Dadswell Family

Family Feature Stories

This part of the Dadswell Family website includes stories about members of the family or their close relatives, or other aspects of family-related history. Additional stories will be added over time.

31 December 2023
Red Cliffs beginnings, part two - Henry and Jessie (nee Smiley) Dadswell

After establishing a grape-growing property at Red Cliffs, the Dadswell family faced serious financial losses as the price of dried fruit plummeted and the rigours of the Depression years emerged. Despite these events, there were good times as well as the chance to successfully raise a family of five children. This second story describes more of their experiences to get established. Details.

25 September 2023
Red Cliffs beginnings, part one - Henry Dadswell

Establishing a grape-growing property on partly-cleared land at Red Cliffs, before there was running water or a house to live in, was challenging. Henry Dadswell was a World War One soldier settler who over time lived on the land in a tent, a bag humpy and eventually a self-built house, has described some of the experiences of his early battle to get established. Details.

25 January 2023
Book: Justice in a Hurry, by Toz Dadswell

Justice in a Hurry is a new novel based on the World War One diaries of Sapper Henry Dadswell (1894-1978) who served as a signaller with the Australian Army. A work of fiction, the book has been written by Toz Dadswell, son of the Australian signaller. It is a follow-up to his 2015 book The Two Days in Your Life. Details.

11 January 2021
Dadswell Street Names

Occasionally when driving around Australia, one comes across a street named after a Dadswell. Sometimes these street names commemorate the memory of noted Australian artist Lyndon Dadswell, but on other occasions they record the memory of a Dadswell who made a mark on their local community. Details.

1 January 2020
Dadswells Bridge Developments

Dadswells Bridge, the small community on the Western Highway between Stawell and Horsham in Victoria, now has a series of signs to explain the locality's history and development. It also features a two-kilometre walking trail which exhibits many of the district's natural flora and fauna features. Details.

21 September 2018
World War One Crisis for Dadswell Soldier

After enduring some three years of army life including life on the Western Front, Sapper Henry Dadswell 100 years ago was seeing the Allies make advances against Germany. But a late-war personal crisis almost cost him his life - and it was at the hands of some of his own comrades. Details.

8 July 2017
Migrant baker, World War One soldier, airman

Lewis Charles Dadswell, who lived and died in Perth, grew up in England and became a baker by trade. He sailed to Australia when he was in his twenties, worked as a baker and grocer and enlisted into the Australian Army, later to be transferred to the Australian Flying Corps which flew on the Western Front in the very early days of aviation. Details.

3 February 2016
Adoption, early migration, prisoner-of-war

Fred (Archibald Frederick) Dadswell, who lived and died in Perth, was adopted as a baby so he never knew his biological parents. He sailed from England to Australia at age 14, worked as a grocer and enlisted into the Australian Army only to become a World War One prisoner-of-war shortly after arriving in France. Details.

8 April 2015
Book: The Two Days in Your Life, by Toz Dadswell

This is a fictional but dramatic story of ordinary Australians from a variety of walks "giving their all" for their country. It is a story of the tragedy of war. Telling the story of Australian signallers in World War One, it contains action, humour, romance and mystery but most importantly the story reminds the reader of the strong bonds of comradeship that develop between men when under stress, and their determination not to let their mates down. Details.

5 August 2014
The world of forestry, wood science

A lifetime passion by an Australian Dadswell led to the establishment of the Dadswell Memorial Wood Collection, a 'wood library' containing more than 45,000 samples representing 10,000 species, 2200 genera and 240 botanical families of timbers important to the world of science and commerce. Details.

31 January 2013
Surviving family tragedies

Like many early families, the Norwood family (descendants of Helena Matilda Dadswell 1867-1945), suffered a series of adversities. In a family of six, the youngest died from diphtheria when only 18 months, the eldest son was killed in the Gallipoli trenches, and the next son was murdered at his workplace. Details.

12 August 2010
Diary of a Sapper – World War One Reflections of Sapper Henry W Dadswell

A new 144-page book describes some of the extraordinary events experienced by an Australian signaller who, as a young man, found himself in the trenches during World War One and who was often expected to expose himself to enemy gunfire, to help keep open the lines of communications for his own troops. Details.

31 October 2009
Sailing the John Linn to Australia – the hazardous trip

In 1857, when some prospectors were finding amazing amounts of gold in rural Victoria and life for many in Britain was very bleak, thousands made the three-month trip to Australia by sailing ship. One young Dadswell couple sailed the southerly route aboard the fully-rigged sailing ship John Linn but were lucky to arrive safely. Details.

1 April 2009
Dadswell and Piggott Families - and a Photo Mystery

Some historical photos have emerged, including one of Mary Dadswell, born in 1846 to Thomas and Harriet (Bassett) Dadswell. Mary married into the Piggott family, which has descendants in Australia. But one photo remains a mystery. Details.

6 February 2009
The Short Colonial Lives of Barbara, Anne & Edward Dadswell

Three English Dadswell siblings sailed to Australia in 1839, to begin life anew as a family. Barbara and Anne found husbands, and Edward tried farming, but in the space of three years all three died, including one from horrific bushfire burns. Details.

2 November 2008
Australian Family Branches: Llewellyn Dadswell

In the first of a series of stories about the various branches of the Dadswell family in Australia, we take a look at one who was best known as a policeman in the Queensland Police. The available evidence suggests he was also a bigamist, having left his first wife in England and married a second time in Australia. Details.

13 May 2008
The Shock of a Family Murder

Back in the 1930s, the extended Dadswell family was shaken when one of its members, Tom Norwood, died during an armed hold-up at a Melbourne suburban railway station. The man who was alleged to have been the gunman was not convicted, but he later faced a death sentence for another murder. Details.

6 January 2008
Recalling World War One Drama

After 90 years, the dramatic circumstances surrounding a World War One photograph has emerged - it's a tale of death, bravery, challenge and preserverance - and it involves a member of the Dadswell family. Details.

21 November 2007
Returning to 'Naval Service'

For 40 years, one Dadswell served with the Royal Australian Navy, and served with distinction as both a seaman officer and as an aviator. Although long since retired, he was recently invited to return to a naval base to review a large parade of servicemen and women. Details.

25 April 2007 (updated 8 October 2008)
Cousins at Gallipoli and the Western Front

World War 1 affected most Australian families. Although only a relatively small family, 13 family cousins enlisted to fight in Europe. The toll was heavy - four were killed, three were wounded, two died not long after war's end and one was a prisoner of war. Details.

30 January 2007
Henry Dadswell - The Quiet Times between WW1 Battles

The wartime diary of Henry William Dadswell (1894-1978) records much of the frontline action he experienced during World War One, but the diary and wartime letters also tell something of the quiet times of the war, something we don't often hear about. Details.

20 February 2006
Walter Thomas Bassett

Walter Bassett was a colourful character who led a seemingly romantic naval life - crewman aboard a commercial sailing ship, member of the Victorian Colonial Navy (seeing war service in China), and receiving a commendation from the Victorian Governor. His family, the Dadswells and the Crittalls were all closely connected. So where does Walter fit into the Dadswell family? Details.

14 August 2005
Henry Dadswell - The Months Leading Up to War

Today it is hard to imagine how Australian soldiers-to-be spent their time just before they enlisted in an Army which would quickly send them overseas to an unknown fate - but some recently-found postcards reveal something of these pre-war days for Henry Dadswell. Details.

22 November 2004
Lyndon Dadswell - Our Links to a Great Australian

A few Australian Dadswells have achieved fame, but none more so than Lyndon Dadswell who influenced a generation of artists. He was always proudly claimed as "one of us Dadswells" - but just what was his relationship to our branch of the Dadswell family? Details.

9 November 2004
Dadswell/Lewin Family Photograph, 1904 or 1905

A family photograph, taken around 1904 or 1905, has emerged. It shows the young Dadswell children - Henry (then about 10-years-old), Stan (8) and Ethel or 'Ciss' (6), and their parents and Lewin relatives. Details.

29 July 2004
Rohan Dadswell - New Website Emerges

Another Dadswell website has emerged on the World Wide Web. This one aims to promote video production services of Rohan Dadswell of Canberra to a wide range of clients. Details.

15 March 2004
Helena Mariane Aurora Scheer - A German Ancestor

Just who was Helena Mariane Aurora Scheer, who married into the Dadswell family, sailed to the opposite side of the world leaving behind her Germany family, never to see them again? Details.

18 January 2004
Barbara (Dadswell) Nethercott - Family Researcher

Canadian Barbara Nethercott has made her mark with detailed research, bringing to light information about Dadswells from around the world. But where does SHE fit into the Dadswell family? Details.

7 December 2003
Rohan Dadswell - Cinematography Award

Cameraman/sound recordist Rohan Dadswell of Canberra has received an award from the Australian Cinematographers Society (NSW/ACT branch) for a video production. Details.