Bedgerabong Hall was the centre for a big family gathering last Saturday evening.
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The descendants of Bedgerabong’s Sid and Janet Constable and Herbert and Ada Hodges reunited at the country community hall.
Cousins who are scattered from Ballina to Perth returned to where their families settled in the 1860s and 1870s for the event.
Reunion organiser Bruce Constable, now of Port Macquarie, said about 65 adults and 15 children came to town for the reunion.
The Constables had nine children and the property, Springrove, has been handed down through the generations.
“It’s now with the fourth generation, Alan (or Joe) and Peta Constable reside there,” Mr Constable said.
The Herbert family, who had eight children, had the Kiora and Walwane properties.
The two families had a strong connection – two of the Constable brothers (Athol and Ken) married two of the Hodges sisters (Jean and Margaret known as Dolly).
The oldest of the cousins is Brian Constable (81) who travelled from Bendigo for the occasion. His son Peter came from Perth to travel with his dad.
“There are still a lot of locals here,” Mr Constable said. “Joe and Peta are still on the farm. Our cousin Shirley Dukes did the catering for the event.”
Mr Constable said special mention must be made of cousin Valerie Freiderich (nee Constable) who had done extensive research into the family history, expected to be a talking point when the family members got together.