A special message from the Governor as we celebrate Australia Day and the Australian Mayflower Society's First Anniversary on JAN 26, 2021.
Looking back over the past 12 months, 2020 has been an extraordinary year for our AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY of MAYFLOWER DESCENDANTS.
The accomplishments of our Society are by no means those of any one person. We are an exceptional group of dedicated people – who have come together via the internet and brought forth our Charter through the use of the DocUsign – an application that was completely unfamiliar to most of us.
The diversity and perseverance of our members is the greatest asset a Governor could ever hope for. We have individuals with such talents – it’s unbelievable – people with IT technical expertise; graphic design experience; genealogical talents, administrative skills; tax and accounting expertise; leadership; business; teachers; history majors; farmers, and ministers.
We overcame the bushfires and the Coronavirus, by utilising Skype and ZOOM – to conduct our business meetings both in Australia and Internationally.
We have conducted numerous ZOOM meetings – and we held our first Annual General meeting using ZOOM, largely due to the hard border restrictions that were still in place in New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland.
The added talents of Keith Price and his wife Sue Mclean paved the way for the development of our website and our first official Quarterly e-newsletter which has shed more light on the society and increased awareness of Australia, leading to several new members.
Junior Membership and our future generations
We have made new contacts with several other Mayflower organisations, networking and opening the doors to establish our 'Junior Membership'. Aided with pdf files, and assistance from Peggy Marshall, the GSMD Junior Membership Chair, we plan to kick-off our Junior Membership Program in February.
Our future generations were added by the Isham Family and the Granger family. Elder Steve Isham is the proud grandfather of two new family members, grand-daughter, Attia (Gift) born the day before Thanksgiving and another granddaughter, Beatrice (Bringer of Joy). Beatrice Isham (right) was born just before Christmas and she is the daughter of Seth Isham.
Rev. E. Luke Isham’s lovely daughter Evangeline (bottom right below) captured our hearts last March, when Bill Elliott, Joan Hall Joans, Susan and Harold Abnor, Luke Isham and his daughter all had a coffee gathering in Melbourne. (Pictured below)
Robert Granger celebrated his 80th birthday in January. Robert is a very proud great grandfather. His grandson Keenan Granger and Jesska, introduced their son – AJ, born in Feb and soon to be ONE. AJ (Alec Joao) is the 4th Generation of Grangers – (family pictured below).
The Granger family are descendants of Richard Warren, and their family connection dates back to the marriage of Prince Francis Little of New Bedford and Catherine Kelly of Ireland, having married in Sydney, Australia in June, 1857.
Sailing through the pandemic
Lastly, Charter Member Jeanne (Fuller) Harrison and her husband Colin (pictured below) completed their journey back home to Adelaide, South Australia after sailing aboard their yacht 'Dakota' across the Atlantic Ocean through the Panama Canal to Tahiti and onto Australia even through the PANDEMIC.
One leg of their journey had them at sea for 37 days. That’s the steadfast will – just like that of our forefathers 400 years ago. Jeanne is one of our original founders, and the 21st signer of our Charter Petition.
Jeanne and Colin (pictured right) celebrated their 25th anniversary this year.
See the Year in Review photos in our gallery for more 2020 highlights.
We are sailing onward.
Keith C. Quimbach, Governor, AUSMD, Inc.