons of personal satisfaction I was rewarded with my image being posted as the header image for the week on the Facebook Group.

My winning Image "Shimmer at Carey Bay"

Meanwhile I am plugging away building biographies of Carey Bay People in RootsMagic and adding data about Carey Bay Places to the Place Page on this blog.

I have started adding profiles of Carey Bay People to the online WikiTree. You can see the Beginnings of this activity here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Carey_Bay%2C_New_South_Wales.