Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

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Aliballibee
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Penicuik, Nr Edinburgh

Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Aliballibee » Sat May 05, 2012 10:58 pm

Hi

My mother's best friend and chief bridesmaid emmigrated to Australia with her family as a "£10 pom".

Up until this year she received a Christmas card and family letter; but nothing arrived this year.

We had a family home address and phone number but the number now seems to be out of service and no response to mail.

I've tried "White Pages", looked on Facebook for children of the correct age and even emailed a local Australian MP - all without success.

We think she is probably deceased, hope she may have simply moved, but any way of searching from the UK? I've noted comments on other threads relating to the Australian Electoral Roll - can this be accessed from the UK?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Alan

Alan SHARP
Posts: 612
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:41 pm
Location: Waikato, New Zealand

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Alan SHARP » Sat May 05, 2012 11:04 pm

Greetings from NZ.

As the lady in question may have only moved into a rest home, why not try the neighbours. If the contact address has been the same for a while, it is now possible to Google and "see" the address and neighbouring dwellings. Choose a likely one and post a letter "c/- the house holder number XXX and see what happens.

Alan SHARP.

trish1
Posts: 1320
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:38 am
Location: australia

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by trish1 » Sun May 06, 2012 3:47 am

Hi Alan

This is a good reference for death/funeral notices - majority from Sydney Morning Herald in NSW - but many other newspapers are covered
http://www.ryersonindex.org/
Many newspapers now have death notices online - so if you'd like to give a location - or google you may find other possibilities

The state library in the appropriate state may also be able to assist (they all have an "ask a librarian" service).

Electoral rolls available online (ancestry) only go to 1980s.

Trish

Alan SHARP
Posts: 612
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:41 pm
Location: Waikato, New Zealand

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Alan SHARP » Sun May 06, 2012 11:09 am

Greetings again.

I dont know if there is a similar web site in Australia but this NZ site claims to capture 99% of all [recently deceased] published local death notices.

If I'm contacted by phone, about an out of town death, and wish to see the "local" newspaper announcement, it's the site I go to.

http://www.amemorytree.co.nz/aboutus.php

Alan SHARP.

Aliballibee
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Penicuik, Nr Edinburgh

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Aliballibee » Sun May 06, 2012 11:16 am

Thanks for the quick responses - much appreciated.

We did "google street view" her house to let mum see where her friend lived, so there are houses either side of the property - never thought of writing to them :D

Will also have a look through the link to the papers.

Many thanks


Alan

Alan SHARP
Posts: 612
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:41 pm
Location: Waikato, New Zealand

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Alan SHARP » Sun May 06, 2012 11:30 am

Best of luck with the post.

When I discovered that an address for a house called "Flowerbank" at Roseneath, Dunbartonshire, in a NZ marriage notification of 1860 was still valid today, I mailed off a letter, and had an email reply about a week later. Postage was only 3x our local mail rate, but the letter went half way around the world to be delivered.

Heres hoping you have similar luck.

Alan SHARP.

Aliballibee
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Penicuik, Nr Edinburgh

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Aliballibee » Sat Jun 16, 2012 10:39 am

Hello all,

I thought I would provide an update on my search after receiving such helpful suggestions.

I wrote to the neighbours on either side of the address we had and received a lovely email this morning from one of the families. Sadly it was not good news, as the lady in question had indeed passed away, but I now have an email address for her daughter and my my mum can send her a message of condolence.

Thanks again for the assistance.

Kind regards


Alan

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Currie » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:22 pm

Thanks for the update Alan, and it's good that things went reasonably well.

All the best,
Alan

Alan SHARP
Posts: 612
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:41 pm
Location: Waikato, New Zealand

Re: Finding people in Australia - maybe recently deceased

Post by Alan SHARP » Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:09 pm

Greetings again Aliballibee.

You could call this, the thread of the "Alan's"

It's pleasing to see, that the OLD postal system still has it's uses, and you, like me, were able to make contact through it.

As in this case, neighbours can be a mine of information. Though on one hand the info you got, was sad for your Mother, on the other, you now have contact with the next generation to share info with, about your Mother and her good friend.

Alan SHARP.