I'm a Queenslander by birth and after nearly 20 years in the Northern Territory I've returned to my home state. I've been researching my Queensland ancestors for nearly 30 years and like most Aussies I'm a typical "mongrel" with English, Irish, Scottish and German ancestry.
Sometimes at night, I just trawl through Trove using a combination of surname and place. Often the results just turn up finds I’ve made previously, tagged and linked to the relevant lists I maintain. And then, out of the rabbit hole, pops a completely unexpected rabbit[i]. I have no idea why this was a surprise … More Another Trove discovery: Miss McSherry joins the convent
In a year that’s been unusual to say the least, it’s great that GeniAus has once again challenged us to reflect on our positive achievements. Elusive ancestral information which continues to elude me is the birthplace of my James Sherry aka McSharry. However, thanks to the joys of networking, I was contacted by the descendant … More Accentuate the Positive 2020
Australia became an independent nation in 1901, albeit part of the British Empire. Although we were involved in the Boer War, it wasn’t until 1915 at Gallipoli that our forces en masse were tested in battle to such a scale. At the start of World War I, the Empire’s call to arms was answered swiftly … More The Pentland brothers from Western Victoria
Last night while trawling Trove for some further stories on the Henny family of Dungog for my other blog I came across this amusing story. It gave me a good chuckle as I imagined the event, and hope it raises a laugh for you also. A Dungog version of the Melbourne Cup perhaps. … More Trove Tuesday – a little Dungog humour
This week’s Sepia Saturday image brought to mind many trips to see the Cape Byron lighthouse. In particular I was reminded of a weekend there with colleagues at work. Little did I know at the time there may have been an indirect family connection, and we may even have been staying in the same lighthouse … More Sepia Saturday: Lighthouse lives
As always, I’m late for this week’s Sepia Saturday but how could I resist this topic? Many decades ago, when I was first at uni and met Mr Cassmob, we both had a “thing” for Rodin’s sculpture “The Kiss”. The sculpture, in various modes, has been reproduced many times and I think the first time … More Sepia Saturday: The Kiss
My geminate Carmel has challenged us to join in a geneameme inspired by last Tuesday’s ANZAncestryTime on Twitter. Like all good family historians, I love a browse through a cemetery even when frustrated because I can’t find who I’m looking for. So, with no further ado, here are my responses. A beautifully tended plot or … More Carmel’s Gravetales Geneameme
It’s been a bit of a blogging drought here lately as I’ve prepared for two big Zoom presentations – one at the Genealogy Society of Queensland’s Irish Seminar Day and the other a presentation and practical display of blogging for genealogy at Queensland Family History Society. Then there’s been the launch of ANZ Ancestry Time … More My current “Top 5” favourite family history sites
What followed from the theft of the Gavin family’s milking cow? #familyhistory #genealogy #qldhistory … More It started with poor Kitty
Following on my presentation today as part of National Family History Month and hosted by Caloundra Family History Research Inc, I’m listing some research options. German Newspapers can be searched: https://digipress.digitale-sammlungen.de/search/simple With more difficulty through Google Books (not newspapers): https://books.google.com.au/ My tips for searching can be reviewed in this blog post: https://cassmobfamilyhistory.com/2012/10/23/searching-german-newspapersbooks/ https://cassmobfamilyhistory.com/2019/05/31/finding-the-fass-in-bavarian-papers/ My Dorfprozelten … More Tips for German research
