Kiwis at Rootstech

Voices from a table near me in the Family History Library on Monday sounded strangely familiar amongst the mostly American accents in the room.

I wandered over and said g'day to this group of ladies who told me they are part of Jan Gow's tour group. Jan's regular genealogy tour this year is coinciding with the Rootstech Conference.

Members of Jan Gow's tour group at work in the Family History Library

On Tuesday I spotted Australian expat, Michelle Patient, a New Zealand resident who is President of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists and geneablogging pal, Roger Moffat a proud Kiwi who lives in the US.

Michelle Patient and Roger Moffat

Together with the Australian contingent at Rootstech the New Zealanders make a formidable representation from downunder.

Born in Australia

After Thomas MacEntee told me that presenter Jan Gow had been born in Australia I changed my options and went to her session, Create your own Family Reference Library and Catalogue. Jan has lived in New Zealand fro many years and is prominent in the genealogy community in that country.

This session, that was in a computer lab, started with a formal powerpoint presentation and was followed by a hands-on session in using the software, Treepad, that Jan uses  to organise her genealogy resources. 

Slide from Jan's Presentation

Other resources she suggested and demonstrated were ClipMate™ 7.3, irfanview, and Parish Locator.

Jan Gow and students