My grandmother, Nellie (Page) Pillars, died 31st Aug 1973. She did not
know then that she was a Daughter of the American Revolution.
Nellie was the Founder of Randwick Historical Society and was passionate
about local history and fought for the preservation of buildings of
significance.
In the 1950's she made contact with Captain Alan Villiers, who visited her home, "Nugal Hall" Randwick, with others interested in building and sailing a "New Endeavour" to celebrate our Capt James Cook Bicentenary in 1970. (Villiers was captain of the reproduced "Mayflower 2" that sailed in the 1950s from England to Plymouth USA. ) It was deemed too late for the construction, owing to the time it would take for the aging of the oak needed for building it. Eventually it was constructed and was ready in 1988 for the Bicentenary of the
arrival of the 1st Fleet in Botany Bay in 1788.
It was only after her death that we found that Nellie was a descendent of George Soule who had arrived in 1620 on board the "Mayflower"! She would have been so thrilled to have known.
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