Many of our regular netters will know Kathie as another regular at our meetings, so it is with great anticipation we look forward to one of our own sharing the results of her research, driven by her interest in local and family history.

Kathie’s own history: Although she was born in Sydney, Kathie grew up in Taree. She left school at 14 and worked as a telephonist at Taree Telephone Exchange. She and her husband moved to Newcastle in 1970 where they raised their son & daughter. Kathie moved to Sydney following their divorce where she worked for AMP society and lived at Kings Cross “an interesting experience”. Bored with clerical work, at the age of 50, Kathie completed a nursing degree at Wollongong University and worked as a registered nurse for almost 13 years, mostly at Manning Base Hospital, retiring at the end of 2014.

She completed the Local, Family & Applied History course through New England University, went on to do Honours then finally completed a Master’s in History. Her book Life in the Lower Manning Valley: The First 30 Years, is result of her studies. It can be obtained through Wingham Museum.

Kathie says “Local & family histories interest me because while governments make policies, how those policies are experienced by individuals is another matter. This is where local & family histories come into their own.”

Kathie is currently the secretary of Manning Valley Historical Society & editor of their bi-annual journal. She will present her talk from the perspective of three very different early settler women of the Lower Manning Valley.