The theme for this week is Surprise.

DNA testing has certainly opened the door to finding more cousins. But too often after establishing a family link and exchanging a couple of emails, communication stops. But not always.

My Great Grandmother Margaret Prendergast (1844-1915) arrived in Australia from Ireland as a 6 year old in 1854, together with her parents and most of her 9 siblings. They went to a small country town in South Western NSW called Maude, where they stayed. Grown-up Margaret went to Melbourne, married, was widowed after a few years, then married again to my Great Grandfather, and lived in various country towns while he worked at droving or managing remote sheep and cattle stations. Grandfather did the same.

I was born in Sydney, Australia, lived in Brisbane for many years and moved to New Zealand in 2000.

Margaret’s elder brother Patrick John Prendergast (1837-1886) stayed in Maude and married a local lady. They had 10 children of whom one went to Blackall in outback Queensland, where some descendants still live. A great granddaughter of his, named Joan, now lives in Brisbane. She is a third cousin with whom I have established DNA contact via quite a small match – but I recognised the surname!

So after discussing at some length via various emails the coincidence that we both lived in the same city for many years but never knew the existence of each other, I casually mentioned that I now Iive in a certain town in New Zealand. And Joan exclaimed – “So does my sister!” What a surprise.

Pat and I are now good friends and see each other often. The known Prendergast family tree has greatly expanded. It is so good to have at least one relative in my new home town. Incidentally I also have another third cousin living here from a different family entirely.