This Category includes published and unpublished works from the THS Reference Library that are family histories and biographies of people associated with the Toodyay district. Some are quite old and rare works that we are fortunate to have been given by family descendants.
| Author / Compiler | Title | Publication Details | Notes |
| Anketell, Judith | Walker in the wilderness: the life of R.J. Anketell / Judith Anketell. Limited ed. | Carlisle, W.A.: Hesperian Press, 1998. | 179 p.: ill., maps, bib. Index. Anketell surveyed the rabbit-proof fence and the East-West railway line about the time of C.Y. O’Connor. |
| Brennan, Tony | Fortune favours the brave: the life and times of Peter & Patience Brennan and their descendants in Western Australia / by Tony Brennan. | [T. Brennan?] (Printed by Picton Press), 2006. | 164 p.: ill., maps. No index. Main Toodyay connection is Chapter 7 on James Brennan, who married Catherine Bourke and farmed at ‘Ballan Vane’, Nunyle, and also farmed at Calcarra, near Wyening. |
| Brennan, Wendy (comp.) | Donegan history: [Donegan family history collection]. | Unpublished. [ca1996?] | Two volumes, display books: text, press cuttings, family trees, copies of birth certificates and other documents plus photos loose in envelope. Donegan, Brennan and Reardon family history. |
| Brodie, Pam | Coorinja: Wood of the vine / Pam Brodie; researched and compiled by Jacqui Graham. | Dalyellup, WA: P. Brodie, 2019. | ii, 134 p.: ill, maps, bib. No index. Family history of the Wood family, at the Coorinja Winery at Toodyay. |
| Chidlow, Sylvia | The story of William Chidlow / this was researched and written by Sylvia Chidlow. | Sylvia Chidlow? 1979. | 17 p. Indexed by THS. Self-published booklet. Chidlows of Springfield, Northam. |
| Cockman, Margaret J. | Cockman family heritage, 1829-2004. | Wanneroo, WA: M. J. Cockman, [2004] | [6], 141, [25] p.: ill. Index to names. A Cockman married a Donegan. |
| Cook, S. C. (Sam C.) | My life with bees / S.C. Cook; edited by W. Cook. Wordprocessing by my niece Jenni…”. | [Perth, WA: S.C. Cook], Dec. 1989. | 42 l.: ill. No index |
| Criddle, Roy | William and Elizabeth Criddle: alternatives at Swan River. | Cloverdale WA: Educant, 2002. | 137 p.: ill. |
| Davey, Murray, 1949- | The Daveys of the Avon Valley: Henry Davey and Jane Marchant and their descendants in the Swan River Colony / researched and written by Murray Davey. | Karrinyup, W.A.: M. Davey, 2016. | 124 p.: ill. No index. First published 2016 in a limited edition for family members. |
| Delfos, Johanna A. | Industrious by nature / by Johanna A. Delfos. | J. Delfos (self-published & printed), 2001. | 106 p.: ill. No index. Family farm at Jingaling Brook. Scanned from Toodyay Library copy, 2011. Unable to obtain an original copy. Out of print. |
| Demasson, Lavinia Marianne | A story of the Demason [sic] family: as told by Lavinia Marianne Demason [sic], 1943 / written at the request of Mrs Tyndall for Gloria Wroth. | Unpublished.[1943 or later] | 16 leaves (typescript): ill. |
| Drake-Brockman, Robert James | The sage of the Drake-Brockman family: the memoires of Robert James Brockman. | Unpublished. 1975-1977. | 1 vol (unpaged, bound): ill. |
| Erickson, Rica, 1908-2009. | The Dempsters / by Rica Erickson. | Nedlands, WA: University of Western Australian Press, 1978. | 297 p.: ill., bib. Index. Avon Valley families. |
| Erickson, Rica, 1908-2009. | The Drummonds of Hawthornden / by Rica Erickson. | Osborne Park, W.A.: Lamb Paterson, 1969. | 183 p.: ill, maps, bib. Index. |
| Erickson, Rica, 1908-2009. | The misfortunes of Phoebe / by Rica Erickson. | Carlisle WA: Hesperian Press, 1997. | 146 p.: ill., maps, bib. Index. Biography of Phoebe Morgan (1835-1889) who volunteered to sail to Australia and joined the goldrush in the Eastern States. Some of her children eventually settled in W.A. |
| Family reflections: Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc. silver anniversary anthology / edited by Lorely A. Morling. | Bayswater WA: Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc., [2004] | 164 p.: ill., bib. Index. Includes information relating to Toodyay families. | |
| Foulkes-Taylor, Daphne | Hamersley: from the old iron chest / researched, co-ordinated and compiled by Daphne Foulkes-Taylor. | Bunbury, W.A.: D. Foulkes-Taylor, 1996. | 234 p.: ill., map, bib. Photo list. No index. Includes families in the Avon District eg those at property Hasely, north of Toodyay. |
| Giblett, Ronald Alan | Eastward to the Avon / family documents collected and researched by Ronald A. Giblett. Part II to IV script only written by Colleen O’Grady. | Forrestfield, W.A.: R.A. Giblett, [1993] | 220 p.: ill., bib. Index. Index. Mentions Northam, York, Toodyay. |
| Goodacre, Jan | From: Warmstone Waddesdon, To: Western Australia: “A humble beginning” / by Jan Goodacre. | Assume unpublished. [No date, pre 1992] | 363 p.: ill. Typescript. Inner title page: A history of James Hitchcock: pioneer settler to the Swan River Settlement, 1842. Includes Toodyay families. Hitchcock sisters Sarah Beardman, Susannah Doust and Mary Anne James are buried in Toodyay. |
| Graham, William | The story of my life / William Graham. | Self-published, 1980. | 32 leaves (2 pages per leaf) (bound photocopy): ill. Includes his time working at Industrial Extracts (1948-1969) and living in Toodyay (eg Cascades) until 1977. |
| Hancock, Dennis | Buckland, Irishtown, Northam, Western Australia 6401: the history of an Avon Valley homestead. | South Scarbourough WA: Hancock Media Relations, [1983] | [20] p.: ill. No index. About the Dempster family. |
| Hasluck, Alexandra, 1908-1993. | Portrait with background: a life of Georgiana Molloy. | Melbourne Vic: Oxford University Press, 1955. | 284 p.: ill., map, bib. Index. Connection with Toodyay is the Turner/Green/Whitfield/McDermott link |
| Hasluck, Alexandra, 1908-1993. | Unwilling emigrants: a study of the convict period in Western Australia / by Alexandra Hasluck. | Fremantle, WA: Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1991. | 165 p.: ill., map. Index. Story of convict William Sykes, who lived and died in Newcastle (Toodyay), WA. First pub. 1959 by OUP, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Henshaw, Allan | Service, summits and sunshine. | Toodyay, WA: Allan Henshaw, 2013. | 262 p.: ill., map. No index. Autobiography. Allan Henshaw – RAF, mountaineer, emigrated to Australia 1993, settled in Toodyay, became Shire President. |
| Humphreys, Laurie, 1933- | A chip off what block?: a child migrant’s tale. | Samson, W.A.: L. Humphreys, 2007. | 155 p.: ill. No index. Laurie worked at the Power House in Toodyay 1950-1951 and worked around the area (Goomalling, Gumley’s Koojedda Mill) for some time after that. |
| Jefferys, Anne & Scotter, Shirley | “The Grange”, Irwin, Western Australia: a brief history. | [WA]: Irwin District Historical Society Inc., 2013. | 72 p.: ill. No index. Covers S.P. Phillips family and Culham. |
| Keighery, Bronwen | Sharing a wonderful dream: Rica Erickson: an exhibition at the Alexander Library Building, September 2 to October 8 1991. | [Perth, W.A.]: Wildflower Society of W.A. Inc., 1991. | 20 p.: ill, bib.”The development of Rica Erickson as a gifted self taught naturalist as interpreted by Bronwen Keighery from a series of interviews” – p. 2 |
| King, Barbara | Through the seventh gate: a story of the McDermott. Turner and Whitfield families, 1829-1993. | Scarborough WA: B. King, [1993 or 1994] | 158 p.: ill. No index. |
| Kingston, Harold (comp.) | Kingston: a family history, 1821-1981 / compiled by Harold Kingston. | Unpublished, 1981. | 1 vol. (unpaged): ill. No index. Reference print from digital copy. |
| Lee, Gordon | My serve / Gordon Lee. | East Fremantle WA: G. Lee, 2019. | 176 p.: ill. Information on Toodyay on p.16-19, 21-22, with photo. (Index in process). (THS has more photos) |
| Lee-Steere, Ernest, Sir, 1912-2011 | Be fair and fear not: an autobiography. | Cottesloe, WA: E. Lee-Steere, 1995. | 325 p.: ill. Little directly on Toodyay; some mention of 10th Light Horse, and large sections on horse-breeding at Hawthornden with particular reference to Joe Broderick. |
| Lord, Elaine, 1933- | In search of William Lord / compiled by Elaine Lord. | Morley, WA: E. Lord, 1992. | 76 leaves: ill., maps, bib. Discovering the true identity of convict William Thompson, perhaps William Lord and William Ford. Joan Cook (nee Lord) is a descendent. A Lord married a Ralph. |
| Lord, Elaine, 1933- | Ralphs of Bejoording and Toodyay from 1860 / compiled by Elaine Lord from information told to her by Ada Amelia Butler born 1906. | Morley, WA: E. Lord, 1991. | 74 leaves: ill., maps. |
| Macpherson, R. W. (Robert William), 1938- | Macphersons and the Macknoes in Western Australia: a personal family history of R.W. Macpherson, 54 George Road, Lesmurdie WA 6076 Australia. | [Lesmurdie, W.A.]: R.W. Macpherson, 1994. | 9, 8, 9, 12, 12 p., [3] p. of plates: ill., maps, bib. |
| Markey, Douglas, Dr. | Christopher Markey: an unfortunate life? / researched and compiled by Dr Douglas C. Markey. | Unpublished, 2009? | 24 leaves. |
| Markey, Hilda | Hilda Markey / transcript of interview with Jan Goodacre, 21.1.1981. | 1981. | 19 p. Family life of Markeys and Strahans at Jumperdine; training as a nurse. |
| Marwick, Bill | The Marwicks of York. | [Wangara, WA]: B. Marwick, 2011. | 176 p.: ill., bib. Names index |
| Murphy, Lyle V. | A century of Reardons / by Lyle V. Murphy. | Oaklands Park SA: Nubis 9, 1996. | 96 p.: ill., map. Indexes. Expiree Timothy Reardon was a shoemaker in Newcastle; Toodyay-Northam-York connections. |
| Pashley, A.R. (Don), 1927-2002. | A colonial pioneer: the life and times of John Nicol Drummond, policeman, magistrate, pastoralist. | Cloverdale WA: Educant, 2002. | 115 p.: ill., plan. No index. |
| Quin, Rod | The life and times of John Beazley, 1840-1912: a Western Australian story / Rod Quin. | [Perth, WA]: RQA Publishing, 2020. | 47 p.: ill., maps, bib. No index. |
| Robinson, Peter (comp) | Toodyay families, 1836-1900. | Unpublished, 2018? | 4 comb-bound volumes. Alphabetical list of information from Bicentennial dictionaries, Ancestry and Electoral rolls. Limited no. of copies |
| Russo, George | Lord Abbot of the wilderness: the life and times of Bishop Salvado. | Melbourne, Vic: Polding Press, 1980. | 299 p.: ill, bib. Index. |
| Scott, Barbara | Winning & losing: a biography of Jack O’Neill MC. | N.P.: eText Publishing, 2014. | 205 p.: ill. No index. Time spent in Wongamine. |
| Seal, Graham, 1950- | These few lines: a convict story: the lost lives of Myra & William Sykes / Graham Seal. | Sydney, N.S.W.: ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2006. | 236 p.: ill., bib. Sykes lived and and died at Newcastle, WA. |
| Toodyay Districts World War I service people. Book 1, A-L. | Toodyay, WA: Newcastle Gaol Museum & Shire of Toodyay, 2016. | 175 leaves: ill. Limited edition for reference purposes only. Compiled by Beth Frayne and the Shire of Toodyay Museum, collating information mainly from the UNSW’s First AIF Database. Produced in conjunction with the Museum’s Remembering Them exhibition in 2016. | |
| Toodyay Districts World War I service people. Book 2, M-Z. | Toodyay, WA: Newcastle Gaol Museum & Shire of Toodyay, 2016 | 1 vol.(comb-bound) Limited edition for reference purposes only. Compiled by Beth Frayne and the Shire of Toodyay Museum, collating information mainly from the UNSW’s First AIF Database. Produced in conjunction with the Museum’s Remembering Them exhibition in 2016. | |
| Trendos, Julie | Horace Charles Wood: pioneer’s son / Julie Trendos. | [WA]: J. Trendos, [2019] | 240 p.: ill, maps. No index. Horace C. Wood and family of Coorinja Winery, Toodyay. |
| Wilson, Dorothy Wood | Daughter of the pioneers: a story of courage, success and love / Dorothy Wood Wilson. | [Kalamunda, WA]: D.W. Wilson, c1987. | 88 p.: ill. Dorothy’s grandfather arrived in Fremantle in 1862 as a Pensioner Guard. Her father was William Thomas Wood, who took over Coorinja Vineyard in 1919. Dorothy’s brother Horace took over Coorinja in 1922. The family connection with the vineyard continues today, through Horace’s son Hector. |