Bungendore was chosen for our final Clan “Get-together” with our Scottish guests, Mrs. Marigold MacRae and Baroness Miranda MacRae van Lynden. Its proximity to Canberra, a city our guests wished to visit, and its historic nature, made Bungendore, which was settled in 1837, an ideal location.
Mark McRae, our Regional Representative in the area, and his wife Beth, of Murrumbateman, were hosts to Marigold and Miranda and had taken them on a tour of Canberra on the day prior to our Gathering.
On Saturday, 19th March, Clan members gathered at the lovely home of Jenny and Bruce Amey to enjoy a relaxed lunch and chat, followed by afternoon tea.
Some members had travelled long distances, particularly Sue Tregoweth from Te Kuiti in New Zealand’s North Island and Judy Brown with daughter Lucinda and grandson Archie drove from Griffith in NSW’s Riverina District.
Others came from Sydney, Canberra and surrounding areas. It was great to see Jenny’s mother, Magdalen Sillis again with several of her children there also. Mark McRae welcomed our guests and Elma McRae spoke of the role Mrs. MacRae and her family had played in bringing “the Scattered Children of Kintail” together through the Clan Gatherings at Eilean Donan Castle in Dornie and through their visits to Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Jenny Amey presented our guests each with a small carved box, produced locally by “Woodworks”.
That evening we assembled at Cafe Wood Works, for an informal dinner, each enjoying our own choice from a varied and generous menu. At the end of the evening Jenny summoned all to reappear at 9.30 a.m. the following morning for breakfast.
After a very satisfying breakfast, it was time to bid farewell to our guests, who were to leave the following day for a short stay in Perth, before returning home. It is a long journey from Scotland to Australia and we are very appreciative of the efforts Mrs. MacRae and her family have made and we look forward to future visits by family members.
Our thanks are due also to Jenny Amey and her family for planning such a pleasant, successful weekend.
Elma McRae