Annette O'Donohue Historian and Genealogist of 40 Years experience
This website lists the Books I have published and currently have for sale.
The Eaglehawk Pioneer Registers consist of 6 Volumes, compiled over 17 years by Annette O'Donohue and Bev Hanson. The final Volume was released in 2008. The series was entered into the State Awards for Local Histories conducted by Information Victoria and was awarded 1st Prize for the best series of Victorian Local History Registers for 2008.
Over the previous years, single Volumes had won comendations.
During my years of research, I compiled in 1979 a history of the Sargent Family from Sussex England in 1838 to Australia. This can be viewed on my Family History page.
Then in 1984, I compiled a History of the McDougalls from the Isle of Mull, Scotland to South Australia which can also be viewed on my Family History Page.
The same year I produced a small book called From Baroota with Love, the Diary of a young boy.
Other Publications, which can be viewed under books, are The Bendigo Independent Vols 1 & 2 which include Inquests, accidents, murders & suicides & other Mining events taken from the newspaper of the day. Vol 1 1862-1865, Vol 2 1866-1867.
Another small publication was a brief summary of the life of Dr Harry Leigh Atkinson, called His Wealth could not buy Health.
In 1998 Bev & I researched the old Monumental section of Eaglehawk Cemetery and produced a very popular publication called Eaglehawk Cemetery Plans, more details under Books.
Another very popular book was Where they Lie, early & lost registers of small cemeteries around Bendigo, see Books for Sale.
A book called, Eaglehawk Court Hourt 1869-1998 was produced in 1997, the research & subject was part of my Diploma at Latrobe University Bendigo.
Genealogy and saving Local History is very important to me. Once a Family History is researched & published it ensures that the information thus contained will last for many more years into the future, the same applies for Local Histories. Australia is a young country, but it has a lot of history, if we don't save our documented history now, it will be gone forever. During the first 100 years of Australia's settlement, much history & records were lost and destroyed, that was because no one knew the significance of paper items. Australians have a tendency to throw memorabilia & old photos out when they are finished with. If someone in your family has some old photos, try and have them named & written on by older relatives. We have heard that Headmasters of our first schools kept their Registers for 60 or more years, then after the war many were disposed of, no one knows where. Receipts, certificates and old letters can be a goldmine to someone researching family history, keep them in plastic crates with lids, they don't take up much room.
My cousin & myself have found all the old letters our parents wrote to one another nearly 60 years ago, it was wonderful reading them all, which we photocopied for each other. These will be passed down in the families, but we hope to type them up first.
At present my friend & I are undertaking research on early Cranbourne, please see my Cranbourne page for more details.
I am interested in any item of historic note relating to Cranbourne's early history which can be posted or emailed to me at:
Mrs A O'Donohue, 4 Browns Rd Devon Meadows 3977
Email - ody_81@bigpond.com