This series of blog posts is part of the A to Z 2019 Blogging Challenge in which I will write snapshot memories of my early married life in the then Territory of Papua New Guinea. Daytrips from Goroka in our first car, the yellow Datsun Roads in the Highlands limited, daytrip opportunities few Often up … More D is for Daulo Pass
This series of blog posts is part of the A to Z 2019 Blogging Challenge in which I will write snapshot memories of my early married life in the then Territory of Papua New Guinea. A colony administered by Australia Bequeathed by the United Nations Colonial administrators Shorts and long socks de rigeur Public servants … More Colonials and Clubs
It’s funny how when writing about ancestors in the past, it seems easy to be objective and base stories on discovered facts. When writing about more recent people and events, the concern is a lack of objectivity. Having said that, I’ll continue with the story of Dad’s working life which will inevitably be from my … More A numbertaker? Say what?!
One hundred years ago today my grandfather, Denis Joseph Kunkel, was at sea en route to England thence to the war in France. He had volunteered with his younger brother, James Edward, on 22 October 1917[1] probably as part of a push at the time to recruit qualified railway workers to work on the lines … More Grandad goes to war: Remembrance Day 2017
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
During my presentation at the Gold Coast Conference, Footsteps in Time, I used dot points to provide way finders for offline research. These are the points listed during the talk, by life heading. Please note this file is copyrighted to me and cannot be reproduced elsewhere. Beyond the internet checklist 2 of 2017 You can … More Beyond the Internet
On Australia Day 2017 we reflect on our pride in our country and also, for many of us, our status as descendants of immigrants. Some will have First Australians, others will have early convicts. Some will be part of the early settlers in the colony of New South Wales or Van Dieman’s Land. For me, … More Australia Day and My Immigrant Ancestors
From the Highlands of Papua New Guinea to the coast, the people celebrate culture and make merry with dances and traditional costumes. For some reason these warriors from Wahgi came to mind when I looked at the Sepia Saturday merry makers. They were at the enormously popular Goroka Show in, I think, 1972. Seeing thousands … More Sepia Saturday PNG Merry Makers
Family history across the seas 