This time last year we published a review of the book Irish Settlers in South Australia https://tintean.org.au/2020/08/10/irish-settlers-in-south-australia/
We are delighted to report that the book by Bernadette Thakur has won the 2020 South Australian RR Reed Award for a family history. The judges wrote that
Bernadette Thakur has crafted a well-rounded family history volume reflecting a great combination of research and storytelling. From the outset there is a good selection of consistent print styles, a good balance of images and maps to complement the text, all well supported by endnotes and an excellent bibliography. While there is good storytelling throughout the book, in relating the story of the Hayes family, the author showed real strength and artistry with the storytelling from her research. The history marries the family history with South Australian history, with excellent and comprehensive end-note, reflecting the depth of research. The lengthy Appendix is quite complementary to the book and adds real value.
Bernadette had planned to be at the award ceremony on Sunday July 18, but Covid19 lockdown kept her at home in Canberra.
She was delighted that she could still be present at the presentation via webcam. There were smiles all around when SAGHS President, Sue Lear, and the chair of the judging panel, Andrew Peake, presented Bernadette with her engraved crystal paperweight trophy, winner’s certificate and voucher for membership with Genealogy SA on the day.
Bernadette Thakur was born and grew up in Whyalla, South Australia. After completing a degree at Flinders University in Adelaide, Bernadette set off to see the world, little knowing that it would be more than forty years before she returned to the land of her birth. Her first stop was Ireland where she lived in Dublin in 1972. She then travelled to Canada where she completed an MA degree from Queen’s University in 1974. As well as Ireland and Canada, Bernadette has lived in England, Fiji, India, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.
After returning to Australia in 2011, Bernadette began pursuing her interest in family history.
Lockdown has its disadvantages, but perhaps it also creates more time for writing. Congratulations again to Bernadette, and happy scribbling to all fiction and non-fiction writers from the scribblers and editors at Tinteán.
Tinteán 