Ambassadorship in Australia

There was a flurry of activity on the internet when Alan Phillips announced that Unlock the Past would be staging a huge geneaevent on The Sunshine Coast in March 2021. After the roaring success of DNA Downunder in Sydney last year Alan committed to giving us Family History Downunder, a world class genealogy conference with well regarded international speakers.

As someone who loves attending geneaevents overseas I have been privileged to hear each of the international speakers on the image to the right. Being able to hear them all under the one roof is a real treat for Australians.

I was one of the enthusiastic genies who took advantage of the opportunity to register for this event when it was announced. I hear that several hundred genies have already registered. You too can register at https://www.familyhistorydownunder.com/#booking-form and take advantage of the Earlybird Prices.

The good news in my mailbox was that I have been appointed as an Ambassador for this event so my blog is now featuring a new badge in its sidebar. While there are some perks to this appointment there are added responsibilities. Having been an Ambassador at similar events I find that I cannot comfortably manage being a Presenter and Ambassador so (when I had a whisper that I may be an Ambassador) I did not go ahead with an application to speak.

If you are considering attendance at the event remember to join the Facebook Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/FamilyHistoryDownUnder, where you can ask questions and meet genimates prior to the conference.

World Class Event in Sydney

I am still on a high after spending three days at the DNA Downunder event in Sydney last week. It has taken me a while to pen this last post because I have so much to say about this event which was world class. I wore my Ambassador Badge with pride during the event.

Kudos for taking a risk and staging such a professional event must go to Alan Phillips from Unlock the Past. Alan has been staging genealogy roadshows for several years but with DNA Downunder he took this event to another level. Right from the start the event promotion, including the appointment of Ambassadors, was top notch. 

Alan Phillips directing proceedings at DNA Downunder

 The venue in Sydney was excellent and only the most persnickety could find fault. The little things that make a great conference stand out from a good conference like smooth online registration, name tags, lanyards, programs (both online and in hard copy), signage, a strict timetable that was adhered to, opportunities to spend a few $$$ and get advice from vendors and societies coupled with an amazing star presenter, Blaine Bettinger, with solid supporting acts made this conference a success. Without the support of Alona and Anthea, the two family members and co-workers who are Alan's right hand women, this show would not have been such a fantastic event.

Alona and Anthea 

On a personal level I got so much from the feast of lectures on the program and took away a Doggie Bag full of ideas and tips to apply to my DNA research.I always enjoy geneaevents while I am there; I find many talks interesting and entertaining with content that is nice to know but they are not educative or inspiring.  DNA Downunder was an educative experience of the highest calibre.

Eager genies - Ready to learn

I attended every one of Blaine's 14 lectures, I had many items reinforced and learnt something new from all of them. As I predicted I am suffering from Blaine Overload but that is a positive outcome. As well as learning about methodology and resources I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on the ethics of DNA use and the constant reminders of the emotional effects that DNA discoveries can have on those involved. 

Blaine, a a genuine nice guy, spent so much time chatting with attendees

Shelley Crawford

I must apologise to the other speakers on the program as, because I went to all of Blaine's talks, I only managed to go to two other presentations. There was no way I was going to miss my genimate Shelley Crawford's talk so I was lucky she spoke when Blaine was having a break. Shelley was one of the first Australians to enter the world of genetic genealogy.

Shelley had a full house

One of the first people I encountered when I went to take my seat was Blaine. Getting  a hug and a hello from him set the scene for a super event. 

Blaine and GeniAus

I revelled in the out of school opportunities that a face to face conference offers. I caught up with some of my dear online pals, genimates from all over the place, loads of geneabloggers and met several genies for the first time.

Geneabloggers at DNA Downunder 

I just hope that Alan hosts a similar event in the future. These events educate, energise and enthuse our family history community.

Positive Overload

A while ago I wrote that I would be suffering from Blaine overload at DNA Downunder.

My day started off well when I entered the lecture room to be greeted with a hug from Blaine Bettinger.

Blaine and GeniAus

And then there was the meetup with my Rootstech buddies, Fran, Pauleen and Sharn. I let out many squeals of delight as I kept finding more genimaates.

With Rootstech buddies Fran, Pauleen and Sharn

Today on the the first day of DNA Downunder in Sydney I attended five DNA talks given by Blaine. My brain is certainly overloaded but this is a most positive outcome. I have had much of my DNA knowledge reinforced, been given many tips and ideas to further my genetic sleuthing and have been energised and inspired by Blaine'a enthusiasm.  The 300+ genies who were in attendance today had a real treat.

One of five talks from Blaine today

The other presentation I attended was from the researchers from Genioz who told us about their research study and shared findings from their work on personal genomics in Australia. As someone who has a blinkered view and hasn't thought much beyond the use of DNA in family history research this presentation was a real eye opener. It was good to be exposed to the whole picture as opposed to my narrow little focus.

Jacqueline from Genioz

Alan Phillips from Unlock the Past has excelled himself with venue choice, the program and the whole organisation of the event which so far has been top notch.Thanks also to Alona and Anthe - the women who keep Alan under control. Well done Phillips family.

Alan Phillips

Being able to meet old genimates and online friends in the flesh is one aspect of a geneaconference that I enjoy. I can't wait until tomorrow when I hope to chat and take a happy snap with those I missed today.

A hall overflowing with genimates

My day ended at a dinner with some of the many Downunder Genies who are travelling to London in October to attend the Rootstech Conference there.

We certainly experienced DNA to the Max at Castle Hill today.

Getting ready to Dive Deeper

Many of you will know that I have been cruising around the Mediterranean since my attendance at The Genealogy Show. Mr GeniAus and I had a super time at this event in Birmingham and are both looking forward to attending in 2020.

We thought our cruise would give us a much needed rest but with 17 ports in 17 days and one or two excursions each day we were exhausted by the time we disembarked. A couple of days after arriving home I celebrated a significant birthday with all the associated hoopla. Today I find myself back in the geneacave working on a long list of geneatasks. I will spend the next few days at my keyboard playing catchup.

I do have something to look forward to....I love a geneaevent and I need all the help I can get with DNA so I am really excited about the next BIG Geneaevent on the Australian calendar. I am proud to be an Ambassador for the DNADownunder series of events being hosted next month by Alan Phillips and his team at UnlockthePast.

Blaine Bettinger and GeniAus at Rootstech 2019

Alan has put together a world class event with Blaine Bettinger, DNA Guru and nice bloke, as the star act. I have been lucky enough to hear Blaine present at both Rootstech and The Genealogy Show. As well as being an expert in the field of DNA he is an entertaining and engaging presenter who can clearly explain DNA concepts.

Blaine will be supported at the events by a cast of Australia's finest genetic genealogists. I am particularly excited to see Canberra genie Shelley Crawford, one of my DNA heroes, on the program, Shelley got me interested in DNA way back in 2010 when she started blogging about her adventures with DNA. She got me started on my DNA adventure.

Those who attend a DNADownunder event in one of the six Australian cities are in for a treat. I will be going to the three day Diving Deep in Sydney event. I have been attending talks on DNA every year since 2011 at Rootstech and latterly at other events and find that I learn something new at each event. DNA is such a rapidly evolving field that there is always something new to learn. I also find it valuable to attend further lectures on familiar topics to reinforce my knowledge.

The beauty of the Sydney event is that there are three streams so there is something for everyone from the raw beginner or someone contemplating a DNA test to those who have already dived deeply into the DNA pool.

DNA is the genealogy tool of the 21st century - Anyone with an interest in genealogy should not miss one of these events.

A New Badge on the Blog

When Alan Phillips' invitation to be an Ambassador for  Researching Abroad: Finding British Isles and European Ancestors, a series of Unlock the Past events, I had no hesitation in accepting.

For the next few weeks this badge will appear on my blo

I had every intention of attending this event and was going to share my enthusiasm anyway. I love to support the events Unlock the Past host for the geneacommunity downunder. UTP is the only commercial organisation that regularly organises events that bring overseas genealogy speakers we would not otherwise hear downunder. A bonus is that the costs of these events are quite reasonable.

I will be attending the Sydney gig at Parramatta (did you know you can get there by bus or train from Hornsby way over on the other side of town?). I love these events because they fire up my enthusiasm and educate and enlighten me. They also provide an opportunity to catch up with my distant genimates.

I am probably one of a handful of Australians who has met both Dirk and Chris, the headliners at this event. They are both enthusiastic chaps who are passionate about genealogy in their geographical areas..

The hashtag for this event is #utproadshow17.

Disclosure: As compensation for my Ambassadorial duties I receive complimentary entry to the Researching Abroad: Finding British Isles and European Ancestors in Sydney.

Judy sailed in ....

....and blew us away.

The small but enthusiastic audience that gathered at SAG for the Unlock the Past Event in Sydney yesterday were winners in the genealogy stakes. Those who didn't take the opportunity to join fellow enthusiasts missed out on two exceptional talks by Judy G Russell, a chance to win some valuable prizes and an opportunity to network with genimates. I can't understand why more folk didn't attend and can only surmise that perhaps the cost or location of the event put them off.

As I entered SAG's grounds I didn't know who to say g'day to first, as quite a number of my pals were already waiting in the garden. It was beaut to see Dot who had travelled down from Narromine and Janelle and Sharon from The Central Coast. It was good to see interstate members of the Unlock the Past  team too. I won't name everyone I saw as I may forget someone.

I was pleased to see representatives from our Hornsby Shire Family History Group in attendance and  I was chuffed when one lady said she came along because she had seen my video interview with Judy at Rootstech. 

Hapy Genies at UTP event

It is rare that I lavish praise on genealogy presenters but Judy is excellence in presentation personified. She knows her subject, she looks professional and acts professionally (although we casual Aussies encouraged her to discard her jacket in the 36c heat), she oozes passion and enthusiasm, injects humour into her presentations, involves her audience : she delivers on all counts.  I am sometimes concerned at the quality of presenters that are sent down under, Judy (and a couple of others are exceptions). I do hope the organisers of our 2018 Congress consider inviting Judy (who has family connections to Australia) to be be a keynote (Hint, Hint).

Judy will be performing at two more venues in Perth and Brisbane. I suggest you get along and see her at one of them.

Judy presented two talks yesterday that encouraged me to think and inspired me to act, I was entertained into the bargain.

After this talk I feel equipped to convince family members to consent to taking DNA tests without resorting to bullying.

I thoroughly enjoyed the second talk which I had heard before. In a practical exercise with the audience Judy demonstrated how family facts and stories can disappear in just three generations. I am pleased that I blog some of my personal anecdotes and thoughts on another site but I realise that I need to do so much more. I want my grandchildren and their descendants to know their Gummy.

After these two sessions Judy skipped off with Helen Smith to explore our city. We had a break for lunch at the local sandwich shop and reconvened for the prize draw. There were several generous prizes from sponsors, I won a 75% discount off some UTP resources while Sue,  another Hornsby Shire Family History Group  member, won a subscription to MyHeritage worth over $300.

Alan Phillips (R) from UTP draws the prizes  while Paul Blake (L) prepares for his presentation.

The afternoon presentation consisted of two talks by Paul Blake, another presenter on the present Unlock the Past Cruise, who was onshore for the day. I was extremely disappointed (and have heard from a few others that they agree with me) in Paul's presentation on Irish Records. I am sure that many of those present in the audience would have done a better job with this topic. Thankfully one audience member was able to correct a couple of errors and add supplementary information.

Paul's second presentation was on a topic I know little about, The History of Photographs, so I did learn something.  My time after lunch would have been better spent on personal research.

Then it was time to network. I wandered down to The Rocks with Jenny and Lilian where we stopped off at The Argyle for some long, cold drinks and a natter before heading to The Glenmore to reunite with Judy, Helen and a few other genies for some more cool refreshment and some Aussie tucker. Although we had hoped to get a spot on the Rooftop we couldn't so we managed to score The Glenmore Lounge where we sat around a large round table to chat and dine.

And the good news is that I think Judy likes Australia so far, so she may come back.

Our dinner group minus shy Jenny who acted as photographer

A Virtual "Meet and Greet"

Oh, boy, am I nervous and excited.

Tonight I am hosting a Hangout on Air about Genealogy Cruising for Unlock the Past. I am nervous because Mr Unlock the Past, Alan Phillips, has put his faith in me to carry out this task for UTP. I will try my best no to besmirch the reputation of his organisation.

Sometimes the Google Hangout application can be a bit flaky and sometimes my internet connection is dodgy (I do have a backup plan) so that adds to my anxiety. I also don't know exactly who will be on the panel until they actually join so I can't really script the activity. I just make do with a rough runsheet.

Overriding all of this is my excitement. I love the Hangout tool which allows people from distant places to join together in an online teleconference that is livestreamed to the world. Potentially thousands of people could watch our little broadcast tonight.

I am excited because I am going to meet fellow presenters and cruisers prior to our cruise in three weeks time. I know that presenters from three countries will join me (technology willing) as well as seasoned cruisers and some first-time sailors. We plan to chat for 45 minutes (but may have to stretch to 60) about who we are, why we love geneacruising and what we expect to get out of the cruise. We hope that our newbie or any potential cruisers come armed with questions to ask.

This Hangout will be of interest to anyone who wants to meet some renowned genealogists, find out about geneacruising or just spend some time with fellow family historians. While the 4th Unlock the Past Cruise will be our focus we will share details of future cruises and geneacrusising in general

You can watch this event at 8:00pm Sydney time tonight directly from here on the Unlock the Past Youtube Channel.  If you wish to comment or pose questions during the event you should join the Unlock the Past Hangout Community on Google+. You need to have a Google account for this, if you have a Gmail account you can log in to plus.google.com with your Gmail username and password.

Disclaimer: As their Hangout Host I am being compensated by Unlock the Past. The excitement is all my own.

Addictions united

Those who read my blog will know that I am a Genealogy Junkie and a Social Media Tragic but I have another addiction; I am a Cruiseaholic. Having a chance to combine these three interests puts me on a stairway to heaven.

I have become a blogging partner on Unlock the Past Cruises new website, http://www.unlockthepastcruises.com/, because it allows me to combine those three interests.  Most importantly the modest Alan Phillips, the man behind Unlock the Past, is an ethical operator with a  genuine passion for history and genealogy.  I am honoured that Alan has added me to his list of  blogging partners that includes foremost bloggers, researchers and writers from Australia and overseas.

Unlock the Past Cruises Website

Alan has organised four successful cruises in the Australian region so he is perfecting the recipe for a perfect cruise. He is now dipping his toes into foreign waters by including cruises around Britain and Europe.

 As a veteran of just one Unlock the Past Genealogy Cruise I am hooked; I have already booked and will be presenting on the next cruise in February. I hope that I can join Alan's Unlock the Past team in some of the cruises in more distant locations.

Aussies at Rootstech

I was thrilled to have company from home at Rootstech this year. Mr Geniaus and I finished our time at Rootstech tonight with a quiet dinner with Margaret and Geoff Doherty from Queensland .

Margaret is the President of the Genealogical Society of Queensland while Geoff has an interest in social history and interesting stories of quirky forbears.  Next stop for the Dohertys is Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada where Geoff will present a talk at the local Genealogy Society. I was fortunate in being able to conduct a video interview with Margaret while at Rootstech that I will post to this blog in the coming days.

Of the dozen or so interviews I conducted at Rootstech I will tonight share below one recorded with Alan Phillips and Alona Tester from Unlock the Past  in which they talk about their companies, why they travelled to Rootstech and about the exciting program of geneacruising they have planned for the next three years.