The sad news of Marianne’s passing, has been forwarded on to us from Rosemary Kopittke at the Queensland Family History Society. As she knew Marianne very well, it was appropriate that she write a few words …
Vale, Marianne Eastgate, who passed away this morning, Sunday, 5 September 2010. Since joining the Queensland Family History Society in 1979, Marianne has been stalwart of the Society fulfilling many roles – she never lost her enthusiasm for family history and history in general [Queensland FHS on Sunday 5 September]
Professionally Marianne was a Librarian and a Research Agent (a member of AAGRA) – the Queensland FHS library started in her office at Griffith University. She made numerous contributions to Queensland FHS and other groups in an administrative capacity and as a mentor.
At Queensland FHS, Marianne was member number 53 – she held the office of President from 1983 to 1986 (the second president of the society). Her interests were wide ranging – at her death she was a current member of the Management Committee, editor of the Queensland Family Historian (which recently received the Nick Vine Hall Award for best journal for 2010 for a society with over 500 members), library assistant and co-ordinator of QFHS’s internet sales.
As well, she was an enthusiastic contributor to the publications program – apart from contributing jointly to many indexing projects her major focus was on Queensland records prior to separation from New South Wales. Her publications included the Pre-Separation Index of Moreton Bay 1824-1859, Moreton Bay Supreme Court Records 1857-59, Miscellaneous Records of the Moreton Bay Region 1855-59, Index to Queensland Land Records 1856-59, and Index to Supreme Court Brisbane Originating Summonses 1901-1906. Those involved with the publication of Queensland Founding Families appreciated her significant work as an editor – it recently received the Gold Award at the Queensland National Trust Heritage Awards in the Community Category. At the time of her death she was working on an index to seamen.
Her contributions were recognised locally with the Queensland FHS Award for Services to Family History in 1990 and, on the wider scene, in 1991 at the Tasmanian Congress with the AFFHO Award for Meritorious Service to Family History.
Outside Queensland FHS she had many interests – to name a few, she was a past treasurer for the Queensland Historians Institute; she published articles on Brigadier North and the Defence of North Queensland, Francis North MLC (1811-1864), and Francis Roger North (in Australian Dictionary of Biography); she was a volunteer at the Queensland State Archives; was involved with indexing Anglican Church records and was a keen lawn bowler at the Newmarket Bowls Club.
Her expertise and wise counsel will be sorely missed – I appreciated her as a friend and a colleague.
Rosemary Kopittke
Queensland FHS
Thank you to Rosemary for taking the time to write a few words to honour a friend and colleague. She will be missed in the Australian genealogy community.
I too will miss Marianne – my former boss in our days at Griffith Library and the main instigator of my passion for family history…
I will miss her generosity and enthusiasm, and her expectations of excellence in whatever she was involved with, be it her work or her dedication to all things historical.
I have a great deal to thank her for and much that I owe her for encouraging on ongoing interest in family and history that will keep me absorbed for a lifetime of learning as well.
Milli Kafcaloudis
Librarian
Genealogy Sunshine Coast
Today I left a message with Griffith library as to where I would be able to contact Marianne. Sadly I have only just now found That Marianne has passed away. Maryanne wrote the biography of Francis North MLA .. I am the great great grandson of Francis North and Margaret Elizabeth North (nee Glissan). I have been able to locate my GG parents burial sites. Currently, I am constructing a more recent update of the North Family. This is being done with the intent of passing on to our remaining children and grandchildren their family heritage. While I recognise the passing of Maryanne, I notice that she was a researcher of other family members of the North family. I am interested in the titles that relate to the North family and would be grateful to receive a listing of the titles Maryanne worked on and whether they are able to be purchased. I have also bought the biography of Francis North MLA some considerable time ago. I am also interested in the organisations that Maryanne was affiliated with respect to family histories. This interest is with a view to membership. Currently I am attempting to discover when my maternal grandmother Sarah North(nee Moore ) arrived from Northern Ireland. Being a UK citizen she would have a birth record and some documentation regarding her passage to Australia somewhere about 1911 to 1902. She married Francis North’s grandson Arthur Francis North in 1915. My mother was born in 1919. My grandmothers arrival date, disembarkation location and any other documents are proving difficult to find.
However, I cannot but admire Maryanne’s accuracy and attention to historical detail as applied to the Francis North biography. Any advice you are able to supply will be gratefully received.
Kindest Regards, Selwyn