Adoptions

[majm]

Back in the 1860s, it was the responsibility of the householder to report deaths to the police and for the police to determine if it was a sudden death and/or a suspicious death in need of investigation.  So whoever was the head of the household where Frances was at the time of her death would have contacted the local police, who in turn would have contacted the local Police Magistrate who would have needed to determine if the local medico had been treating the patient, and if that medico was prepared to certify a cause of death.    Then the Police Magistrate likely would issue a burial order to the local funeral directors and a funeral would be carried out.  Then the funeral director would follow up and get all the details he could regarding the info he needed to help complete the registration process. 

So, it seems that Frances was in Mudgee with two little girls, and that she was known there as Frances FIRTH, and that the locals believed Frances was their mum.    The locals did not know the name of Frances husband, nor when or where she had married,  so it is fair to assume he was not around at the time.  But someone has given that she was from Ireland, so we need to assume they heard her accent in her spoken words.   

This is not an unusual story for the era.   the 1860s saw far more people arrive at the various seaports along the coast than for all the years of the convict era (1788-1840 for NSW, and 1788-1853 for Tasmania).   It was the gold fever that attracted so many to our shores in the 1850s and 1860s.     

Perhaps I should suggest you have a read of the following papers prepared some years ago now, but still a valid reference source.   It shows some of the issues facing females who were without their husbands.  Divorce did not come to NSW until 1873.   
http://www.aifs.org.au/institute/seminars/finlay.html

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

The museum also told us that a lot of aboriginals that didn't have a Christian last name were often given the last name of the person they worked for or married etc.

I was told this same information by an aboriginal person at  family history seminar. Aboriginals traditionally don't have surnames and one was needed for the British system.  This is true in the area where I reside as the properties are still in existence with the same names that are very common in the Aboriginal community.  So I think this is fact rather than urban myth - certainly in the rural area where I reside.

May I cheerfully note that it was not until sometime in the 1960s or later that the NSW BDM civil registration for births actually provides for ANY PERSON born in NSW to have a surname.    My own birth registration does not give me a surname, (nor my siblings a surname,) although my birth was registered in the years after WWII had concluded.

Cheers,  JM

[Wertyperty]

I do have to apologise for cassilis being listed under location of birth, I copied the information from my search list and forgot to remove cassilis before adding. My apologies.

[majm]

Surnames on birth certificates in NSW apparently commences from 1969.  (Thanks to a person following this thread making contact with me.... however I have not yet confirmed that year  )

ADD,  the index gives the SURNAME/s that the mother was known by at the time of registration. So multiple entries shows that the compiler of the index was unsure of the surname that the baby was likely to become known by.   

Cheers,  JM

[Jennaya]

The museum also told us that a lot of aboriginals that didn't have a Christian last name were often given the last name of the person they worked for or married etc.

I was told this same information by an aboriginal person at  family history seminar. Aboriginals traditionally don't have surnames and one was needed for the British system.  This is true in the area where I reside as the properties are still in existence with the same names that are very common in the Aboriginal community.  So I think this is fact rather than urban myth - certainly in the rural area where I reside.

May I cheerfully note that it was not until sometime in the 1960s or later that the NSW BDM civil registration for births actually provides for ANY PERSON born in NSW to have a surname.    My own birth registration does not give me a surname, (nor my siblings a surname,) although my birth was registered in the years after WWII had concluded.

Cheers,  JM

True, but with all due respect,  I think that Aboriginal people actually know their own history. Surnames may not have been need on birth certificates, but they may have been needed for other less formal records.

[Jennaya]

A link to a photo of Ernest James Firth

http://www.historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on/post/for-king-and-country-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-experiences-in-war/

[~MERLIN~]

May I cheerfully note that it was not until sometime in the 1960s or later that the NSW BDM civil registration for births actually provides for ANY PERSON born in NSW to have a surname.    My own birth registration does not give me a surname, (nor my siblings a surname,) although my birth was registered in the years after WWII had concluded.

Victorian births were the same - My BC does not give me a surname.
Also my OH & two of my children who were born in NSW do not have their surnames on their BC's.

[majm]

True, but with all due respect,  I think that Aboriginal people actually know their own history. Surnames may not have been need on birth certificates, but they may have been needed for other less formal records.

I am quite sure that the use of Aboriginal names for localities, districts and regional geographical features was supported by the various penal governors and their Surveyor Generals, in particular I am sure that Sir Thomas Mitchell actively encouraged this, throughout the then territory of colonial New South Wales.     

Here's one example of where Birth certificates were simply not needed
When a child commenced their schooling .  A surname was simply their mother's last name.  If mother changed her partner, then the surname of the children at school often changed to reflect that.   I come from a long line of NSW Civil servants, dating back to Sir Francis Forbes era, generation after generation after generation.  There's a great deal of private family papers that have been used as research papers by many respected NSW history students, formally and informally.   

There's quite a number of index entries at the NSW BDM online index where the word entered by the compiler is the word ABORIGINAL . 

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

A link to a photo of Ernest James Firth

http://www.historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on/post/for-king-and-country-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-experiences-in-war/

Jennaya, please read back through this thread, particularly to my comments re IF this photo has been confirmed and validated to be of that particular soldier. 

I am sure you will see that I confirmed this to be of an Aboriginal soldier.  I am only questioning if it has been confirmed by independent sources to be a photo of that AIF chap. 

Cheers,  JM