Just in - Free British Webinars from Familysearch

Dear British Family History Researchers:

We are pleased to announce the British class Webinars for the month of August. They are as follows:

British Case Study (Mark Gardner) – Tuesday, August 8^th at 1:00PM, B-2 Lab.   This webinar (and Your British Research Questions Answered) can fast-track your genealogical research knowledge and skills as few other learning venues and opportunities. This intensive collaborative class will teach you ways to solve difficult research scenarios by raising awareness for better steps to take that empower you to success, and which will clarify your thinking and provide some usable strategies for future research.

Tracing Ancestry in English Census Records (Todd Knowles) – Thursday, August 17^th at 1:00PM, B-2 Lab. This class illuminates many of the marvelous online sites which provide quick access to many of the available census records (1841-1911)  and the advantages of some of those sites, over others. There’s so many excellent choices, so watch Todd as he navigates through and empowers you towards greater success along the your research trails using these outstanding records.

Kissing Cousins or Not? Understanding Generations, Kith, Kin and Relationships (Craig Foster) – Tuesday, August 22^nd at 1:00PM, B-2 Lab.  This class explains differences between kith, kin, first and second cousins, as well as explains generations and why understanding this is so important.

Genealogical Treasures at Findmypast.co.uk  (Mark Gardner) – Thursday, August 24^th  at 1:00PM, B-2 Lab. This class addresses the rich English treasures and powerful databases this fast growing website has assembled which allows  you some of the best chances for success in locating your England ancestry. Come and participate as Mark demos the myriad resources at your perusal.

Your British/Irish Research Questions Answered (Phil Dunn) – Thursday, 31^st at 1:00PM, B-2 Lab. Have a brickwall line you haven’t worked on in years? Bring it and any others to this webinar and watch us help you break it down into manageable steps—be it, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, or British subject abroad. Feel free to take advantage of this opportunity to gain direct access to one of the Family History Library’s professional genealogists to obtain answers to your brick wall ancestral research problem.

A long drive to Chester Hill

I was thrilled to be invited to the launch of National Family History Month at Chester Hill in Sydney yesterday afternoon. The eloquent Martyn Killion who was MC opened the event.

Bryan Scales, Sydney Office, National Archives of Australia gave a short presentation on 20th Century Immigration to Australia: records held by the National Archives of Australia. Bryan went over some familiar series of documents but also told us of a new series that had been digitised. It is :

Series number	A1197
Title	Incoming passenger cards
Accumulation dates	01 Jan 1965 - 31 Dec 1972

Bryan asked if anyone in the audience had been overseas and returned to Australia between 1965 and 1972, my hand shot up. Bryan suggested I take a look at the records (which are organised in six month sets with cards within each set arranged alphabetically by surname) to see if I could find my record....and I did. Because they aren't indexed by name it takes a bit of effort to find the records but it's really quite easy.

When I returned from my honeymoon 1970

This snip only shows the top half of the card, the bottom section also contains my intended address. This is pure Geneagold. Imagine how many Australian Currys I will be able to find for my surname study there. 

The Keynote address by Dr Perry McIntyre was "Family History 30 years after Australian’s Bicentennial: who is looking now? In this thought provoking presentation Perry discussed the changes in the Australian population over the past thirty years and during her talk threw out challenges to family historians, archives and repositories and genealogy groups. She encouraged all to make their information and records accessible and appropriate to Australia's changing population.

Dr Perry McIntyre and Martyn Killion

Martyn Killion  also presented this year's Nick Vine Hall Awards for the best genealogy/family history society journals or newsletters in 2016 (not sure if I can name the winners yet). 

Our gracious hosts were the staff members of The National Archives of Australia who served us a delicious afternoon tea.

While chatting with those in attendance I met two genies from The Lacemakers of Calais Group who live on my road and who had also made the trek to Chester Hill. It's a small world! I also said g'day to people from The Society of Australian Genealogists and the Bankstown, Botany Bay, Ku-ring-gai and Nepean family history groups.

Thanks to my genimate and National Family History Month Coordinator, Shauna Hicks, for my invitation to the event. I'm pleased I made that long drive.

Will I see you there?

One of the events I have signed up for in National Family History Month is the two day Researching Abroad event hosted by Unlock the Past in Parramatta on 15-16 August.

I am an Ambassador for this event and look forward to catching up with many of my genimates there. I will be there all day Tuesday and for half the day on Wednesday as I am must attend my FHG meeting on the Wednesday afternoon.

I'm wondering if anyone else is likely to be hanging around for dinner at the venue, the Parramatta RSL, on the Tuesday. Seems like a perfect opportunity to catch up and have a chat.

The cost for attending this event is quite modest - it's a great opportunity to hear international speakers. Will I see you there?

101 Reasons to attend #congress_2018 - Sydney Opera House

There are several Australian sites on the World Heritage List. When in Sydney for Congress stay an extra day or two so you can visit the Sydney Opera House that was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2007.

Read all about it here: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/sydney-opera-house

Consider an Opera House tour while you are in town. https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/visit-us/tours-and-experiences/english-tour-1718.html.