Tales abound at family reunion

Kay Walker (left) takes Kevin Tisdall (centre) and oldest living Tisdall family member Davie...
Kay Walker (left) takes Kevin Tisdall (centre) and oldest living Tisdall family member Davie Tisdall for a ride on a dray in Middlemarch as part of the family's 130th reunion at the weekend. Photo by Lynnore Templeton.

Stories of making home-made ice skates, teaching dogs to fetch smoko and probably some yarns better left unrepeated were the threads which pulled more than 180 members of the Tisdall family back together at the weekend.

Four generations of the family gathered in Middlemarch over two days for its 130th reunion.

Reunion co-ordinator Lynnore Templeton said there were many stories shared and lots of tears and laughter.

''Stories of home-made ice skates; horses and kids tipping up carts and drays; clever dogs that were sent home to bring back the smoko for the workers in the fields; and wagging school to spend the day on the Clydesdale team bringing in the sheaves.

''They were tales of a big but close-knit family who would always come together to defend their own,'' Mrs Templeton said.

The celebrations included a barbecue at The Stables on Friday night, a chilly trip over the snow-covered Rock and Pillar Range, games and photos at the Strath Taieri Showground, and a dinner and entertainment at the community hall, she said.

Mrs Templeton said the family members were among the 285 direct descendants of Henry and Minnie Tisdall.

Henry was the youngest of the nine children of James and Sarah Tisdall, who sailed to Port Chalmers on Vicksburg in 1868, from County Wicklow, Ireland.

In 1885, they moved to Middlemarch and established Avoca Terrace Farm, which was named after the Vale of Avoca in Ireland, where the family originated.

The farm was taken over by Henry and Minnie Tisdall, and they went on to have 13 children, 56 grandchildren, 112 great-grandchildren and 104 great-great-grandchildren.

Later, the property was divided in two, and was farmed by Henry and Minnie's sons Davie Tisdall (78) and the late Bob Tisdall.

Davie and Bob's sons Jason, and James and Patrick, now run the farms.

Family members travelled from all over New Zealand and Australia to attend the reunion, with one family member, John Tisdall, coming from Chicago.

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