The reunion was attended by 144 people and was enjoyed by all.

On the Saturday, everyone met at 10am at the Wingham Town Hall.

The family that had travelled the most distance was Frank Bird and his family from Rolleston QLD which was 1500 km away.

Everyone gathered around, looking at memorabilia from the many different branches of the family.

There were a large number of photos available for everyone to look at.

There was a lot of talking and laughing, some relatives had never met, others had not seen each other for up to 10 years.

A barbecue lunch was well received, speeches made, stories shared.

There was a celebration cake to be cut which was made at Andy’s Cake Kitchen and displayed the family emblem on top.

This cake was cut by the oldest member of the family, Clarice Clarke, who has had the pleasure of cutting the cake at the last two reunions.

Clarice is 94 years old.

Joining Clarice in the cutting of the cake was Harry Welsh who was three months old.

Harry was one of four generations attending.

Harry’s mother Jess Welsh along with her mother, Donna Gorton who was one of the organisers and her mother Norma Bird were all there to join in.

On the Sunday, the family all gathered at the Wingham Bight for morning tea and then moved off in convoy to the Bight Cemetery where the original ancestors William and Elizabeth are buried.

William and Elizabeth arrived in Australia in 1849 aboard the Julindar.

The convoy then moved onto the original family farm at the Bight, which was bought, sight unseen at auction in 1854.

Thit was then onto Tinonee, passing the school and the hall at Mondrook which has also played a part in the Bird family with family members attending the old school.

The hall was the place some of the couples first met at dances that were held there.

The old Tinonee hospital which was known as Alice Sawyers Maternity Hospital was shown to the family and then onto the Tinonee Cemetery where there are many members of the local branch of the family buried.

Wingham Cemetery was then visited where there are also many members of the second and third generation of the family buried.

The reunion was wound up with lunch on Sunday at the home of one of the family with soup and damper and lots more talking.

All round it was a very successful reunion and the next local one will be in 10 years when we will do it all again.

In five years, the local families will travel to Upper Coomera to join with the QLD members of the family.

The family “Birds of a Feather Together” banner will be transported to their reunion and then brought back for the next one in Wingham in 2024.

If you know of a descendent from the Bird family who missed out on the reunion, who was not contacted, could you please pass on the contact details to be included in the mailing list for the next reunion, Peggy Bird 0409 504060.