GRAY REUNION JULY 27th 2003
As you all know the 200th Wedding Anniversary Celebration was held on 27th
July 2003 at the 11.00. am service at St Johns Parramatta where the family
gathered to commemorate the marriage of John and Elizabeth Gray. There were 50
family members in attendance. The service was wonderful, conducted by
Rev Andrew Heron. He mentioned the family about three times during the
service.
John and Elizabeth 200th Wedding Anniversary celebration was on the front
page of the Cathedral News and on page 7 the following appeared:
"The descending family of John and Elizabeth Gray (nee Killett) are gathered
here today to commemorate the 200th Wedding Anniversary of their Marriage,
which was conducted by the Reverend Samuel Marsden on the 26th July 1803 by
marriage Banns in this Church.
The marriage was Witnessed by Joseph Marshall, and Eleanor Carty.
They also had their first child baptized on the same day, her name was
Elizabeth.
Since that date a further 6 children were born of the marriage, all survived
into adulthood and from these children the total number of descendants now
is 3120.
These descendants include Members of the church such as Robert Atkins who
was the Diocesan Registrar and Secretary of the Church of England Diocese of
Sydney for sixty plus years, Philip Westley Rector at St Andrews Church at
Lane Cove Sydney, and The Very Reverend Adrian Owen Charles Rtd. Former
Bishop of Southern Queensland. There have been Chief Justices, Judges,
Olympians, Shire Presidents and numerous family who served and died in all
the wars from the Boer War to the current Iraq conflict, plus many other
varied and diverse professions.
The Family has spread far and wide to such places as America, Israel, and
Spain and into every State in Australia.
All family members are proud of the heritage that has been passed down the
family and of the deeds that their forebears did in the shaping of this
Country."
About thirty of the family attended the finger luncheon at the Auburn
Bowling Club after the Church Service, were we had a chance to catch up and
talk. It was a great day and all who attended enjoyed themselves.
ATKINS BETTY, ANDERSON WALLACE, BENNETT PETER, BENNETT GWEN, BRISTOW JULIE (EDWARDS),
BRISTOW STEVE, BROWN DANIELLE, BROWN GABRIELLE, BROWN ROCHELLE, CANTY WENDY, CARNEY MARTIN D,
CARNEY JOANNE, CARNEY JACK TYLER, CARNEY ALICE GRACE TYLER, DILLON KEVIN, DILLON RACHAEL,
DILLON STACIE, EDWARDS ANTHONY,EDWARDS NOLA (HUGHES), EDWARDS STEPHEN, GLOVER CHRISTINE,
GLOVER MATTHEW, GLOVER MICHELLE (GRAY), GLOVER JOHN, GLOVER STEPHEN, GRAY ALAN, GRAY STEFANIE,
GRAY ANDREA, GRAY JOYCE, GRAY COLIN, GRAY CECILY, GRAY CONER, GRAY JESSICA STEFANIE,
GRAY JOHN, GRAY MAURICE, GRAY BEV, GRAY SHARON, MANNING CATHIE (HARDY), MANNING PETER,
MANNING TRISHA, McCULLOCH ALISA, McCULLOCH IAN, POYSER DOROTHY (THOMAS), POYSER GORDON,
O'CONNER SUZANNE (ROBINSON), CONNER TERANCE, ROBINSON DAVID, READE PATRICIA, SABINE LOIS (FLETT),
WALCOTT CHRISTINE (GRAY), WALCOTT ROBERT.
