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.
This is a re-post of one of my submissions to the Worldwide Genealogy blog nearly three years ago. I thought it might be worth a re-share here for National Family History Month 2017. As family historians we need the traditional three Rs of reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, after all how else to locate our families’ … More The Three Rs of Genealogy
This week is the finale in Family Tree Frog’s NFHM blog challenge and the theme is “Power without Glory”. Sadly, my family branches are singularly lacking in powerful people – at least beyond their own kin. So let me tell you another story about last week’s ancestor, Stephen Gillespie Melvin, and the events that would … More No glory for the Melvin family
We’re not long home from a week of genealogy indulgence…what’s not to like about genie-adventures? Especially when they take you on a road trip! First up was two days at the Unlock the Past Roadshow in Brisbane with Scottish/Irish guru Chris Paton, German expert, Dirk Weissleder and local speakers. Learning new strategies and sources for … More Genea-learning and touring
This week’s topic in Family Tree Frog’s NFHM Blog Challenge is All the Rivers Run. Australia alternates between extremes of weather as illustrated by the famous poem by Dorothea Mackellar: My Country[i]. I love a sunburnt country A land of sweeping plains Of rugged mountain ranges And drought and flooding rains. This is just one … More Flooding rains: Ipswich 1887
In Week 2 of Family Tree Frog’s NFHM Blogging Challenge, Alex asks us if there were secrets in our families, or were there tales of the Depression. However, as this week’s book, Careful He Might Hear You, focuses on an orphan and what happens when his aunt comes to take care of him, my thoughts … More The orphaned Kunkel children
Those with German ancestral research tend to get fewer international opportunities than the British and Irish offerings, so I was really looking forward to Day 2 of the Roadshow with Dirk Weissleder and others. I was pleased to see there was good support for Day 2 and that at least some of my genimates were … More Unlock the Past Roadshow: Brisbane Day 2
Is there anything better than the buzz of a bunch of genealogists gathering for a day of learning? Even before the presentations begin it’s so much fun to hang out with genimates who you talk to online and only occasionally in person. The sponsors’ stands offer treats to buy or activities to get engaged with … More Unlock the Past Roadshow 17: Brisbane Day 1
Alex from Family Tree Frog blog has set us a genealogy challenge for National Family History Month in August, themed around Australian novels. Week 1 is “Poor Man’s Orange”. What do FANS and angels have in common? Let me take you to Surry Hills in Sydney – a not-so-pleasant area of Sydney back in the … More An Irish family in Surry Hills c1880s
Alona from Lone Tester blog has set us this geneameme for National Family History Month. The ground rules are as follows: What places do your ancestors come from? Using the alphabet how many letters can you name ancestral places for? Some you will no doubt know well, some you may not … at least not … More Ancestral Places Geneameme
Welcome to August, Australia’s National Family History Month. I don’t know about you, but the days are already skipping away from me. There’s a host of goodies in store for us and these are the things I’m thinking of for my own research. The full NFHM program is here with the chance to win goodies … More Welcome to August and NFHM
Family history across the seas 