Genealogy education, new resources & other news: Australia and New Zealand Genealogy News May 2021

 Winter already. I am not a fan of the shorter days and getting up in the dark and the cold. These days you are more likely to find me curled up in bed until the sun is up but I'm happy with my digital genealogy magazines on my IPad. Finally I am embracing the idea of reading online and not stacking up paper mags in the study.

Books

I have been a member of Library Thing for many years and have catalogued a good number of my study books in it. The last couple of years I have not been diligent plus I have moved things around since allocating the original shelf number. 

Before updating my Library Thing, the plan was to deaccession ie remove books no longer current or useful. The problem with that is every time I take a book down, I think I should read it again or use if for reference. Going to be a slow process!

For example, Mark Herber's classic Ancestral Trails: complete guide to British Genealogy & Family History. My edition is the updated one and reprinted in 2003 but still 21 years old. All the information is still valid but how we access a lot of those records has now changed enormously. I want to read it again but my arthritic wrists are groaning in pain under the weight of the book and my eyes, even with reading glasses are struggling with the small font. When did I get old?

Sitting at the dining table with a cup of tea and the book lying flat on the table seems to be the way to go. Given that it is over 700 pages (even with that small font), 30 chapters and 11 appendices - I suspect that a packet of chocolate biscuits will be needed too. Wish me luck as I try to read a chapter a day during June.

Conferences

The Genealogy Show is coming up this month and I am super excited to be presenting two talks at this virtual event. Plus lots of other great speakers and topics. Thanks to Covid we are able to see these shows more easily in a virtual world as it means no airfare and no accommodation fees. Not to mention that long plane flight!

My first trip in a plane/overseas (during Covid times) is coming up with the AFFHO congress on Norfolk Island. National Family History Month (August) will also be launched there this year so it will be very good to see people again and chat over cups of tea. Quite a few people I know will be there and we always love a visit to Norfolk Island with its history and beauty.

Continuing Education

James Carnegie & wife Mary Finn

I have just finished a course on The Life of Our Ancestors from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies. This was a freebie that I signed up for at the virtual RootsTech 2021. It was six weeks and all about writing family history which was most apt for what I am now doing with my own research. Now working towards a final draft of my Carnegie and Stratton Scottish families.

Suitably motivated I had the occasion to look at the FutureLearn free six week genealogy course and I was surprised to find that I did this back in 2016. Five years ago and time has just flown since. On the spot I decided to do it again as a refresher. Just completed Week One and it is good to look at your research with fresh eyes.

If you are looking for something less involved, why not check out FamilySearch's free webinars - click here to see what's on in June. The program for July and August is also available at that link.

DNA

No really exciting new matches on Dad's side but I have been experimenting with the new Tier One tools in Gedmatch. 

I found the closest match clusters tool very interesting. I have a number of groups that are on Dad's side and they appeared as clusters. By selecting the multikit analysis I was able to work out how the groups were connected. In most of the cases, each group related to a single chromosome triangulation. Now to work out the common ancestors for each group which must be further back than six generations. 

Mum's side is so easy as there are no illegitimate births, and I have managed to do a complete tree back five generations which means that I can generally identify most of my matches for her. Plus more people seem to have tested on her side. 

New Resources Australia & New Zealand

The fantastic Trove has added more titles including:

• Various titles in the Australian Jewish Newspapers Project - see here for link to titles
• South Australia : Port Lincoln, Tumby and West Coast Recorder, 1904-1909
• South Australia : West Coast Recorder (Port Lincoln) 1909-1942
• New South Wales: The Campbelltown News 1920-1929
• New South Wales: Ingleburn News 1953-1954
• Victoria: The Bacchus Marsh Express 1866-1943
• Victoria: The Express, Bacchus Marsh 1943-1954

FamilySearch added more:  

• Australia - Victoria wills probate and administration files 1841-1926
• Kiribati vital records 1890-1991
• Papua New Guinea birth records 1888-2004
• Papua New Guinea vital records 1867-2000
• Samoa vital records 1846-1996
• Tuvalu vital records 1866-1979

Talks

During May I gave my final talk to the Noosaville Library on Irish genealogy and two talks to Moreton Region Libraries on sorting your DNA matches. Good audiences at each event and some lovely feedback too. This was really nice to hear from someone at the Moreton library talks.

Shauna Hicks does a professional, informative presentation and by allowing access to her website attendees can look things up from home after the workshop.

Caloundra Family History Research have just booked me to do a Zoom event during NFHM (National Family History Month). The topic they picked is one of my favourites - Diaries and Letters : Fleshing Out the Family History. 

More details about where I am speaking is on the Events page of my website.

What's Coming Up

Bribie Genealogy has its two meetings on the 1st Friday (day) and 1st Monday (evening). The June day meeting has one of our locals talking about how he put his family history online using blogger and on the Monday night we will be looking at FamilySearch. Preparing for both of these keeps our small organising group busy.

My primary task is preparing my talk for the AFFHO Congress - Finding Love in Paradise. The story of two convicts and their life together on Norfolk and later in Van Dieman's Land. There is also a short talk for the opening of NFHM month about where is genealogy and societies going in the future. For that I may need a crystal ball. 

Happy researching this month, stay safe and well and hopefully we will all catch up somewhere in person again.

New Resources, Talks & Other News :Australia & New Zealand Genealogy Notes April 2021

April was all about Easter, ANZAC Day and another short lock down just prior to Easter. For someone who is hearing impaired, wearing a mask just makes it all that much harder to understand anyone. Thankfully it was only for a short time and certainly better than having Covid 19 out and about in the community. It must be so hard for all those people in other countries who have been living this nightmare for over a year now. 

Horse arena with snow
(outside my son's place in Sweden)

Did the Messenger chat with my son for Easter - he lives in Sweden and is just getting over their winter which is decidedly colder than anywhere here in Australia. I'm still hoping for a catch up and a white Christmas but I'm not going to hold my breath for 2021. 

The photo was taken early January 2021 so I will need to be there at least a few weeks I think.

My son and his wife want to come back for a visit too and see family and friends but they are realistic about it all. Stay safe and well everyone.

Books

Finally managed to get my book review of Nathan Dylan Goodwin's The Chester Creek Murders up on my website. See the Resources page of my website. 

A friend recommended I start reading the Steve Robinson Jefferson Tayte genealogy mysteries and I managed to find three in the Bribie Library. I had reserved one as there were none when I ordered but two more were on the shelves when I went to collect. 

Also a good read but his main character genealogist seems to risk life and limb every story. I certainly don't have that much adventure when researching for clients. I like the way the story lines are in both the present and the past and show how things are handed down and influence the present. 

Bribie Genealogy & Bribie U3A

Our April meeting was on Good Friday so we couldn't meet in person. For those at a loose end on Easter Saturday we did a Zoom catch up. I gave a talk on military resources for locating widows and children after World War One. It was recorded so that other members could download for later. 

My beginners class at U3A is going well with a small but eager group of very new to research people. I am having to rethink some of my week's lessons as we pin down the basics of searching for births, deaths and marriages. Tracing people back is second nature to me but I now realise that it can be quite foreign to anyone totally new. We are doing some case studies so that they can see the process and work on their own families. 

Conferences 

My next speaking at a conference is The Genealogy Show in the UK on 25-26 June 2021 which is virtual. There is a great line up of speakers including two other Aussies - Jill Ball and Sharn White. That will be a full on weekend. 

Then it is the AFFHO Congress 2021 on Norfolk Island  and the launch of National Family History Month in August while we are over there. It has been so long since I have been in an airport or on a plane, it will be a very strange experience. Still I love Norfolk Island and it will be an opportunity to catch up with lots of friends. 

The next History Queensland conference is 21-23 October 2022 at Redcliffe (just north of Brisbane). Mark that in your diaries now and cross our fingers that it will be in person. 

Talks

In April I did two talks for Noosa Libraries at Noosaville on Scottish and Irish genealogy resources. Good audiences both times and some excellent feedback. Both of those talks and my two earlier talks for Noosa are on the Resources page of my website.

Website

Still tinkering with the new website and after all the hassles of being hijacked I am wondering if it is all worth while. Why do people have to scam and make the internet less safe for people who just want to use it for good things? By the end of May I will complete it and move onwards and upwards. Motivation plus. 

What's New in Australia & New Zealand

Only three new newspaper titles in Trove for April but they are good if you have ancestors in those places and time periods.

• Queensland - Catholic Advocate (Brisbane) 1911-1938
• South Australia - The Prospector (Fitzroy) 1978-1984
• Victoria - Great Southern Advocate (Korumburra) 1889-1940

FamilySearch continues to add new records and here are a few examples from the Pacific region.

• Kiribati Vital Records 1890-1991
• Micronesia Death Records 1970-1986
• Papua New Guinea Vital Records 1867-200
• Samoa Vital Records 1846-1996
• Tuvalu Vital Records 1866-1979
• Vanuatu Vital Records 1900-2001

Ancestry updated its fantastic Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers 1814-2011 and added Australia, Army, Military Service Records 1901-1940.

What's Coming Up?

The Reading Room way back when!
 Looking forward to seeing the new QSA.

There are two talks for Moreton Libraries in May at Redcliffe and Burpengary on managing DNA matches. See the Events page of my website for details on dates.

History Queensland is having its AGM and 6 monthly meeting at the Queensland State Archives on 8 May. As Patron I will be attending and it will be good to visit QSA again. 

Hard to believe I left there almost 22 years ago to go and work in Canberra at the National Archives of Australia. Where does time go? 

Niles Elvery will be giving a short presentation on how to use the new online catalogue. 

Until next time, stay safe and well and good luck with your genealogy searching.

FHDU 2021 megafest, new resources: Australia & New Zealand Genealogy Notes March 2021

Wow a huge month with more genealogy webinars to watch than programs on television! 

Plus I sneaked away for a week's holiday with a Canberra HAGSOC (now Family History ACT) friend to the Sunshine Coast. Lots of genealogy discussion over that week too. Had lunch with geneamates at Buderim which was good, catching up in person. Got home just before we went into the snap lockdown. 

Without fail my Easter orchid continues to deliver year after year. The colours are gorgeous but I think it is time to divide and have two Easter orchids next year. Or a bigger pot!

Books

Also on holiday with me was Nathan Dylan Goodwin's The Chester Creek Murders: A Venator Cold Case which is the first installment of his new book series. 

I have yet to do my review but as usual Nathan has written a gripping read and I predict the series will be as big a hit as his Morton Farrier series. 

It was also a pleasure to listen to Nathan speak about how he does his research in the FHDU Methodology stream. Thankfully the motel's free wi fi was up to letting me watch it live.

During the month I also received the latest Traces magazine, Discover Your Ancestors No 9, and a number of digital genealogy journals and magazines. The paper ones sit on the chair, and the digital ones disappear out of sight. Despite my best intentions. 

My latest thoughts on how to manage my digital reading is to list items as they arrive in my inbox and then tick them off when I have read them. Also with the intention of reading them within 7 days so that they don't become a serious backlog. Discipline - not a strong point for me with so many other things to capture my geneattention.

Bribie Genealogy & Bribie U3A

Our March meeting was a success with Pauleen Cass our guest speaker giving us lots of tips for our Irish research. Pauleen also had a very useful handout for members.

Somehow I was talked into taking over the Bribie U3A beginners class. My fear is that I will be too much for them so I am making my weekly classes as basic as I can. I suspect that the attendees will have varied experience which just makes aiming the level of the class that much harder. Still it should be fun. The idea is that attendees will go from the beginners class to joining Bribie Genealogy. 

Our April meeting falls on Good Friday so I organised a military talk via Zoom for those interested. 

Conferences

FHDU 2021 was the big event in March and was in the end a totally virtual event. But that saw more talks offered. Four streams on DNA, Abroad, Australia & New Zealand and Methodology meant that people could attend one, two or all streams. 

Being the geneaddict that I am, I have all four streams to watch. Now to find the time. Bit like my digital reading! Plus I need to write a blog post. 

In case you missed it and are interested, it is still possible to purchase access to the different webinar streams. See the link above.

My next conference is the AFFHO Congress 2021 on Norfolk Island. I am giving a paper on the Pyers/Johnson family. AFFHO have also asked me to speak at the launch of NFHM 2021 which is an honour. That should be an amazing week in a place that I love for its beauty and simplicity of lifestyle. 

Talks

I talk too much! I was pleased to accept a last minute offer to give a talk at The Surname Society's AGM and seminar day. Basically I reworked one of my previous talks into how to find surnames in archives downunder. It was also a good opportunity to hear talks on Library and Archives Canada, (now to look for more of my Canadian cousins), National Archives UK and Archives New Zealand presented by Fiona Brooker. A great tour of their online catalogue Archway.

Talks are coming up at Noosa Libraries, Moreton Libraries and other places but I can't mention those yet. Details of my upcoming talks are always on the Events pages of my website.

Plus those close by can come along to Bribie Genealogy on the 1st Friday of the month, 9.15am at Bribie RSL.

Website

There hasn't been much action on my website in recent months as I was hijacked and it cost a small fortune to remove malware and whatever else. I am truly grateful to my IT person for sorting it all out and now I just have to start blogging again. 

There will also be a fresh look to reflect on my new approach to life post cancer and covid, although the latter may still be around for a while yet.

What's New in Australia & New Zealand

Do you subscribe to the Trove enewsletter? It is the easiest way to see what newspaper titles have been added to Trove during the month. For example in March 2021 they added: 

• Sunraysia Daily (Vic: 1920-1927)
• The Mildura and Merbein Sun (Vic: 1921)
• The Mildura Irrigationist (Vic: 1892-1893)
• The Merbein Irrigationist and Murray Valley Soldiers' Gazette (Vic: 1919-1920)
• The Mildura Irrigationist and Murray River Agricultural Times (Vic: 1888)
• The Mildura Irrigationist and Murray River Cultural Advocate (Vic: 1891 - 1892)

• Noosa News (Qld: 1968-1974)
• Noosa Advocate (Qld: 1911-1929)
• Noosa Advocate and Cooroora Advertiser (Qld: 1929-1934).

Great news for those with Mildura, Victoria or Noosa, Queensland families. My son's GG grandfather John Barrow Atkinson was one of the early people to buy land at Noosa. If only the family had held on to it!

Similarly I subscribe to the enews from various state archives to see what has been indexed or digitised. In the March Now & Then from State Archives and Records New South Wales I discovered that the  Protestant male orphan school register 1850-1886 has been digitised and is online. These enewsletters are easy to read and often contain useful hints on searching or advertising a new webinar on a family history topic.

While not Australasian, the FamilySearch enewsletter each month has new records from around the world and is always worth a browse. There were new French and German collections and some for various English counties. By knowing what has been added, you can simply search that collection if it is relevant to your ancestral search areas.

April is a big month for talks, more doctor visits (check ups), U3A beginning family history classes, a 4 day visit from my brother, the Bribie Historical Society meeting and setting time aside to watch some of my FHDU webinars. I wonder what bright shiny object will grab my attention this coming month? 

Take care and stay safe. Happy geneasearching until next month.