Unravelling the Mystery of Mary Ann Ryan
~by Helen Dennis, July 2026~ My new favourite ancestor is my Irish 2x-great grandmother, Mary Ann Ryan. Not because she did anything spectacular, but rather because it took me so long to figure out who she was. Until recently, the only information I had about Mary Ann had come from two sources: her marriage certificate,…
Round the World in a Cutter
Walter Frederick Rayner’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe ~ by Helen Dennis, March 2025 ~ In 1932, three years into both the Great Depression and his first marriage, my grandmother’s brother Walter built a little boat and attempted to sail around the world. According to Sydney’s Labor Daily newspaper, Walter was the first Australian to…
Unravelling the Boarding School Myth
Penelope, Tony and Victor Jenkins’ early schooling in Sydney ~ by Helen Dennis ~ December 2024 ~ One of the most memorable stories my aunt Penelope recounted about her childhood was that when she was very little, her mother had enrolled her as ‘the only boarder’ at a private girls’ school in Sydney. The legend…
Penelope’s Hospital Float
~ by Helen Dennis, 6 October 2024 ~ This weekend is a long weekend in New South Wales. Many people travel; others simply enjoy an extra day off work. Once upon a time, however – as the discovery of a cache of my aunt Penelope’s photos led me to discover – demonstrations, processions and sports…
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Unravelled 