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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: BuddysMummy on Saturday 20 September 08 20:36 BST (UK)
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I have no idea where to look to find this, so I would be very grateful if you could point me in the right direction.
When I first rediscovered my Grandfather he was living with his second wife in Hobart, Tasmania. That would have been around 1970 but I have no idea how long they lived there.
I think his wife died in about 1976/7 and soon after that he packed up and moved on.
Sadly I have none of his earlier letters to me so do not now have his old address, but I would love to have it on record.
His name:
George Harold Griffiths. b. Birkenhead, UK 1892, and his wife was Margaret (but I am not sure of any facts about her. That is my next project!
Many thanks
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Have you seen his war service record on www.naa.gov.au?
It is digitised so you can read it online if you haven't seen it.
That is if it is the same fellow you are looking for.
Leanne
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http://mail.srct.com.au/search_main.asp
There is a burial in the Hobart Cemetery
for a Maggie Hetherington GRIFFITHS died aged 86 in 1976 perhaps this is her?
Jenn
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Have you seen his war service record on www.naa.gov.au?
It is digitised so you can read it online if you haven't seen it.
That is if it is the same fellow you are looking for.
Leanne
Thank you, yes I have seen it, and the record on his son. Fascinating read. And it seems that he was a brave man.
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http://mail.srct.com.au/search_main.asp
There is a burial in the Hobart Cemetery
for a Maggie Hetherington GRIFFITHS died aged 86 in 1976 perhaps this is her?
Jenn
Yes, I think that is very likely to be her.
It says that her last residence was "Howrah" which I see is a district in Hobart.
I think she was in hospital or a care home for several months before her death. So do you think she lived at Howrah, or is it more likey that this is where the hospital was?
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On the cemetery records it has Maggie's last address as being Berkley Lodge,Rokeby Road, Howrah.
There is also a headstone at Cornelian Bay Cemetery which reads - Maggie loved wife of Harold Griffiths 1889-1976 'Till the Dawn'.
Webby
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Thank you so very much.
Off to record and investigate a little more. Thanks. :D
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Hi BuddysMummy
I have just been going through the postings, taking particular notice of those that mention Tasmania as I live there. Did you make any further progress on your query re the Howrah connection? I am sure there is no hospital in Howrah which as you have worked out is a suburb of Hobart just down the road from where I live. If I can help in any way please let me know.
Tom
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Hi BuddysMummy,
If you haven`t already found the information you were seeking I can find out if there are any old Telephone Directorys for the time your Grandfather lived in Tasmania. They may have them at the Tas Archives.I can also ask my Daughter-in-Law who works in an Aged care home on the Eastern Shore in Hobart [which is near where Howrah is] and get her to ask if any of the other Staff know of an Aged Care Home called Berkley Lodge in Rokeby Road that may have been there in 1976/77.
I did google but found nothing.
Johngirl
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Thank you both for your replies and offers of help.
I am afraid that this little project went the same way as so many others. I was trying to do too much at once and when life got a bit too hectic they all collapsed.
So, no I have not found out any more.
Google Earth is being particularly unhelpful as it tells me I am on Rokeby Rd when in fact it is nowhere to be seen. I wonder if it has gone in real life?
Anyway, I really would appreciate any help with old phone books please. I guess none of this is available online?
If you have any other ideas as to where I can go for this info I am more than happy to help myself out.
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Rokeby Road starts from the end of Howrah through Rokeby and then becomes South Arm Road near Lauderdale.
I have been wondering whether Rokeby Lodge may have been the name of a house?. At least we know the building was on the Main Road.
I doubt whether there would have been a hospital of that name, Tasmania is only small and our hospitals are located in the city.
The other alternative is that it was a nursing home as Johngirl suggested.
Webby
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Hi BuddysMummy
I have lived in Howrah for some years now and have never heard of a nursing home in this suburb but that's not to say that there definately weren't any. As already mentioned there aren't any general hospitals on the Eastern Shore either.
Berkley Lodge could definately be the name on a house. Does it give the street number on the cemetery records? I did actually live along Rokeby Road for a couple of years.
Not much help I know but if I can be of further assistance please let me know.
Deb
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Hi again BuddysMummy
As Webby stated Rokeby Road does still definately exist. I agree with Deb that Berkley Lodge is in fact a property along Rokeby Road. Perhaps this may jog Webby and Deb's memory but I am fairly sure the property on the right hand side heading towards Lauderdale just before the Police academy is called Berkley Lodge. It is now a horse property with Horses Heads on the gate posts, don't get your hopes up quite yet but I will take a drive and check it out. If not I will check with the newsagent at Rokeby if they had their newspaper delivered he may know of the house, I doubt whether a property would change its name.
Tom
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I know the address you mean Tom. Perhaps named after a race horse called "Berkley.....something ".
There wasn't any number for Berkley Lodge on the Cemetery site Tigger 4, but no doubt there are land tax records available from that time.
There is also the Electoral Rolls for that time - I think these are held at the AOT and at some local libraries as well.
Regards
Webby
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Hi everyone
Bad news I'm afraid I went out to Rokeby Road this afternoon and the property was called Belmont Lawn.
I visitted the Newsagency who could not shed any light on Berkley Lodge.
I then went for a ride along Rokeby road looking for houses that were imposing enough to be called something so fancy and stumbled across a lady who is into Genealogy and the History of Rokeby. We spent about an hour going through a number of books she had on the history of Rokeby with no luck. But what we did discover was a number of facts, the first being that Rokeby Road now was not the original road and now forms part of a History trail, the second not quite so significant was in 1967 there was a fire that burnt out a considerable amount of Southern Tasmania, the house may have been destroyed, but unless Maggie had been in hospital for several years this had no bearing on the search. She suggested I contact the Local Council which I will do tomorrow. I left her house and rode along the History Trail stopping and enquiring at a number of older houses but again no luck.
I am about to eat, but later on I will do a bit more investigation on the history of Rokeby and see if I can find the route of the original Rokeby Road and its starting and finishing point. If I find anything I will post a bit later.
Tom
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Hi BuddysMummy
I haven't forgotten you!!!! I visited the Council Chambers and they said they could not guarantee anything but would check to see if the records still existed and would get back to me if and when they found anything.
Tom
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I also came across some microfiche for 1906 onwards for Tasmanian telephones at the local library today....but I couldn't remember the name and had to wait to get back home to find out!!!
Will have a look for the Griffith's next time I go.
Regards
Webby
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Hi Buddysmum,
Hopefully I will get time tomorrow to check the phone directorys. Hopefully my car will behave ;D
Regards Johngirl.
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Hi BuddysMum
I received a response from the council today, here it is.
Tom
Further to your recent email with regards to trying to the trace the residence of Mrs Griffiths.
After speaking with several staff members who are been at the Council for a long time we think we may have found the property your after. There is a property within the City called Berkley Mews. This property has 20 home units on it as is now know as 175 Clarence Street, Howrah. However, this section of Clarence Street was previously known as Rokeby Road, so we're thinking that this might be the place your after??
We can not easily provide you with what the street number would have been when it was Rokeby Road, or if Mrs Griffiths was a ratepayer there, as records prior to 1998 are not held electronically and there is no guarantee that Council will have these details. Given the time required to undertake such a search, should you with us to research this data the search will incur a charge of $65.00 per hour. Please advise if you wish for Council to proceed with this course of action.
I think checking telephone directories may be a cheaper option, let me know what you think.
Tom
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Hi buddysMummy, :)
I have been to the Library and hopefully I have the right G H Griffiths from the Telephone Directorys of Southern Tasmania. ;D
Please let me know when your Grandpa George moved to Queensland as I have found a G H Griffiths still living in Tassie up to 2003. ???
I checked from 1971 right through to 2003.
1971 -72-73-74-75-76-77-78 Telephone Directorys address was for G H Griffiths 177 Rokeby Road Howrah.
1978-79 -80-81-82 Telephone Directory address was for G H Griffiths 458 Lenah Valley Road Lenah Valley Tasmania [Is in Southern Tasmania]
1983-84-85-86-87-88-89-90 Telephone Directory address was for G H Griffiths 40 Susans Parade Lenah Valley
1991 -92 Telephone Directory address for G H Griffiths 5 Daly Road Lenah Valley
Now not sure if this is your George Harold Griffiths.
2002 Telephone Directory address for G H and D J Griffiths Lot 1 Tarrants Road Granton [In Southern Tasmania]
And in 2003 Telephone Directory address for G H and D J
Griffiths 380 Boyer Road Dromedary [In Southern Tasmania]
Didn`t check anymore after this year.
Not really sure if any are your George Harold Griffiths but is the only G H Griffiths in the Phone Directorys.
P.S Just seen a photo of your George Harold Griffiths on your Avatar.Aged 98 in 1989.
Don`t think he would have been still living here in 2003. ???
Johngirl
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Hi Johngirl
WELL DONE,
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3rd attempt
Computer seems to have a mind of its own will not let me finish a msg before sending itself. ???
WELL DONE Johngirl, I think we can safely assume that 177 Rokeby Road was the correct address, I am glad I checked this morning as I was on my way to Hobart and the State Library to check the Telephone directories myself.
The weather here is a bit miserable today and may take the opportunity to visit the Family History Society you never know they may have some old maps or even pictures showing 177 Rokeby Road, I think we can safely say it no longer exists judging by the info from the Council. Will also check the location of the headstone in Cornelian Bay Cemetry and hopefully sometime over the weekend take a picture of it if I can locate it.
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Thankyou Tom from Oz,
Glenorchy Library had the Phone Directorys ;D
Think the 1991 through to 2003 addresses for G H Griffiths may not be the right ones.
He was 98 years of age in 1989. :) Unless he lived to a very ripe old age :)
Think he moved to Queeensland from Tasmania at some stage as well.
Weather isn`t good is it. We do need the rain though. I live at Bagdad and it is very very dry.
Buddysmummy would love a photo of the Grave I`m sure.
Will get my OH to check the address in Howrah .He works for the Clarence Council ;D ;D
Johngirl
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Hi BuddysMummy,
Thanks to Johngirl we have cracked it!
I went for a ride yesterday to 177 Clarence Street, which had been renamed after being Rokeby Road as we found out. The property consists of three blocks of units named Berkley Mews, Berkley Court and the block fronting the main road is named Berkley Lodge, as I said previously I had seen the name before, it is in fact about two minutes walk from my Son's house in Howrah and I have passed it hundreds of times.
I went to the Family History Society yesterday afternoon and did a bit of research on the connection to Berkley, because I thought it may originally been a large house or property. In fact it was a large Farm owned by Aubrey Berkley, I believe it was developed around the middle to end of the 1950's into houses and the local High School which was opened in 1959.
I also checked on the location of Margaret Hetherington Griffiths fyi her grave is in the Methodist section, location FG No 517, the Funeral company was Hooper and Burgess and I was told by the very helpful staff there that they are in the process of documenting all the Hooper and Burgess funerals after the company gave them access to their records. The coordinator said when the information was complete we would be able to find out how many people attended who officiated at the ceremony and how many cars were present, I think the last comment was a bit tongue in cheek but I will try to remember to ask in the future and see what info was included on their records.
I went to the Cemetery this morning and took some pictures of the headstone and then on to 177 Clarence Street and took pictures of Berkley Lodge which I will send in a pm.
I did try and locate George Harold Griffiths in Queensland but the only records we had were the 1903 Electoral Rolls.
Hopefully this will give you a bit more info on your Grand Mother if you require anything further post a msg.
Tom
I also visited the Cornelian Bay Cemetery this morning and fou
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Hi Tom from Oz,
Between the two of us we have cracked it. ;D
Buddysmummy will certainly be happy especially with the rest of the information you have collected. Well done.
Johngirl
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I am mortified.
You have been doing so much work and I had no idea. For some reason I have not been getting any alerts from this thread.
Thank you so, so much. I am very grateful.
My Grandfather left Tasmania shortly after his wife's death. She hated the heat further north but I think he thrived on it. He had settled originally in Qld but when his first wife died in 1950s he went to UK, met up with Margaret, an old friend, married her and returned to settle in Tassie.
He ended his days in Murwillumbah, in 1991, just after his 99th birthday. In great health up to the day of his death (when, obviously, he wasn't at his best! ;D ).
Hope you are all ok this summer and not enduring the great heat and hazards as on the mainland.
I will be in touch again very soon. But thanks for now.