Earlier this month I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by Sharon at Genealogymatters2me and Aillin at Australian Genealogy Journeys. Thanks Sharon and Aillin for this nomination which I’m very pleased to accept…it’s nice to know that others enjoy reading some of my blog. I’m sorry it’s taken me a while to get … More One Lovely Blog Award
Inspired by a post by Aillin at Australian Genealogy Journeys I had to give this a go, using Wordle to produce a cloud of my families’ names and places. Haven’t figured out how to deal with double-word places eg Charters Towers but it was fun. And another of just my family names: And some places from my husband’s … More A family word cloud
At the conclusion of Women’s History Month I have been thinking about personal history and in particular women’s history month which led me to reflect on how much has changed in the world of women’s public work. Of course the simple fact is that whether our female ancestors were in paid employment or not, they were … More Women’s History month – women in the paid workforce – some thoughts
52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Week 13’s topic is Sweets. What was your favorite childhood candy or dessert? Have your tastes changed since then? This week’s topic intersects both my genealogy and my own personal history. As I grew up I was told that my maternal great-grandfather owned a chocolate factory. You can imagine … More 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History: Week 13: Sweets Lollies and Desserts
A little over three weeks ago the Wiggles came to Darwin for the first time. It seemed like most of the under-fives in town went to one of the shows held at our new Darwin Convention Centre. Two of the grandchildren, Master Four and Miss Three, were among the lucky attendees and had an absolutely … More Darwin was Wiggled
This week’s topic in 52 weeks of personal history and genealogy is: Movies. Did (or do you still) see many movies? Describe your favorites. Where did you see these films? Is the theater still there, or is there something else in its place? I’d been looking forward to the Movies question but as it happens … More 52 Weeks of Personal History & Genealogy -Week 12: Movies
On Thursday and Friday we celebrated St Patrick’s Day with a little round-trip jaunt of some 1600kms “Down the Track” as it’s known locally, or officially the Stuart Highway, towards Alice Springs. Actually the only connection is that when we finally arrived at our destination in Daly Waters, the pub had “Happy St Paddy’s Day” … More Driving down the Track -St Patrick’s Day 2011
Towards the end of 2010, my husband and I were in London for the final week of an overseas holiday. We had made various plans for the day ahead, but a beautifully clear and sunny day caused us to revise our plans and we decided ultimately to stroll across Vauxhall Bridge towards Westminster. Shortly after crossing … More Australian convict history in London – a memorial (aka Plaque in park)
As you can see from one of my blog pages, I have an interest in emigration to Australia from East Clare, and in particular from Broadford, Parish of Kilseily. The Clare library site has been an invaluable tool in my research. This week is Library Ireland Week with the slogan “Smart Libraries for Smart People” … More Clare County Library
Today is the centenary of International Women’s Day and an appropriate day to honour our female ancestors. I have chosen to highlight the lives of my great-great-grandmother Ellen (Murphy) Gavin and great-grandmother Julia (Gavin) Kunkel as well as an unrelated friend. Their lives were so much harder, and stoic, than ours and I thank … More International Women’s Day – Ellen Gavin, Julia Kunkel and Johanna Gavan
Family history across the seas 