My Family
Worimi, Guringai & Biripi people of the Gathang Language
Family historian, story teller and visual artist
My dad Barry Syron & I
Family Historian & Artist
I was born at Bulahdelah in 1971, I have always had a strong sense and awareness of family and what nature has to offer. Nana Syron's house at the end of Prince Street was a stream of cousins and visitors. Our favourite place to sit was the front veranda looking up at Bulahdelah Mountain. Nan would start yarning about the old days and telling us stories about the old people, my great great grandparents, my great uncles and aunties, all who had left this earth long before I was born.
Nan would yarn about her memories like they were only yesterday. It was these years of funny and have to say interesting conversations that I developed a strong interest in our family tree.You can find me on Ancestry.com my public handle is paulinesyroncoxon582833.
Being creative has always been my kind best friend, it's like a journey for me as I actually never know where the painting will go. I feel my ancestors and spirit guides around during the process, and they do have a lot of input into the designs and colours. So for my artistic process family tree and creative arts go hand in hand. Its a sense of place, a sense of time, and a connection to country.
Robert & Eileen Syron Family from Bulahdelah
A story of resilience
My dad Barry Syron was the 3rd youngest of 16 Children from his parents Bob and Eileen Syron. Dad was one of nine boys. Pop died in 1960 and Nan was left to raise the children alone at her little home in Bulahdelah.
The Nana Syron Bridge on the Myall River at Bulahdelah is named after her life time achievements to the community of Bulahdelah, Nan welcomed everyone and looked after and raised a lot of children.
Nan was born Eilleen Cook and was raised by her grandparents Jack Cook and Jessie Brumy up in mountains of Barrington. Eilleen married Robert Syron in Gloucester in 1927, my father Barry was born in Gloucester in 1946. The family later returned to the farm at Minimbah were Pop family lived including his mother Susan Clarke and his sister Nora Syron, on a nearby farm. In late1950's, Robert & Eileen moved to Bulahdelah as pop got a job working on the roads and they bought a house at the end of Prince St Bulahdelah, my parents Barry and Clare Syron still live in my grandparents original home.
Image Credit: Background Art supplied by Uncle Gordon Syron for purpose of family history. Painting is Minimbah Wildflowers and Fairies.
Clarke Family
Biripi Mob of Manning River & the Wallaba Minimbah District
Pop, Bob Syron was one of eleven children to his mother Susan, a Biripi and Worimi woman from the original Cape Hawk Forster Blaks Camp, Susan later moved to the Coolongolook river up stream from Forster, living in a cottage by the river at Minimbah. Grandma married the son of an Irish convict Dan Syron, however she lived most of life separated and focusing on raising her family.
GrandMa as she was referred to, was very close to her father Bob Clarke, he was a traditional Biripi man from the Manning river, Bob married a Worimi woman Susanah Mayers from Bungwhal. The Mayers family have a strong history in the Bungwhal district with Mayers Flat and Mayers Point being named after the English Convict Thomas Mayers.
Thomas Mayers married a Worimi woman Mary Anne Perry, at Raymond Terrace in 1832 who is our oldest recorded apical ancestor. According to Mary Anne Perry Death certificate she was born in 1812 at Nobbys Head Land Newcastle, to an unknown full blood Worimi woman who had no English name but was from the southern Worimi Clans. Maryanne's father was an English soldier John Perry and Maryanne was raised in the colony.
It is thought that Thomas Mayers who became a well known hands on healer and bone setter learnt his craft from the Worimi People. After Thomas and Maryanne wedding they settled and founded the Bungwhal community, with a monument dedicated to his achievements in the town.
Cook Family of the Barrington
Guringai people Place of Snow
Nana Syron, was born Eileen May Cook in Barrington in 1911. Nana was the 2nd eldest daughter to Maggie Cook, her older sister Jessie Cook (Jessie Ping - Karuah) was her closest and loved sibling. Both girls were raised by their grandparents Jessie Brummie pictured standing wearing a white bonnet and grandfather Jack Cook, pictured as the elderly man standing on the far right of the photo. Nan's older aunties Susie Aspinal and Jessie Martin also lent a hand to raise Jessie & Eileen. Nans mother Maggie Cook had 8 children and settled in Burnt Bridge Kempsey after her marriage to William Ritchie. It would be many years later that nan would be reunited with her other siblings.
This photo was taken of the Cook family around 1880 at their hut near the Barrington River, and our family are recognised as the Guringai people of the Gathang language speakers. It was from the newspaper interviews with Jack Cook, traditional name Mullakut - Lightning, that we have such a comprehensive knowledge of the Gathang language.
The Barrington is a source of the Manning River, Biripi country and the source of the Karuah River, Worimi Country. The Barrington is Guringai Country that has deep connections to the Biripi and Worimi waters, land and people. The Gathang language is spoken by the Biripi, Worimi and Guringai people, I am a descendant from all three clans of the Ghathang language speakers.
