A wallet found, but not forgotten

A mystery is usually a situation where there are many unanswered questions.

Historians, especially family historians, are used to mysteries: they continually seek personal details about the people they are researching.

But what do you do when you have all the answers about someone, but cannot connect that person with anyone's family tree?

Such a situation arose a few years ago when a wallet was found at Umina Library.

Library staff checked the contents - the owner's name was inside, but no local address, and no contact information.

Staff waited for the owner to return to claim the wallet.

Chances were that it was a local person, so they thought it would not be long before the wallet could be returned to a relieved owner.

However, the owner never returned. Attempts were made to contact people whose names and addresses were found on letters in the wallet, mainly interstate, but all leads came to nothing.

Where are you, Bill Bloxam?

Born in Melbourne in 1946, Bill was apparently raised in England, and was considered British when, as a fresh-faced lad of 17 years, he applied to return to Australia as a migrant.

He arrived in Fremantle on 14 February 1964 on board the "Fairsea", and continued on to Sydney.

He appears to have been from the Home Counties in England, and kept photos of someone who may have been his girlfriend at home.

Her name was Sue Ferrier, and she was from Harlow in Essex.

As soon as Bill arrived in Sydney, he attempted to contact relatives in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

He also sought employment on a cattle station in Queensland.

Other names mentioned in the wallet are Swanson, Moore and Blessas.

The documents, photographs and letters found in the wallet must be important to Bill for him to have carried them with him for 30 years.

Or were they in the custody of someone else?

Had Bill passed away, and was it a relative copying the information at Umina Library that day?

Was he ill, and copies of the documents were needed for an official reason?

Whatever the case, Library staff would dearly love the documents to be in the hands of their rightful owner.

If anyone can shed any light on this Peninsula mystery, please contact Geoff Potter, Local Studies Librarian, Gosford City Library (4324 6711) or write to PO Box 720, Woy Woy, 2256.

Joan Fenton