Family Tree Frog

  This is the third blog post for the #NationalFamilyHistoryMonth blogging challenge.  You can find out all about it here. Week 3 - Share - tips for smashing brick walls, or your opinion on what needs to be fixed/changed in family history - "If I ruled the world!".  Tell us what you can't live without - maybe it's a piece of tech gear, your society or group, or your library. It's so difficult to choose what you can't do without but I'm going to perhaps choose something that may seem a bit unusual or different.  I can't do without my family history podcasts.  There you are. I was going to say I can't do without the internet and yes, of course, that really would be a dint in my family history research.  I wouldn't be able to access my databases, search library catalogues or great websites, blog or send emails to my cousins or share stuff on Dropbox or attend Special Interest Groups at my Society or attend workshops or meetings via Zoom.  So defin...

  It's Folio Friday and time to share what books we've been reading. I have so many books on the go at the moment, it is embarrassing.  A couple of Inter-Library loans too which I really need to get on with reading. This week's book review is about an Australian book (at last) called The Other Side of Absence by Betty O'Neill published this year by Impact Press, an imprint of Ventura Press. One of the themes that run through both my family history and that of my husband's family history is that of abandonment: children being abandoned by their parents in orphanages or foster homes or similar.  I have often wondered about the psychological damage that is passed down from generation to generation as a result and or the social outcomes for the children.  If I had the intestinal fortitude for undertaking any more university study, this is the area to which I would devote a thesis.  Betty O'Neill has taken on this subject and dealt with it most engagingly and sensit...

Jill Bill from GeniAus once again invites us to reflect on our genealogical achievements for the year.   Here are the questions and I just know that my account of 2019 will not be a fabulous one but, if anything, it inspires me to greater heights in 2020: 1.  An elusive ancestor I found was  2.  A great newspaper article I found was about John Patrick or "Jack" McLoughlin, my mother's uncle,  in this blog post here. 3.  A geneajourney I took was to Melbourne.  I confess the trip to Melbourne was mostly about catching up with dear friends, going to a musical and doing a sewing workshop but I managed to convince a friend/chauffeur to detour while getting croissants one morning to have a look at an ancestor's house in Napier Street Fitzroy.  Who knows if it really was his house - numbers may have changed in the street - but I was just excited to be in the street where he used to live.  I wrote about Peter Sinclair ...

It's week 1 of the National Family History Month Blogging Challenge.   Take what you will from the title of Ruth Park's novel Poor Man's Orange published in 1949.  The novel was set in Surry Hills, Sydney about a Catholic Irish Family.   Perhaps there were Irish Catholics in your family.  Perhaps your ancestors lived in Surry Hills or Sydney.   Have you got a tale of making do? Or a tale of working class ancestors? The book caused quite a stir when it came out as you can see from the Letters to the Sydney Morning Herald in July 1949 - nearly 70 years ago. Courtesy of the National Library of Australia, Trove  Letters READERS' OPINIONS OF NOVEL (1949, July 9).  The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) , p. 2. Retrieved July 22, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18121842 Join in our challenge.  We welcome bloggers from near and far.  August is National Family History Month in Australia but you don't have...

It's time to take a moment and plan the week ahead in all things family history/local history in Brisvegas.   National Family History Month might be over but there's still plenty on for you to enjoy.   If you missed GeniAus' fantastic finale to NFHM 2015 on Sunday last - you can catch up on the 12 hour GeneaGala Hangout marathon here. Friday 4th September 9:00-11:00am - North Brisbane Branch of Genealogical Society of Queensland The North Brisbane Branch of GSQ holds its meetings on the first Friday morning of each month (except January) at the Brisbane North Area Scouting Centre at 23 Sicklefield St Alderley. Doors open at 8.45 am. North Brisbane Members are able to borrow from our extensive library of books, magazines, fiche and CDs for a small fee. 10:00-11:30am - Family Tree Maker® (FTM) User Group at QFHS The Family Tree Maker (FTM) User Group shows members in a user-friendly way what they can achieve using the program to display their fami...

Cemetery Tour Redcliffe April 2015 I hope you are enjoying National Family History Month - there's certainly plenty on to pique your interest.  Don't forget to tick off Shauna Hicks 31 Activities for Researchers , will you?  Here is a just a taste of what's out there: Friday 14 August  10:00am - 11:30am  Fridays @ QFHS Brick Walls: solving tough research problems We all have them, these tough research problems that defy any solution. Come along to hear a presentation of some strategies to assist in solving 'brick walls'. The presentation will be followed by a one-on-one clinic (11.00 am-12.30 pm) with QFHS experts who will work with you to advise on ways that may help with these intractable problems. Once you have registered, we will provide further information on the one-on-one sessions. $11 members $15 non-members.  Book online. Saturday 15 August  9:30am -12:30pm  QFHS New Members Welcome and Orientation Are you ...

Tingalpa Chapel  Once again, my weekly post seems a little redundant in the face of the fabulous National Family History Month calendar.  Please do make sure you check it out first as the list below will really only be some highlights and other bits and bobs that I have rather hurriedly put together, with my usual obvious biases :) Friday 7 August 10am QFHS Family Tree Maker® (FTM) User Group At each meeting, we demonstrate the Family Tree Maker program. If you wish, bring your personal computer, tablet or smart phone and follow us on the big screen. 10am  North Brisbane Branch of Genealogical Society of Qld. The North Brisbane Branch of GSQ holds its meetings on the first Friday morning of each month (except January) at the Brisbane North Area Scouting Centre at 23 Sicklefield St Alderley. Doors open at 8.45 am. North Brisbane Members are able to borrow from our extensive library of books, magazines, fiche and CDs for a small fee. Saturda...

Private A.R. Quinn of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry with an accordion, Gambarie, Italy, September 1943 Lieut. Terry F. Rowe. Canada. Department of National Defense. Library and Archives Canada, PA-115155 / Creative /Commons Licence Thank you for your patience with my absence last week.  I was #stuckinbali as they say and am very pleased to be back.  So, this is what is on offer family history and local history wise in Brisvegas this week.  As always, if you think I've missed something or should know about something coming up, please let me know. Saturday 25 July 10:00am-12:00pm Central European Group QFHS Meetings feature a short talk or workshop relevant to Central European research. You will receive assistance from very experienced researchers. 10:00am-12:30pm Military Group GSQ The aim of the Group is to assist members with their research into their military ancestry through discussion, guest speakers and acquisition of resources. ...

Bird Feeding Hour at The Polish Place Mount Tamborine What's on offer this coming week in south-east Queensland family and local history wise? Saturday 13 June - 9.00am - 12:30pm - Qld Baptists' Conference Centre QFHS leads the pack with their Ireland to Australia: Researching Your Irish Ancestors seminar - Presenters are Dr Richard Reid and Mary King .   Cost $15 for members $20 for non-members (includes morning tea) To find out more click here. Tuesday 16 June - 6:00-7:30pm - John Oxley Library Reading Room The Vital Track - 150 Years of Railways in Queensland - speakers Greg Hallam, Historian at Queensland Rail, and Dr Geraldine Mate, Senior Curator, Transport and Energy at The Workshops Rail Museum .  Cost ?  Free!  To book click here . Thursday 18 June - 10:00-11:00am - Garden City Library History of the World War II Eagle Farm Airfield Join historian Peter Dunn as he discusses the fascinating history of the Eagle Farm Airfield d...

It's such a lovely big old world and we are so lucky to have the internet.   Have you ever wanted to start family history but didn't know where to begin? Today I learned that the University of Tasmania - right down the bottom of the world - is offering a free course - Introduction to Family History as per here.   To enrol for free you do have to be an  Australian citizen or a student holding a Permanent Humanitarian Visa or with a Permanent Resident Status. And you need to study it in their Spring Semester which starts 8 December.  Applications close 16 December.  But what if you already know a bit about Family History and want to know a bit more? I have enrolled in several courses through the lovely Pharos Tutors  who are pretty much at the top of the world. At the moment I am studying a 3 week course in World War Research with Simon Fowler and it is great.  Yes...THE Simon Fowler! No, not that Simon Fowler...th...