This year marks 148 years since William and Harriet Hodges, with their 12 children, made the long journey in two covered wagonettes from Wyagdon near Bathurst to make their home at Grudgery near Bedgerabong.

Now a book celebrates their legacy, and descendants gathered from near and far back in the rural community to mark both its printing and the milestone.

Heather Latham is a granddaughter of Norman and Esther Hodges of Clear View, Bedgerabong, and she has been on a five-year journey to bring together and tell the stories of this incredible family.

On a Bend in the Lachlan, copies of which can be found at Forbes Family History Group and Forbes Library, is the result.

At the combined reunion and book launch at the Bedgerabong Hall on 20 September this year, Heather acknowledged and thanked the many family members who have been keepers of family history and photographs, sharing their stories to bring the book to life.

"It’s really wonderful today to be here to celebrate the happy memories of that big family," Heather said.

The result is 455 pages - some 88,000 words plus many photographs - that tell their story.

The early chapters of the book trace the steps of their ancestors who came to Australia from England and Ireland in the early and mid-nineteenth century, eventually making their way to Grudgery and Cadow before finally settling in Bedgerabong.

The focus of the book moves to Clear View, the home of Norman and Esther Hodges and their family of eight.

The book shares their experiences living on the farm in the village of Bedgerabong during the First and Second World War and the great depression.

From designing the racetrack to patrolling levy banks in flooding, their stories highlight their love of life on the land, their beloved Bedgerabong and their involvement in their community, sport, horse racing and music - many of which continue to this day.

Heather has donated copies of the book to Forbes Family History Group and Forbes Library.