2011 has been a busy year for the Clan MacRae Society of Australia and New Zealand with many highlights, some sad losses and a number of firsts.

Early in the year the Society was blessed by the visit of our Scottish guests, Life President of the Clan MacRae Society in the U.K. and Scotland, Mrs Marigold MacRae and her daughter Baroness Miranda MacRae Van Lynden in March. Our Society held functions in Armidale, Katoomba and Bungendore and their presence was appreciated by all who attended.

This is a book you might enjoy reading. It can be ordered from any book shop in Australia from distributor Peribo.

Written by John Rowland DSO, DFC Squadron Leader.

To read John is a pleasure and he is a wonderful story teller.

John flew Hectors, Halifax, and Lancasters. His first flight was in 1940 over Dunkirk. Quite a few Australians flew in his squadron helping in the great struggle.

I travelled to Sydney with our President Alan McRae to attend our regular quarterly Clan MacRae meeting held in Sydney at the home of Sue Catterall, in the lovely suburb of Wahroonga on Wednesday 16^th November 2011

This photo was taken in either 1944 or 1945 during World War II when Gordon McRae was serving in the Australian Army Pay Corps.  Gordon was visiting his sister Jean McRae who resided at Roseville in Sydney at the time. 

Gordon Russell McRae was the youngest of five children of Alice and Francis Lewin Duncan McRae. Born on Thursday, 11th November, 1920, in the Walcha Hospital on the New England tablelands in northern New South Wales he was to be the last of the McRae children. Ironically, Gordon was born on Armistice Day, just two years after the First World War finished.

Mr. Kenneth MacRae, former President of the Clan MacRae, spent the weekend (3/4 September 2011) at Bathurst in the company of ordinary member Ray MacRae and our current President Alan McRae.

Ken came to renew old acquaintances and develop new ones. During Saturday he enjoyed a luncheon at a picturesque farm at Rock Forest followed by a walk around the lovely Bathurst town square completed by a quaint coffee and cake at a well known Bathurst restaurant. Bathurst made us proud by putting on a perfect spring day.

The two upcoming events in October and November have ever so slight alterations please note. Thanks.

Our quarterly meeting of the Clan MacRae was held in the Combined Services RSL Club, 5 – 7 Barrack Street, Sydney on Wednesday 17th August 2011.

 Alan McRae, President (Bathurst), Elma McRae, Secretary (Ashfield), was in attendance, also ordinary members Sue Catterall and Tony McRae both of (Sydney) and Ray MacRae (Bathurst).

The journey was almost over when Mr Lynch who had become like a father to the Angles since Arnold had died, announced he would hand the girls over the a group of Irish folk who settled people like them in the first few weeks until they decided what was to become them.