HOLD THE PRESS !!! Some new information has come to light.
It seems there were 2 Elizabeth's giving birth to Knee children in this part of the world at about the same time.
Amelia E Gorrick Knee was born to the unmarried Elizabeth D (Darlinghurst) Knee and her father was Albert Gorrick. This explains the middle names. It might also lead to the idea that Elizabeth D Knee was Charles Knee's cousin or more likely, his sister and they travelled together.
So it appears that around 1861 or 1862 Charles and Elizabeth Clifford (Baker) left 'Sydenham Estate' Falbrook near Maitland and went to Scone accompanied by his sister (Elizabeth D Knee) and 2 or 3 yo Amelia. I'm assuming now that Charles' daughter, my G G Grandmother Ellen Louise Knee, the same age as Amelia, must have accompanied them also and not stayed at "Sydenham Estate" Falbrook. The girls were cousins.
In 1862 Charles and Elizabeth started having more children at Cuan Cuan Station, Scone while Elizabeth D Knee is living at Narrabri (near Wee Waa) where she marries William Trindall and starts a family. Amelia must have stayed with her mum. She eventually gives birth to Violet T Knee unmarried in 1879 at Maitland but then marries Thomas (James) N Jowitt in Tamworth in 1884 and they start their large family back in Narrabri in 1865.
Violet Maud T Knee (not Tierney) was born in 1879 at Maitland not Narrabri or Scone. A simple explanation would be that Narrabri and Scone didn't have electricity until 1920 so didn't have hospitals. While most births occurred in the home with a midwife present, if there were complications Maitland was the closest Hospital over 220 miles away.
The only Albert Gorrick on record is a Joseph Albert Gorrick (father Jacob mother Elizabeth) who married Cecilia Hillcoat at Maitland in 1868. I wonder if this family know they could have a half sister in Amelia and a long line of cousins living across the country. Second note of interest is that a Mr Isaac Gorrick served on the Board at Maitland Hospital, probably Albert's Uncle.
As there are no birth records for the older Knees, Elizabeth D or Charles or Ellen herself, it might seem the young Ellen came to Australia as a migrant with the rest of the family. There are several Knees in that part of NSW (The name was most likely Nuii or Nui. It was originally written as it sounded .. 'Nee' but that would have been too confusing for marriage records .. Amelia Jowitt (nee Nee)
so the 'K' was added and it became Knee.
So the puzzle is falling into place with the discovery of Albert Gorrick's name on Amelia's birth record and the revelation that Elizabeth D Knee and Elizabeth Clifford followed similar paths but now I have to go back to the drawing boards with my G G Grandparents Ellen and George Leth.
My search now will be to find any trace of Leth in Scone, Wee Waa, Narrabri or surrounding areas. It seems he might have been droving or shearing when he met Ellen or perhaps there were gold diggings in northern NSW as well. Maybe the story of Ellen and the diggers took place in Scone not Falbrook. If I can find a Leth record anywhere it will pin point Ellen's whereabouts at the time.
