At a glance

BIRTH NAME: Bertha Ethel Brisbane

YEAR OF BIRTH: 1920

BIRTHPLACE: Warwick, Queensland, Australia

CULTURAL BACKGROUND:

Scottish:

Paternal grandfather James Grimmond Brisbane emigrated from Scotland to Australia (aged four) from in 1840 with his parents and siblings onboard the Glen Huntley (view ship record). His mother, Euphemia, died on the journey (there was a fever outbreak on the ship and it was quarantined on arrival to Australia).

Paternal grandmother Elizabeth Brisbane emigrated from Scotland to Australia sometime between her birth in Perthshire, Scotland in 1844 and marriage in 1863. These paternal grandparents were cousins on their fathers’ sides.

English:

Maternal grandfather Abraham John Freeman emigrated from England sometime between his birth (between 1843 and 1868) and marriage in 1889. Records show a likely match with an Abraham Freeman born in Linton, England in 1849 and immigrating aboard the Darling Downs in 1874.

Maternal great-grandfather Simon Beckingham (aka Simon Beckenham) emigrated from England in 1849 aboard the Emigrant (view ship record) with his first wife and two of their young children.

Irish:

Maternal great-grandmother Mary Jane Price (nee Moffatt) emigrated from Ireland sometime between 1834 and 1866. No records of her immigration have been found but Bertha was told she came from Tipperary. She had a daughter out of wedlock to Simon Beckingham (aka Beckenham) was 'Sarah' Jane Freeman.

PARENTS:

John ‘Jack’ Henry Brisbane (born 5 September 1868, Berwick, Victoria, died 18 September 1939 near Warwick in a horse and cart accident)

Ethel ‘Dolly’ Brisbane nee Freeman (born 6 June 1891, Armidale, New South Wales, re-married John ‘Tom’ Thomas Martin in 1940 after the death of husband John, died 16 December 1974 in Warwick)

SIBLINGS:

Linda Jane (born 1 March 1916, Warwick, Queensland, married William ‘Bill’ Scotney, children Ethel and Jim, died 4 November 2005, Toowoomba, Queensland)

Lawrence Henry (born 21 April 1918, Warwick, Queensland, married Olive Elizabeth Johnson, no children, died 16 August 1977, Warwick, Queensland)

'Betty' Isabel (aka Isabella) Elizabeth (born 8 Sept 1924, Warwick, Queensland,married Percy Peachey, children Sandra and Dianne, died 26 August 2010, Brisbane, Queensland)

Two other siblings were stillborn. 

HUSBAND:

Elmer Frederick Lauritsen Skjonnemand (born 27 April 1904, Brisbane, Queensland, died 27 July 1980, Gold Coast, Queensland) The couple married on the third of August 1940 at St Andrews church, Warwick.

CHILDREN:

Peter Henry (born 20 August 1943, Warwick, Queensland, married Marilyn Dabblestein 1963, children Andrew Peter and Brett Anthony, divorced, married Michelle Slater c1983, children Michael Peter, Luke, died 31 March 1996, Gold Coast, Queensland)

Paul Francis (born 1945, married  Patricia May Jessop 1973, children Ursula, Vanessa and Candice)

Max Robert (born 1948, married Faye Keir 1969,  children Dianne and Tracy)

John David (born 1964, married Tammy Lee Watling 1991)

GRAND CHILDREN:

Andrew, Brett, Michael and Luke (to Peter)

Dianne and Tracey (to Max)

Ursula, Vanessa and Candice (to Paul)

GREAT GRAND CHILDREN:

Arianne, Sophie, Tyler (to Brett)

Stephen, Christopher, Noah, Gabrielle (to Vanessa)

Joshua, Zoe (to Ursula)

Dominique, Rachel (to Candice)

Millie (to Luke)

Zac, Reed (to Tracey)

PLACES LIVED IN:

Lord John Swamp, QLD, Australia 1920-1923 (now known as Wildash)

Swan Creek, QLD, Australia 1923-1934

Woodenbong, NSW, Australia 1934-1936

Yangan, QLD, Australia 1936-1937

Emu Vale, QLD , Australia 1937

Warwick, QLD, Australia 1937-1940

Emu Vale, QLD, Australia, 1940-1950

Coomera, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia 1950-1981

Labrador, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia 1981 – 2003 

Molendinar, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia 2003 – 2013

PETS:

Bertha and Elmer had many pets, both on the farm at Swan Creek (where cats were needed to control the rat plague) and at the shop in Coomera (where people often dumped unwanted animals).

Some of the pets included Sandy (cat), Mecca (cat), Tiny (cat), Pepper (dog), Old Spot (dog) and Toby (dog).

CAREERS:

Farming hand aged 3-14

Governess aged 14-16

Milking cows aged 16-17

Minder for woman with disability aged 17

Housekeeper (cooking and cleaning duties) aged 17-20

Farm hand aged 20-23

Shopkeeper aged 33-53

EDUCATION: Swan Creek State School, QLD, aged 5-14

PASTIMES AND MEMBERSHIPS:

Church (secretary of the Ladies Guild)

Country Womens Association (member)

Baking

Lawn bowls

Order of the Eastern Star (member)

Socialising

Volunteering at the Blue Nurses opportunity shop.

TRAVEL:

1979 - Visit to Singapore. Bertha's son Peter and his son Andrew were performing in the Gold Coast band. Peter played trumpet and Andrew played drums.

1980 – Visit to Cairns, Queensland to see son Max, his wife Faye and children Dianne and Tracey.

1996 - Visit to New Zealand with daughter-in-law Trish to see grandson Andrew and his wife Lucille.

HEALTH:

Scabs in the ears as a child, miscarriage (third pregnancy), hysterectomy 1965, progressive hearing loss, progressive loss of sight, multiple heart attacks in 2000, multiple skin cancers in later years, broken arm 1993, broken hip 2002, broken arm 2006, pneumonia 2010, broken hip 2011, skin cancer removed from the nose 2012.