Family Tree Frog

Yesterday afternoon I was on duty at the QFHS Library together with Ken and Judith.  The lovely Lyn was there too, beavering away checking duplicate microfiche.  It was very quiet - just a couple (allright, three) other members doing their research. The library looks really great now.  There's been a bit of a re-shuffle and things look much more open. The front desk has been moved around to face you as you walk in the door giving library assistants much more room to sit together and more of a profile so you know who is on duty.   There are new lockers for members to use for their bags et al.  They look a bit scary at first but a friendly library assistant will show you how to use them.  Just choose a four digit code and away you go. As part of the cleanup, there is a display of enticing journals that are being given away for FREE in the kitchen! And of course all the recent additions to the library are on display so you can see wha...

Can you guess where I am? Canberra..my old home town for the 14th Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry. It's a bit chillier than Brisbane...but nicely so. Yesterday I attended 7 sessions. Josh Taylor was first up with a keynote address. Josh is the President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the Data Strategy Manager US and Canada for findmypast.  What an engaging speaker he is. He spoke about how to engage 21sters in family history. The answer? Share your stories. Make it social. Next session was with Carole Riley about following the gold. I suspect that my ancestors were at the diggings in some capacity...either digging or profiteering from those who were digging.I learned the importance of investigating place names and going wider in your research rather than just your direct ancestors. Cora Num's session on workplace choices was pre-recorded due to last minute misfortune and Cora's inability to attend in person. W...

Sometimes the challenges in life provide the best learning experiences. Can you find an example of this in your own family tree? Which brick wall ancestor are you most thankful for, and how did that person shape your family history experience? George Birrell - Sea Town  My first blog was called Luvvies Musings...and I have been musing long and hard about this question ...so much so that I'm now late...terribly late and need to get on with it! The ancestor that I will posit for discussion today is not really a brick wall but she's a good example. My ancestor's name is Isabella Sinclair (nee Birrell).  She was my 3rd great-grandmother and came out to Melbourne, Australia with her husband Peter Sinclair in 1857 on the " Horizon " with their six children: Isabella, Margaret, Ann, James, Ellen (Helen) and Emma.  Somebody sent me a message on Ancestry this week asking me a bit more about the family and so that motivated me to have a play with Scotlands...