OUR TWO TRUSTY PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Lots of family members took photos and shared them with us. However, we did ask Sue Rutherford ( granddaughter of Alexander), above, and Butter McClymont (married to Alan of "Kensington " Longreach) below in red, to make a record of the day. They both have great reputations as good photgraphers and have certainly strutted their stuff on this occassion!

Many thanks to Sue and Butter from all the Clan members for this outstanding record of the reunion. It is their photos which form the basis of these blogs and many will be added to the disk of the slide show that is being completed soon.

REUNION PHOTOGRAPHS GALORE!

Andrew Palmer and Andrew Cowper begin the assault on the hams! They were affectionately known as "The Andrews Brothers" as they quietly worked so hard to keep the wheels rolling all day. Many thanks boys! Elizabeth McClymont- Mortensen is in the background here.
Bruce McClymont and cousin Rod Banks ponder at the pie van.
Cam Banks and Andrew Palmer have a private little joke!
Murray Todd and Pete McClymont in contemplation mode.
Hamish, Nicholas, Malcolm and Scott McClymont listening to the speeches.

Yet more photos of the reunion.

Great picture of Sue McClymont.
Side on are Graham and John McClymont with Warick Mortensen holding his little daughter Isabelle.
Liz and Bettina McClymont assessing the situation!
Alister Palmer, his sister Amanda Goodwin with her son Lamont Alister (Monty) and Alister McClymont.
Malcolm McClymont's partner Alex Anning and with their baby Madison McClymont.

DESCENDANTS OF SAMUEL McCLYMONT

The Walker Clan who joined us all the way from Sydney. It was wonderful to meet you all!

KEN WALKER'S SPEECH DETAILING HIS MOTHER FLORA'S LIFE.

Flora was the second daughter born to Samuel McClymont and Elizabeth ( Bessie) Mary Goddard, at Newtown, Sydney. (a home birth). They returned to the family home, a sheep station 'Maxwelton' at Moree. Flora's elder sister was Elizabeth (Betty) and the younger sister was Heather.

Flora's mother Bessie passed away in January 1922 due to breast cancer, one month before Flora's 6^th birthday. She was in her late 30's. Unfortunately, Samuel McClymont died the next year in November 1923 due to stomach cancer.

Flora and her two sisters went to live with their Aunt Annie Ensor in Bondi, Sydney. Annie was Sam's widowed sister who had three children of her own, Flora, Jessie and Tom.

Flora attended Bondi public school until she was thirteen, then went to MLC Burwood where she boarded for five years. At 19 she graduated and entered Sydney Teachers College to train for two years to be a primary school teacher.

Her first posting in 1938 at age 21 was to Kinchela school. It was here that she met the Headmaster's son Ocar Edward Walker. After a two year courtship they married at Bondi in 1940 while Oscar was on leave from the Army.

Flora was then posted to Minto and Wollongong schools and resigned in 1943 pregnant with their first son Kenneth Clyde, born 11.07.44. Ronald Cameron was born on 25.03.47, Ian Osborne on 11.04.1949 and Elizabeth Jeanette (Jenny) 21.01.56.

In 1945, Flora ans Oscar moved from their flat in Five Dock, Sydney to their home in Pennant Hills where the family resided till1997. Flora never returned to teaching and instead she was a stay at home mum, baking delicious biscuits, making lemon cheese, knitting gorgeous jumpers, helping various charities and creating a warm family environment.

Flora was widowed on26.06.94.

She moved to serviced apartment, then with deteriorating health to nursing care. She suffered from Osteoporosis and dementia.

She had 11 grandchildren and now (20100) 6 great grandchildren.

Yet more family at the Reunion.

The Walker Family ( descendants of Samuel McClymont ) at one table.
Robyn and Ross Litchfield and family together with Duncan Banks and Jan McClymont behind in the green coat.
Mac McClymont and his wife Biddy with his sister Cathy Wooderson.
Kathryn Rutherford with Nola McClymont.
Angus and Malcolm McClymont.

More Family at the Reunion

Brothers Hugh and Tim McClymont with cousin Ben McClymont in the middle.
Jule McClymont talking to Claire Walker.
Bettina McClymont with Alice and Ben Murray.
Judy Rankin, Julie Nash, Jenny Wood, Carol McClymont with Nola McClymont.
Susan McClymont, Katherine McClymont,Rosemary Philp, Ben, Ann McClymont.

ALL THOSE VERY OLD MANUKA FAMILY PICTURES.

Many of the family photos that were used for this blog, and on the slide show at the reunion originated in this large and rather heavy leather bound, gold embossed Manuka photo album that Ian McClymont passed on to his family. We have even been able to identify some of the unnamed ones as well! This board displayed at the reunion had the parents and all fourteen of the descendants in order of their birth. What a family indeed!

FOOTNOTE. We are still adding some of the newer acquired images plus pictures of us all at the gathering , to the slide show. When it is ready we will get it to those people who requested a copy. The family tree will also be added. If you did not indicate that you wanted copies when you were at the reunion, please send us an email soon.

THE MANUKA FAMILY PIANO AND A.C. McCLYMONT'S POUCH

It is important to acknowledge all the assistance we have had from family members in collecting information about our family history to place on the blog. This then gives you the opportunity to down load it as part of your family history record which you can then pass on to your descendants!

Sue Rutherford took many photographs for us of all the relics that were here on the day. The pouch is one of those brought for us to see by Tom McClymont.

At the reunion there was lots of talk about a very unusually shaped old piano that was in the Manuka home. Judith Treweeke says she remembers it well.

Robyn Litchfield told us that it is held in her family. When I asked her if could we have a photo, she kindly sent this fantastic picture.

She wrote " My father drew it out of a hat. He said his parents bought it in Canada - second hand. It would be 170 years old." Her father was Norman (14th born at Manuka)

So.. who were the musical ones in that family of fourteen? Did Isabella play?

McClymont family members on the reunion day.

Alan McClymont in a quiet reflective moment ( the photo was not taken by Butter!)
Bruce McClymont, David Wood, Richard McClymont and Jenny Wood in deep discussion.
Norman Philp, Robyn Litchfield, Lesley Cowper, Ken Walker, Judy Nisbet, Jenny Robards, Philip Robards and Ron Walker identifying the old photos which Murray McClymont bought to the reunion.
Bruce McClymont, David Wood, Rob McClymont and Duncan Banks chewing the fat.
Chris Curran, Catherine McClymont,Graham McClymont, John McClymont, Murray McClymont and Peter McClymont. Notice any McClymont likeness in this lot?
Matt McClymont, Rex Mc Clymont, Hamish McClymont, Skye McLean, Scott McClymont, Alister Palmer and Margot Palmer and in front Michaela McClymont and Alicia McClymont and Monty Goodwin.

A WONDERFUL FAMILY STORY

There is a story worth recording that relates to this very old gold watch. Jenny Robards of Sydney, and a third generation descendant of Samuel McClymont (no2 of the 14 Manuka siblings) was proudly wearing it at the reunion. She said she was given it by her mother( Flora Walker, nee McClymont) before she died and always thought that it had belonged to her grandfather. However, after seeing the pictures of Alexander Cunningham McClymont's watch and seal on the blog, she attended an antique fair in Sydney at Easter time and got a jeweler to take a closer look at the inscription. It is actually A.C. M. That is not her grandfather Samuel but her GREAT grand father the one and only Alexander! She is understandably very proud to own it!In the above picture Jenny is in the front wearing the black dress with the cream blouse. Many family got a close look at the watch on the day.

** Please refer to and earlier blog that traces the story of Samuel's family in which the three little girls lost both parents when they were very young. This was only one of a few interesting outcomes connected with us all gathering together.