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CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE COST OF THE WEB SITE
Thanks to the initiative of Elizabeth (Pixie) Carvosso of Melbourne, Australia, a sizable stirling draft was sent recently to Michael Brabazon in London from family members in Australia.
As you celebrate Easter, may you be blessed with Peace and Happiness

PREFACE BY ANN SHEVILL
I began compiling this issue of the BHP BULLETIN in February thinking that I would distribute it after I had visited Outback Queensland in the company of Jack and Xenia Meath in early March. It has grown so much that I have decided to send it out now, a week or so before I leave. There is always a flurry of communication after a BHP BULLETIN is distributed and there will be time for that to happen before lst March, which is the date we all fly to Longreach en route to Winton. There will be plenty to report when I next communicate after Easter. I will also be able to tell you about my visit to Melbourne for the Opening of the Commonwealth Games on 15 March.
January is a favorite month for me - it's summer - holiday time for Australia and respite from most meetings and gatherings - time to catch up with things, which are put aside in the other busy months.
I have spent quite some time preparing more material for the Brabazon Archive Cabinet, which was sent to the Library Museum of the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Central Queensland, last year. Such is a never ending project for me and should it not be completed before I can no longer cope with the material in my possession, I want those who will finalize it to be left with as little inconvenience as possible. It is such an interesting project and I frequently become "bogged" in what I am reading/sorting.
Two lines are uppermost in my memory at this particular time and I share them with you:
"The good we do today is the happiness of tomorrow"
I have read them again in his last wonderful letter to his parents, a 22 year old dear friend of mine as a teenager, Bill Gannon of Julia Creek, a small township where he was born and raised, and where I lived with my parents 1936-40. After very successful years at school in Northwest Queensland, having played Rugby Union for Queensland, and having completed First Year Medicine at the University of Queensland, Bill enlisted in the AIF. Tragically he died on the Borneo Death March somewhere between Sandakan and Ranau only a few months before the end of the WWII in 1945. Bill still lives in the hearts of his sisters and friends.

THE FUTURE of the BHP BULLETIN - or similar communication.
There will come a time, probably next year, when I decide that I must cease to compile and distribute this Brabazon Family Newsletter. My physical and financial resources are in decline! I would like to think that younger members of the family are thinking ahead, with modern technology in mind. For instance, I know that some family members are involved with "blogging" - a relatively new way of communicating electronically with family and friends. It replaces phone calls, is considered more convenient and quicker even than emails, let alone "snail mail".
Please let me know your thoughts in this connection

"THE BRABAZON STORY"
The following submitted by a Foundation member, appeared in the January 2006 Newsletter of the Nevil Shute Norway Foundation:
"MORE BRABAZON PLEASE. I have just read an interesting 1956 autobiography by JTC Moore-Brabazon who was a bit of a character and rather energetic. Born in 1884, he was a pioneering racing driver friend of Charles Rolls, a pioneering aviator taking the first pig in an aeroplane to prove pigs could fly, holder of the British Royal Aero Club Pilot Certificate No.1, a pioneer of aerial photography in WW1, a top golfer, an innovative sailor, a member of several company boards, holder of two ministerial posts under Churchill and a champion of the Cresta Run. He was still doing the Cresta Run at the age of 70. The book also revealed that Moore-Brabazon was a friend of Lord Grimthorpe, a Board Member of Airspeed, who was also a member of the Cresta Run committee. Therefore it seems reasonable to assume that Neville Shute might have actually known Moore-Brabazon. The book, published in 1956 by Heineman, is called The Brabazon Story. by Lord Brabazon of Tara, you might find it at a second hand bookshop near you.
The Bristol Brabazon aircraft was named after Moore-Brabazon. The Bristol Brabazon was inspiringly modern when it was designed, but had become endearingly obsolete by the time it flew".
(It is probably not surprising that the name of the first Lord Brabazon turns up in unexpected places; it is always of interest)

NEWS OF FAMILY FROM AROUND THE WORLD
FROM ARGENTINA
No further correspondence has come my way recently, but I noticed in my files a note dated June 2003 from Michael Brabazon - now Website Editor, London. It said that when he had visited Eastwell some years before that, a local farmer Mr Haines, on whose land the old Brabazon Manor House stood, told Michael that he had had a visit from a Brabazon from Argentina, but could remember no details.
(With the benefit of modern technology lots of family connections are now gradually being solved)

FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A mention of the story of Mary Stauffer of Kansas in the December 2005 BHP BULLETIN rang a bell in the mind of Jan Barnes of Auckland New Zealand. Maybe communications between them will be helpful to the ever widening Ultimate Brabazon Family Tree. (Let's hope so!)
A great Christmas Newsletter with lots of news and photos from Andrea Maloney Schara of Darien Connecticut. An extract from her Newsletter reads:
"I left my old office at The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, although I am still on the teaching faculty. I have been at the Family Center since 1980. I wanted to expand. The new office is called The Learning Space. I joined up with Priscilla Friesen and Kathy Wiseman, two of my closest associates over all these years. I go to Washington to see my clients one week each month and on the weekend I go down to Virginia Beach to see my son Martin's family" (You can catch up with Andrea by opening www.ideastoaction,com - good wishes for the new venture Andrea)

Bernard Brabazon of Wyndham New York State wrote in January:
"AnnaBeth's sister Gabrielle (Gabby) is going on an eleven-day educational tour to England, Ireland and Wales in mid February, spending one day in Dublin seeing sights of Dublin, passing an ancient Viking settlement site, stopping at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and to visit St Patrick's Cathedral.
I suggested a tour of Killruddery, but the itinerary is fixed by EF Educational Tours.
My wife Fran and I are doing a trans-Atlantic cruise beginning 15 April and ending in Rome on 1 May where we will stay for 3 days. Are there any points of interest about the Brabazons in Rome? If the Meaths happen to stop over in our neck of the woods they are always welcome to visit us in Windham. It will be in the cool mountain air of the beautiful Catskills"
(I do not know of any Brabazon connection with Rome Bernard, but others may do so. Jack and Xenia Meath are sure to read your invitation. Enjoy your travels)
Verla McIntyre of Hendersonville North Carolina and I exchange many wonderful emails.
In mid January Verla wrote:
"I guess we are over our heavy storms. The whole area down to South Carolina and there also, looks like a war zone. With the half-inch of ice on the pines, many of them broke or were uprooted. I thought everything that could break had done so, and then we had very high winds - lo and behold - more pines down. I am waiting for spring". (While the northern hemisphere is still so cold we in tropical Queensland are so hot! Your emails are a delight Verla - thanks again)
A new family member has found us - Betty Ruth Paine from Tampa, Florida. A very interesting email dated 19 January reads:
"What a surprise! We recently have moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to a Retirement Village (John Knox Village) here in Tampa Florida
Several years ago after I retired from teaching elementary school, I had tried to find out about my father's side of the family but had not been successful to any great degree. I'm an only child, my father was the only boy and born later than his sisters. He and his father and sisters had emigrated from Canada when he was four after his mother had died. His name was James Fritz Brabazon, and he was born in Digby, Nova Scotia in l886. His father was William James Brabazon, (l856). Mother was Hannah Chute (Married in 1878.) I did find a book about the Chute history that dated information way back to the 14th century.! !t was very interesting but I was more on a drive for "Brabazons"! I had never found the name in a US paper except for a notorious killer. However after we retired in l986 (my husband Bob was a professor of History in a College, while I taught elementary school I started them off - he finished them off!!!) we did some traveling abroad. On a trip to Ireland I was startled to see how many BRABAZONS I found in the telephone books of the tour we were in. I asked the friendly driver of the tour-bus if the name meant anything to him. He grinned rather wryly and said it depended on whether we were Protestants or Catholics! On telling him we were of the former group, he laughed and said "Then you're one of the bad guys!!" He took us off the beaten tour route to see a "Honored statue" outside of a town in the eastern part (can't recall its name but I think in the Wicklow Mountains) Many years ago the villagers built a statue to "honor" their English Landlord. It turned out to be the ugliest gargoyle you ever saw, and our tour guide said the Lord of the area of course accepted it with a flourish - though his tenants thought it was a hilarious gift! Your guess as to the veracity of that is as good as mine - but it made an interesting and humorous story. Of course I knew the name was of an English origin. Apparently the Irish Brabazons had been made tenants of the English back when Cromwell's army grabbed much of the chieftains' lands and in turn were given it for themselves by Cromwell in "thanks" for their faithfulness!
When we came home to US I did discover my great grandfather had emigrated from Ireland. My Dad had only three older sisters (Violet, Lana and Mabel.) Only one of them had a child - a girl. I have no idea who she may be. My parents lived in India most of their married lives as Missionaries. I was seven months old when I first went out there - I was born on a furlough. I was an only child so the name apparently died out on our branch of the line.! Since Dad died when I was thirteen I hadn't had a chance to meet or know any of the family. So, when my first attempts at tracing the name fell so short I quit with that side of the family - especially since my Mother's family had traced their genealogy back to the Mayflower!!! I did try tracing my great-grandfather Brabazon through the shipping records of immigrants. I found a James William, but nothing more. Its possible since my grandfather's name was William James, while Dad was a James. I do know the name Fritz (Dad's middle name) was given after the doctor who came out through terrible weather conditions and stayed while my grandmother went through a very rough time delivering him!! February in Nova Scotia is bitterly cold and can be very snowy. I remember Dad told me he had another middle name before his mother insisted on "Fritz!
I went to a British school (Breeks) in south India until I transferred to an American school (Woodstock) in the Himalayans in Northern India so I could get into College here in the States. I remember an Australian boy in Breeks, and was fascinated by his accent. David Boyle was a nice kid. I think the Aussies, Canadians, and Yanks sort of felt a bit of a kinship since we were all viewed as somewhat "daft" by the Brits.!!
I graduated from Woodstock in 1941 just the day before Pearl Harbor. Most of the kids that were coming home from college happened to be able to get the same empty troop-ship home. Early in the war - or at least after our entry into it, it was terribly hard to get bookings to come home. Of course, the usual route - Suez, Mediterranean - to England had been closed and our bookings were all canceled. We sailed finally on May 31st and arrived in New York after a long and exciting trip around Capetown, South Africa. Between losing an anchor there during a horrendous storm while awaiting harbor in Cape Town, not being able to get it fixed, sailing across the Atlantic with a cruiser-escort and seeing it blowing up a U-Boat in the process, we finally arrived back in New York City on July 16 - only to discover we had had a spy on board in the guise of a sweet little old man! What a glory it was though to sail by that Stately Statue of Liberty! We did a lot of yelling - as only teenagers can!!!
I met Bob Paine in College my "froth" year and he went off to WWII. I wrote once in awhile as "my patriotic duty". I was about to graduate when he returned in early 1946. We married a year later. He eventually became a History Professor while I taught for thirty years in elementary school We both retired in 1986 and lived in Indiana until last October. We had three children, one of whom suddenly went home to be with the Lord two years ago. We decided to come south and live here in Florida near our youngest daughter. We also have a son in Arkansas; his family includes our grandson who had recently returned from Iraq to go back to college, and two daughters. One is married and expecting our first great-granddaughter any day now! We also have two grandsons by our deceased daughter - one is married, the other in College. Our youngest daughter who lives near here is one of the Housing Directors of University of Southern Florida. She is unmarried"
(What an interesting life you have had Betty Ruth and thank you for sharing it with us. I know Shauna Flynn has been in touch with you about the Brabazon Family Tree. Please keep in touch)
Chris Brabazon Snr. of Deltona Florida has become a regular correspondent with Shauna Flynn and me. Gradually the branch of the "Philly Brabs" is being put together.
Chris has had quite some positive responses to his idea of a Brabazon Reunion in Florida in 2007.
(Have you been in contact with him yet? - chris_carol@bellsouth.net)
So far I have had direct contact with the following members of "Philly" branch. I know there are more who will probably let me know that they wish their names to be included on the mailing list for the BHP BULLETINS.
Carmel Brabazon, Richard P Brabazon Jnr of Sewell New Jersey, Colleen Mellissa Brabazon of Winter Springs, Florida, Cathy Leid (Nee Brabazon) of Stevens, Pennsylvania, John and Linda Brabazon, Allison Medora (Nee Brabazon) of Glassboro, New Jersey, Patsy ? (Nee Brabazon), Patty Lord McKee (Nee Brabazon) soon to move to Boynton Beach, Florida and her daughter
Christine Brabazon Lord.
( What an amazing branch of the family - keep those responses coming please)

FROM QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Early in February I had a very happy and interesting lunch in Brisbane with five descendants of my Great -aunt Mary Violet Brabazon (1875-1948) They were Elizabeth (Pixie) Carvosso who was visiting from Melbourne, and her sister Jill Palm (nee Carvosso) with three McManus sisters, Genifer Hinton, Pamela Moore and Phillippa Booth who all live in this region. There are lots of chatter about family members and their activities, and the imminent visit of the Meaths whom they were looking forward to meeting again, or for the first time.
(Thanks to Jill for making the arrangements for that happy gathering)
It is a long time since I heard from Patricia Smith although we both live in Brisbane. Patty reminded me that "she is descended from Arthur Ellis who married Jane Brabazon, granddaughter of the Earl of Meath, in 1799. Their son, Philip Brabazon Ellis married Mary Nimmo and one of their sons, John James Robinson Dent Bell Ellis married Rose Markwell, daughter of William John Markwell and Georgina Edmondstone. John James E & Rose M had my grandfather Alexander Hugh Ellis who married Annie Josephine Ellis. Their second daughter, Dora Grace Ellis married William John Lergessner and I am the first born of that marriage. I married Charles David John Smith and we have three children: Charles, Carolyn & Laurelle."
(Thanks Patty for that update for the Ultimate Brabazon Family Tree - Shauna is very pleased to have it. I look forward to meeting you in March)

FROM STATES IN AUSTRALIA OTHER THAN IN QUEENSLAND
John Wild of Wodonga, Victoria wrote to announce with pride the arrival on 21 December 2005 of Xander Phillip Wild born to Lukas Wild and Rachel Johns.
(Great news - welcome to yet another Brabazon)
John wrote: "We have had a pretty good Christmas break. Mum (Lorna) keeps well and
I think appreciates having Rod and Lois (Wild) now living in the valley. Last week I took my son Toban and a group of his mates into the bush for a few days. On Friday afternoon I left them to go and have a night with Mum. Both Rod Wild and Greg Wild were there for tea too and for the first time for many years the three 'Wild' brothers were able to sit and chat (and demolish a cask of red wine.)"
I looked round at one stage and Mum was looking at us with a great big grin across her face. I think that made all of us feel pretty good. Mum is now 84. Still drives herself to Corryong a couple of times a week, lives by herself on the farm but her son Adrian Hogg, Jan and their kids keep a pretty close watch over things - call in at least a couple of times a day usually after they have finished milking"
John's mother Lorna Louisa Brabazon, later Wild and then Hogg (her first husband was killed in an accident on their farm) of Biggara,Victoria, was one of two children and vowed that when she grew up she would have a large family so they could be happy together. Lorna had eight children and John Wild, her eldest son who keeps in touch with me, gave me this information in 1991.
(I do enjoy hearing your family news John - and I know you enjoy hearing about other members of the Brabazon family - regards to your Mum in particular. I do have a bit of trouble keeping track of Lorna's grand-children and great grand-children. Maybe you could send me another family tree sometime, or send it to Shauna Flynn - you will earn a medal for that!)
Dorothy Morrison of Skye, Victoria was very concerned early in the year about the deteriorating health of her husband Vern. However, Dot made time to suggest that "family members might like to open the website http:/www.eppi.ac.uk - Enhanced Parliamentary Papers for Ireland. Click on "search" and "advanced search" for full documents. Type in the name, or townland, parish, county, Emigration etc. I put "Brabazon" and got about 150 entries"
(Later advice is that Vern died in mid February; I conveyed our condolences to Dot and her family)
Kevin Brabazon of Mandurah, Western Australia reported that he and Doris are both well and that he has up-graded to broadband. (I am sure you will enjoy it Kevin - I certainly do)
Beryl Hogan of Freemantle, also W.A. is another regular and helpful correspondent; she and Stuart were "OK" when I last heard from them. (Thanks Beryl for letting me know that Colin and Joyce Brabazon have moved from Albany - I hope to hear from them soon)

That's enough until after Easter. Cousinly love as usual Ann Shevill 18 February 2006