New Zealand REVELEYs Newsletter
Sarah Reveley
Hello everyone. Well it’s hard to believe it is 4 and a half years since our 2009 reunion. Sadly a number of our descendants have passed away and we convey our condolences to their families. We are aware of some additions to the family and no doubt there are others.
150 YEAR COMMEMORATIONS
The reunion committee is planning a gathering to commemorate 150 years since Bell and Hannah REVELEY and their children – Thomas, Elizabeth, Hannah, Groves and Bell jnr arrived in New Zealand on the Indian Empire. This will also commemorate 150 years since Ruth, the first New Zealand REVELEY, was born.
Date: Sunday 23 March 2014, from 10am
Venue: Ferrymead Heritage Park, 50 Ferrymead Park Drive, Heathcote, Christchurch
Format: BYO Picnic lunch, Tea and Coffee will be available.
Registration: $10 per family of up to 6.
This will also give access to Ferrymead Heritage Park and the trams. All those registered will be given a code to enable free entry on the day. We have the hall available for the day and the picnic areas. Some picnic tables are available but it would pay to bring picnic chairs/rugs with you. The Hall will be available in case of wet weather and for the comfort of elderly attendees.
Ferrymead website: www.ferrymead.org.nz
Registration forms will be sent out shortly.
We will have displays set up in the hall on the day. Please bring along any memorabilia you have, also photos from the 2009 Reunion (if possible also bring these on a USB stick for us to get copies).
Family Tree Updates: Please send us all new updates to your family tree since our 2009 publication so we can have these at the 150 year commemoration. These updates can be emailed to bellr...@gmail.com or by post to Nola or Maureen (see addresses at the end of this newsletter). All updates will be distributed via email after to March gathering.
New contacts: Since the 2009 reunion we have made contact the following –
· Descendants of Mary REVELEY that also live in New Zealand. Mary was a sister of Bell senior
· Descendants of Ann Johnston. Ann was the niece of Hannah (nee HOGG) REVELEY and she came to New Zealand on the Indian Empire in 1864 with Bell, Hannah and their family.
Some of these have indicated they would be interested in attending our 2014 150year commemorations and it will be really great to have them join us.
Your Earthquake Stories: We would like you to tell us your stories on the Canterbury earthquakes and how they affected you and your families. These had a significant impact on REVELEY descendants as so many of them live in Canterbury. We think this would be a good opportunity to capture them as part of our REVELEY history. These stories would not be published but kept by our key REVELEY Family History record keepers.
Indian Empire arrival in Lyttelton 1864: We will endeavour to locate descendants of other families that arrived on this same voyage and settled in Canterbury and invite them to visit us on the day.
Please distribute this newsletter to ALL your family to ensure they have the opportunity to attend this special commemoration. We will only be contacting via email so please distribute to anyone not on email.
Kind regards
Nola (nee REVELEY) Clark
On behalf of the REVELEY Reunion Committee
Contacts details: Email to bellr...@gmail.com OR phone or post to
Maureen Kelso, 156 Powells Road, RD4, Springston 7674, 03 3295251