History buffs are keeping Wagga family legacies alive through their new book, which is the culmination of several years spent delving through the dusty archives.
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The Alan Harris Funeral Files were compiled by Wagga Family History Society volunteers, who have spent thousands of hours scouring through the funeral parlour records and ancient copies of The Daily Advertiser.
One of them was Neil Dallinger who, since January 1, 1998, has spent every single day fastidiously recording death, marriage, and memorial notices from The Daily Advertiser.
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During that time he uncovered some scandalous secrets in his own family tree that had been kept hushed up for decades.
"My parents never told me anything much about the family, so I thought I'd investigate. I kept coming with different ages for when people died, and I did a lot of research and found out they were untrue. I found a few skeletons in the cupboard, which makes it all interesting," Mr Dallinger said.
"I found out my grandparents weren't married. My grandfather on my mother's side had been married before and had five children to his first wife and my mother was the child of the partnership. I found out he wasn't married and he's had another three children to my grandmother. All this was hush hush."
After having discovered this secret branch on the family tree, Mr Dallinger broke the news to his aunt who, as it turned out, was completely unaware that she had five hidden half-siblings.
Wagga Family History Society research officer Leanne Diessel uncovered some fascinating stories in her own family tree, which has roots in Wagga going all the way back to 1848.
Ms Diessel's great-great-great-grandfather was a bootmaker named Thomas Stockton, who was hauled onto a prison ship one day after being caught stealing chickens in order to feed his family.
The chicken thief was sentenced to work in Australia under the colonial settler Charles Throsby, which would later turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Mr Stockton would end up falling in love with one of the Throsby household servants, and the two of them would eventually strike out on their own and make a family in Wagga.
Ms Diessel's great-great-grandmother was born in Wagga in 1850, and much of the family would end up staying put.
Ms Diessel said she'd enjoyed hearing about these stories when she was a little girl, which is what first sparked her interest in family history.
"My grandmother always told family stories, I was lucky enough to have a grandmother that would tell me those tales, and that's where my interest came from as a child," Ms Diessel said.
"My grandfather on my mum's side used to tell stories as well, so I've always known quite a lot about my family. There's still some black holes, though - brick walls to break down."
Society president Rob Walker also has historical convict blood running through his veins, with an ancestor from Nottingham who was caught stealing clothes at the age of 17.
He was hauled onto a convict ship and left in the hulks while floating on the River Thames, before eventually setting sail for the great southern land.
He worked as a carrier in Newcastle and died at the age of 40, but not before he'd started a family of his own.
"You unearth some interesting stories, and just when you think you've got all the information you find some more. Just yesterday I came across some more information," Mr Walker said.
"It's amazing. You think you hit a brick wall and then all of a sudden you find something that sets you off on an entirely new tangent. That's what happens doing that sort of research."
Alan Harris McDonald's Josh Paul said he was truly grateful to the volunteers for all their hard work preserving the memories of Wagga's families.
Mr Paul said he would keep a copy of their book for himself that he would treasure for all time.
"We have a proud history in this town and in this area, so to have it all in one book and available for everyone, it's such an invaluable resource for our community," Mr Paul said.
"We're so grateful and thankful for all the hours that have gone into it, and it's something we'll hold onto for the years to come."
A copy of the book can be bought at the Wagga Family History Society at 24 Tarakan Ave during opening hours.
A list of their opening hours is on their website: http://waggafamilyhistory.org.au/contact-us.html
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