Rawson Family archive

Diary labelled "Shamrock Vale Diary 1871 by Rawson Brothers & James, Sleepy Hollow, Mackay, Queensland". Illustrated throughout with sketches in pen and ink.

Although the diary is not signed, it is believed that Charles Rawson was responsible for the entries accompanying them with humorous sketches detailing the daily occurrences of domesticity, their reactions to the 'wildlife', and the workings of a cattle property outside Mackay.

Diary labelled "The Hollow Log Book 1877". Elaborately illustrated throughout with sketches in pen and ink, it relates to the "The Hollow" cattle station at Port Mackay.

Although the diary is not signed, it is believed that Charles Rawson was responsible for the entries accompanying them with humorous sketches detailing the daily occurrences of domesticity, their reactions to the 'wildlife', and the workings of a cattle property outside Mackay.

Diary titled "Outward bound, voyage VII, S.S. Kaikoura", written on voyage from England to New Zealand, 9 March to 19 April 1907.

Diary titled "Homeward bound", written during a voyage from Wellington, New Zealand to England, 11 February to 17 March 1909.

Diary titled "Yet another voyage", written on board "Ruahine" on its trip back to Australia, 13 May to 5 July 1918. Typed copies.

The author is unknown, but from text can be identified as a member of the first AIF who had departed Sydney in August 1916, served in France during World War One, and who recognised men from the ships crew, with whom he had sailed previously: Mr Scott the Chief Engineer; Mr Malcolmson, Second Engineer; and Goddard, Chief Officer. Chaplain Captain Walton of the Riverina with whom he served in France; Captain (Doctor) Bellamy, a Brisbane surveyor Campbell-Wilson, friend of Tom Welsby and H.E. Macdermott of Mackay. The author is being repatriated home prior to the end of the war, having spent time at Harfield recuperating after being injured. The voyage took the troops via the Panama Canal and New Zealand before disembarking in Sydney.

Newspaper cuttings about the wreck of the 'Quetta' (1890) and the sinking of the 'Titanic' (1912), also an advertisement for a public lecture by Dr Frithof Nansen FRGS, on "The North Pole Expedition" 1892. Also included is an image of the ship 'S.S. Kaikoura'.

Letter written in Africans, from Hoogld Heer, Voorzitten van de S.A. 1st Volkssaad, Pretoria.

Letter from Lionel Rawson, in Belfast to his parents, who writes of his time in a Boer Laager, refering to his capture and imprisonment.

Rawson gives a full account of his activities of the past week having being captured by Boers at Swartz Kopes (13 February 1901), while tending a wounded man William Samuel Buchanan, along with Charles Bretheton Holme from Maryborough, Lachlan Chisholme Wilson a Brisbane barrister, and Doctor Matthews.

Letter written in three parts from Lionel Rawson, at Eldorado, Zimbabwe describing a game hunting expedition.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, at Swakopmund, German West Africa, to his parents.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, describing the desert conditions of his camp.

Letter dated 21 March 1915 written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents, with the news that he will be Commssioned.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents thanking them for their weekly parcels and describes the country as barren of vegetation with steep skree slopes.

Letter written by Major James Allin Methuen, Rhodesia Regiment to Charles Rawson, at Hampton advising that their son Lionel had been promoted Lieutenant, with the 1st Rhodesian Regiment.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents advising that they have moved to the advanced lines and are in touch with the German patrols.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents, describing the recent bombing raid on their camp, there were no casualties.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents. Their camp is 7 miles from a working copper mine near the Khan River, they were visited again by an enemy aircraft.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents, they continue to be under threat of air raids, and he was hit in the thigh with a shrapnel bullet but was not injured.

Letter dated written by Lionel Rawson, 1st Rhodesian Regiment, to his parents from the Prinzessin Hospital, Swakopmund, Namibia. He has been admitted for 'enteritis' and will soon be fit to rejoin his regiment.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, at Capetown to his parents. He has applied for a commission in the British Army but he was rejected on the grounds of 'dental deficiency' but hopes instead to be commissioned in the South African Expeditionary Force.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, No.1 Infantry Base Depot, Havre, France to his parents. He advises that he and Haynes have been posted to the 17th Infantry Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps and looks forward to some fighting very shortly.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC to his parents. They have been in the front line for 7 days and are now resting, it has been one continuous deafening roar of guns.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 6th KRRC to his nephew Gilbert Rawson, Charlesville, Sydney thanking him for his letter received while he was in hospital, and writes that he will shortly be returning to France to fight the Germans.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC to his father. They have been eleven days in the trenches and are now resting in their billets, much time is spent answering letters and writing to deceased men's relatives. The weather is wet and cold but everyone is cheery.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC to his parents. He writes from an enemy dugout and has seen some gruesome sights, villages where not one brick stands, and woods of shattered stumps.

One of two letters dated 12 October 1916 written by Lionel Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC, to each of his parents. He writes from a German dugout in the remains of a very historical village, and describes the scene as the 'unhealthies' on the face of the earth, with sights indescribable.

One of two letters dated 12 October 1916 written by Lionel Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC, to each of his parents. He writes from a German dugout in the remains of a very historical village, and describes the scene as the 'unhealthies' on the face of the earth, with sights indescribable.

Letter written by Lionel Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC to his parents. They have been much involved in operations in the past week, capturing an ememy lines thankful to have come out of it alive, he has been recommended for an award.

Letter of condolence dated 2 November 1916 written by Major The Honorable, John R Brownlow, 6th King's Royal Rifle Corps, to Lionel Rawson's mother, after hearing of her son's death. Copied with it is another written by E F Ward, 17th Infantry Battalion, KRFC advising Lionel Rawson's father of the death of his son, on the 23rd October.

Letter of condolence written by John Lamb, master at Highgate School to Mrs Rawson. The letter is accompanied by a note which reads "this letter was written by Lionel's Farm Master at Highgate School who had not heard of him for 22 years", below is a copy of the death notice for John Goodeve Lamb, who died in 1928.

Telegram of sympathy from the King and Queen of England to Lionel Rawson's parents expressing their regret at the death of their son.

Extract from 'London Gazette' dated 11 December 1916 detailing the award for consipicuous gallantry conferred upon their late son, then Lieutenant Lionel Rawson.

Letter from the War Office, London to Charles Rawson, Hampton forwarding the Military Cross, and a copy of the act of gallantry, awarded to their late son Captain Lionel Rawson.

Letter dated 15 August 1922 from the War Office, London to Charles Rawson, which accompanied the British War & Victory medals which would have been conferred upon their late son, Captain Lionel Rawson.

Newspaper clippings relating to Lionel R Rawson, 1915-1918

"After big game in Africa" typescript narrative by Lionel Rawson following his hunting expedition in 1913, Eldorado, Zimbabwe.

"My first elephant hunt" typescript narrative by Lionel Rawson following his hunting expedition in 1913, Eldorado, Zimbabwe.

Geoffrey Rawson's autograph book containing signatures of friends and family, as well as signatures of Australian Prime Ministers and politicians.

Geoffrey Rawson served with the 17th Infantry Battalion during the First World War, he married Charlotte Hill-Farrar in 1934.

Album of photographs compiled by Charles (Paddy) Stansfield Rawson (1872-1942). The eldest son of Charles and Winifred Rawson, he was an electrical engineer and one time manager of Siemens Australia. 

The album contains photographs of the Mackay area and Rawson family members.

Large format scrapbook into which have been pasted: photographs, postcards, ephemera, copies of letters, and watercolours of Mackay painted by Charles Collison Rawson. Included is a photograph possibly taken by Lewis Carrol.

Also included are: a studio portrait of Geoffrey Edmund Rawson, 17th Infantry Battalion, AIF; a studio portrait of 'Harry and Jack' Aboriginal men; views of North Queensland; gold cradling, Charters Towers; Harold Finch-Hatton; Lionel Rawson in South Africa.

Photograph album containing cartes-de-visite portraits of the Rawson Family.

Leather bound album with precut mounts, holding approximately 96 carte-de-viste portraits of members of the Rawson family; many have been captioned.

Leather bound photograph album with precut mounts, empty,  items have been rehoused.

Charles Stansfield Rawson photograph album / scrapbook containing images of 'The Hollow' & N.S.W. images.

This large album collated by Charles Stansfield Rawson, also known as Paddy, contains photographs, postcards, and newspaper cuttings. The material covers views of the Mackay region, Sydney Harbour, Brisbane and other country towns. Included are images of crowds at the Brisbane Exhibition; Habana Sugar Mill, Mackay; views from One Tree Hill, Mt Coot-tha; Baynes Brothers Meat Works; Ithaca Creek, scenes showing the departure of 1st Queensland Contingent to Sth Africa per 'SS Cornwall', 1899; Burleigh Heads, 'Glencosy' Villiers Street, Brisbane; vessels on Moreton Bay; Pioner River, Mackay. Many images have captions.

Charles Rawson photograph album

This large leather bound album, contains images of 'The Hermitage' and 'Winterbourne Station', as well as: 'The Hollow'; Mount Spencer Station (Finch-Hatton); members of the Finch-Hatton family; Hamilton Station, Pioneer River; 'The Nyth'; River Estate Sugar Mill (John Spiller); South Sea Islanders at Fulden Sugar Mill; Fursden (property); Foulden Sugar Mill; Pleystowe Sugar Plantation and Mill; South Sea Islanders pictured with the schooner 'Mystery'; Hospital, Mackay; Balnagawan Station (John Mackay); Huntley Downs; Aboriginal group posing in sugar-cane field; Alfred Romilly and horse; Cook's Royal Hotel, Mackay; punt/ferry over Logan River; Bromelton; Cooktown [sketch]; Mount Dalrymple Expedition party; Plane Creek Station (Henry Bell); Jolimont Station (Macartney); Stanthorpe Church and School (slab construction); "The Cedars Estate"; Miclere Sugar Mill; 'Bronzewing' vessel.

Large album containing photographs of people and places in England and Australia relating to the Rawson Family.

Images relating to Australia include: Thomas Alford, of Mondure; Mr Donelly, at Gayndah; Carden Collins, Archibald 'Sandy' Archer, Richard Newton, [folio 139]; Lionel Rice, Henry S Finch-Hatton, G Turner & C Knight, of Mount Spencer [folio 145]; John Bligh, Brothers Berkley and Sermour Moreton, Reggy and W H Holt [folio 149]; B.M. Pocklington, Joseph Holmes, John Ewen Davidson, E.B. Kennedy 'Planter boys' [folio 175]; McDonald of Bomelton, Jack Gosling, John Reid of Camboon; Frederick Bryant [folio 177]; Members of the old Mackay Turf Club, named are: Shiels, Dr McBurney, Charles Rawson, Binney, Bob Martin, Conner, Edmund Rawson [folio 189] also [folio 216] group on 'The Nyth' verandah including members of the Rawson family, Henry Finch-Hatton and others; [folio 217] group on Mt Spencer verandah, with Henry Finch-Hatton, W & G Crake and others [folio 219]; Bowen Downs Station, Thomson River [folio 232]; Kalonga Station, 1860 including Aboriginal men and women [folio 234]; Aboriginal men and women, Walla Station, near Bundaberg [folio 235]; studio portrait of 'Australian Aborigine' Mr Pompey [folio 242]; Queen's Hotel, Mackay.

Album containing photographs of members of the Rawson family and friends primarily in England. One series of images show floods at Hampton Court in 1904; there are also several early photographs of Brisbane, and the Brisbane River; Christchurch and Littleton, New Zealand; family pets; and photographs of a 303 Maxim gun for Mule Battalions.

The photographs are albumen prints, salted paper prints and cyanotypes.

Leather covered album containing photographs of members of the Rawson family and friends. The photographs which are both carte-de-viste and cabinet-card format have been inserted into a display album of thick cardboard pages with gilt edges. The pages have precut inserts for the photographic cards, some are colourfully decorated with floral arrangements.

Handwritten notes in the albums are as follows:
Inserted at folio [page] 3: Winifred Rawson (nee Harrison), Charles Rawson's wife.
Inserted at folio [page] 5: Charles and Winifred Rawson's children, top left: Harry, died as an infant, buried at 'The Hollow'; top right: Lionel, bottom left: Charles; botton right: [also] Charles.
Inserted at folio [page] 7: Winnifred and Charles Rawson, with Lionel & Charles Stansfield, born at 'The Hollow'
Inserted at folio [page] 33: Charles Collinson Rawson, 'The Hollow' Mackay

Photographs of members of the Rawson family, Mackay locals, and the Rawson family home in England.

Images include carte-de-vistes of Edmund Rawson, Decima Rawson, R. Wilson, Baron Toussaint, Oscar de Satze and his wife, Captain W T Waron, Mr Dalrymple, Marion Dalrymple, Frank Kinchant, Hoppy Toussant, J.D. Parson, Benjamin Rawson Currer, A R Mackean, H M Boag, Paddy Shields, R J Shields with H W Antill, Eleanor Rice, Margaret Decima Rawson, Frank Rawson, Lionel K Rice, Harry Rawson's gravesite, Una Bella Rawson (Muffet), Guy age 6 with Una (Muffet) age 5, Frank age 10 and Winnie age 3; Lance Rawson; Winifred Grace Rawson (Betty); Charles Collinson Rawson with an early walking frame.

Loose page from photograph album, showing two studio portraits of brothers Charles and Edmund Rawson, taken 50 years apart - one in 1855 the other in 1905, mounted side by side, in almost identical poses.

Portraits composed and taken at Charles Brett's Studios, Hampton, England.

Large format studio portrait of members of the Rawson family, undated.

A scene on the Pioneer River, Queensland with a family group in a row boat, a homestead can be viewed on the opposite bank, undated.

This item contains significantly early images taken of members of the Rawson family, which include: one glass lantern slide, two daguerrotype and four ambrotype photographs.

• Daguerrotype photograph of one of the Rawson brothers, seated with a cane. The item is encased in a hinged leather and wood frame with red lining.
• Hand-coloured ambrotype of an elderley gentleman, seated, wearing a large medal and sash.
• Daguerreotype portrait of a female wearing a shawl and an elaborate necklate. The item is encased in a wooden and leather frame.
• Ambrotype image of one of the Rawson brothers. The item is mounted in a gold metal frame and includes a cloth sleeve for housing.
• Ambrotype image of Charles Collison Rawson age 17, taken in 1857 the day he landed in Australia. Description supplied.
• Ambrotype image of Charles and Edmond Rawson, most likely to have been taken in Australia in 1857 shortly after their arrival. The item is mounted in a gold metal frame.
• Glass lantern slide of Charles Collison Rawson with an early mechanical walking frame, 1898

Large format scrapbook containing photographs, newspaper cuttings, ephemera. The material covers Rawson family photographs, the First World War and English views.

Large fabric covered scrapbook containing souvenirs, photographs, newspaper cuttings, and other ephemera relating to members of the Rawson family, the First World War, and general news.

Spiral bound scrapbook containing photographs, newspaper cuttings, postcards, letters and ephemera, relating to the career of Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931).

Scrapbook in the form of a ruled exercise-book, titled 'Rawsons Lakemba' containing photographs, newspaper cuttings, and ephemera which relates to members of the Rawson family who lived at Lakemba, south west Sydney, NSW.

Scrapbook containing newspaper cuttings and ephemera. The material relates to Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair (1864-1958) senior Royal Navy officer and later Governor of New South Wales; also includes loose pages.

Volume of comprehensive handwritten notes on the history of the Rawson family. Titled: Christmas 1921. Memorandum of our family & the Rawsons. Included are several loose notes and a sketch of the Rawson coat of arms, with a dedication 'To Daddy' ...1928. The work includes an extensive family tree which is headed by Richard Rawson of Dungworth Storrs, died before 1476.
 

Rawson family history notes in a ruled notebook, which includes loose pages.

Notebook of handwritten notes relating to the Rawson family history. Included is a loose photograph of an English village.