Australasiatisk historie og Stillehavshistorie

The 300 year history of 11 generations of the THOMAS family of Devon and New Zealand. This family history details the life of brothers John Thomas, George Thomas and John's son John - whom were all born in Devon, England. John Thomas (Snr) came to NZ in 1854. His wife Jane and their children John 4, and William 6 (for whom a separate book is available - see above), and John's brother George arrived soon after. His son John Thomas married Phebe Woods and they had 15 children... 8 of whom went on to marry and raise families. John and family lived at Waterview in Auckland, at Allenton in Ashburton, and retired to live at Coromandel. The main family surnames from John are: Thomas (x8), and older generations include Lowe, Griffiths, Woods, Johns, Cates, Page (x2), Stevens, Segers, Martin, and Brown. John (Snr)'s brother George Thomas married Jane (Polly) Morris and they had 12 children... and 10 married and raised families. George and Polly lived their lives throughout Auckland... in the city area, at Waterview & Avondale. The main family surnames from George are: Thomas (x5), Hill, Harper, Stewart (x3), Bicknell, Morgan, Kimber, Burke, Lewis, Lowe, and Morris. There are many descendants of John and Phebe Thomas and of George and Polly Thomas listed in the Index of Family Trees.

Henry Hunter (1866) and William Madden (1871) took advantage of the isolation west of the lower Dawson River, Central Queensland, using it to successfully rob mail men who journeyed on horseback along the dray roads. They were pursued by dedicated teams of Police officers, including Sub-Inspector George Elliott, who displayed outstanding courage when he arrested Hunter following a shoot-out. This book reveals the exploits of the bushrangers of this area, including Frank Gardiner, Frederick Ward, and James Alpin MacPherson, the reports of their deeds published in newspapers across the colonies making them heroes to some, and a scourge to be thwarted to others.This true account, gleaned from historical records and the author's family history, is a tribute to the dedication of the police in apprehending those responsible for the crimes against the postal service.