TIDBITS

The origins of fathers day have a number of apparent beginnings, like the Americans supporting a following that a terrible mining disaster that killed 360 men in June 1908 be honored though more likely Sonora Dodd’s continual push to honour her fathers single parenting of 14 children starting in 1910 of which U.S. President Coolidge gave his support to the observance in 1924 and President Johnson proclamized in 1966 then President Nixon signed legislation designating the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day as a national holiday in 1972.

Or, the Christian recognition of the early 1500s Catholic Church practice of the celebration as Saint Joseph’s Day, husband of Mary and Jesus’s father on Earth, patron saint of fathers, the day otherwise known as ‘The Feast of Saint Joseph’, according to the Bible and the Collier and Dobson website.

Or maybe the thought that the pagan origin of father’s day being closely linked to Sun worship practice, the Sun as being the father of the universe and so a coincidental or accidental celebration of dads falls closely to the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. And of course, the heavily patriarchal ancient and native history relevance and recognition to fatherly figures and the multitude of observed homages amidst all cultures around the world.

However, in which ever way you recognise the day or celebrate its occurrence, here in Australia, there is no apparent clear evidence as to why Australia began celebrating Father’s Day in September. Often, it is believed that it is due to so many of public holidays are in the first half of the calendar year, the first Father’s Day celebration was officially noticed on Sunday, September 6th 1936.

STORIES

So we, the Gympie family History Society (GFHS) , say happy belated Fathers Day to Robert LEEDS of Widgee Widgee according to the our GFHS Electoral Rolls of Wide Bay in 1864-1865, who is also recorded in the Queensland Births, Marriages and Deaths register as being married to Mary IRWIN (also IRVING or IRVINE) in 1868, and having at least three children, William born in 1869, an unnamed child in 1872 and Robert in 1873.

And another happy belated Fathers day to Hayslip Fairfax HETHERINGTON, a Gympie miner of Excelsior Road Gympie recorded amidst our GFHS Central State School Records as the father of 8 year old Maise and 6 year old Ethel who both started at the Gympie Central school on the same day in July 1912. As well as seen in our GFHS Voter Records in 1905 as registering in April 1903 to vote as a 26 year old miner of his residence at Excelsior Road Gympie and who also married in that same year and month to Jessie Browning BONNEY.

And lastly, a belated happy Fathers Day to Robert FRAME a miner of Duke Street (Freehold) Gympie according to our GFHS Voter Records of 1900 but originally of Reef Street in the 1880 records. He appears to have arrived as an assisted immigrant according to our GFHS Assisted Immigrants Arriving in Queensland, 1880-1899 Vol2, E-K index, from Scotland according to our GFHS Maryborough Register of Gympie Births E-H 1868-1871 index of one of their at least 5 children born in Queensland. The five children being, Robert John, James, Robert junior, William and Jane, between 1865 and 1874 registered in the Queensland Birth Marriage and Death Registers. And while his wife passed away in 1886, Robert passed away in 1913 and is interred in the Gympie Cemetery, plot CES212.

our Gympie Family History Society Inc. Resources

• GFHS Local Mining Records,
• GFHS Regional Voter Records,
• GFHS, Cemetery Index Lists.
• GFHS Local School Records, 
• GFHS Maryborough Register of Gympie Births Records,
• and more

Web Sources

• britannica.com
• theconversation.com
• dadshop.com.au
• collierdobson.com
• wikipedia.org
• and, here is just one of hundreds of web pages that might interest you or your fathers, theconversation

compiled by Brett Watson,
5:34 PM 01/09/2024

So, come in a check out our records and see if your grandfather is recorded in one of our historical documents?

If you are thinking of starting, or you are doing your family tree, and have any kin whom have grown up in the Gympie area, as far back 1867, contact the Gympie Family History Society, for your investigation or a members research packet for you upon request to our research officer.

Check out our website for details on how to contact us or opening times, or send us an email to research@gfhs.com.au

Disclaimer: The information/text material found within is posted with good conscience and thought to be true and correct, but we do not guarantee the information/text material and must be viewed in a similar way as other information on the internet. Our Society website is maintained by our members who volunteer their time and skills.