If you wish to learn more about the history of the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Apple Country Fair that followed, then come along to the Orange and District Historical Society's next meeting to be held at the Gladstone Hotel, Orange, Wednesday 27 January at 7pm for 7.30pm. For some time the Society has been researching this fascinating festival history and is busy compiling a list of Cherry Blossom Queens. The evening includes supper and cost is $5 for non-members and $3 for members. Please RSVP to Phil Stevenson on 0402 412 188 to attend. Pictured is 1959 Cherry Blossom Queen Miss Marlene Sands.

Orange & District Historical Society is hosting a meeting about the Mining and Social History of Junction Reefs and Burnt Yards on Tuesday 27th October 2009 at 7pm Gladstone Hotel, Orange. Intereste people are most welcome to come along. Little known today, the dam and gorge on the Belubula river at Junction reefs 50 km south of Orange was the scene of sustained mining for over 100 years. Gold was discovered in 1870 By Martin Sheahan where the Mandurama Ponds creek meets the Belubula river. Companies were formed soon after and the Sheahan family remained associated with one of the mines until 1960. There were numerous other companies and the very fine nature of the gold tested all of their ingenuity in its separation from the parent rock. It was necessary to grind the ore to a very fine state which in turn required a great amount of power. Wood fired steam engines supplied most of this power but some companies made use of the special features of the site namely a good dam site and large drop in the river height to setup hydro and hydro- electric power sources for their crushers and mills. Leaching processes involving first chlorine and then cyanide were also adopted at an early stage. Companies came and went and droughts and depressed prices brought operations to a halt from time to time. The last mining to be done was by Climax Mining ending in the early 1990's but the area is still held under exploration licence.

We have a great line up of speakers; Peter Schmich of Orange will speak on the geology and nature of the gold mineralisation. John Campbell of Carcoar, sho was chemical engineer with Climax mining will speak on the processes used to crush mill and leach the ore. Des Green of Burnt yards /Errowanbang will speak on the villages and land settlement that went with the mines, the surrounding agriculture, and various government closer settlement schemes. The meeting will take place at the Gladstone Hotel function room at 7 for 7.30pm. There is a small charge of $3 for members of Orange and District Historical Society and $5 for non-members, to cover costs. Light refreshments will be served. If you have any inquiries or would like to attend the meeting, please RSVP to Phil Stevenson on 6362-3257.

The Society of Australian Genealogists, in association with Central West Libraries, is hosting a two-day family history seminar at the Orange Civic Theatre Forum on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.

If your ancestors were 'black sheep' - divorced, destitute, or spent time in gaol or an asylum, they probably left behind a wonderful paper trail. Guest speakers include Christine Yeats, Manager Public Access State Records NSW on records of local courts and asylum records in NSW, Heather Garnsey Executive Officer SAG on bankruptcy records in NSW and Dr John Hoskin and Russell Roberts - Director of Mental Health GWAHS will lead a guided walking tour of Bloomfield Hospital and talk about its records. The second day programme includes talks by Jan Richards, Manager Central West Libraries on how local library collections can help with your family and local history research, Angela Phippen on divorce records and John Partridge about using NSW gaol and prison records and Martyn Killion, vice president of SAG, on how the Sydney Benevolent Asylum helped our homeless and destitue ancestors. Registration includes the ttwo-day seminar, lunches and morning and afternoon teas. Cost is $85 SAG and Orange Family History Group members and $95 for non-members. On the Saturday evening a casual dinner will be held for participants in a local restaurant. If you would like to attend the dinner please let us know at the time of booking. Cost will be approx $50 plus drinks per person, payable on the evening. To book your place for the Lost in Black Sheep Weekend Seminar please call (02) 9247 3953 or visit www.sag.org.au.