Cemetery Collections of the SAG

What I now like about the webinars from the Society of Australian Genealogists is that, if one can't listen to the webinar live, one has an option to go back and listen to a recording at a later date.

When this Society first offered webinars one had to listen to them live and I missed a couple that I had paid for because something else came up at the scheduled time. The most recent webinar that I signed up for was Cemetery Collections of the SAG with Heather Garnsey, Executive Officer, speaking about the cemetery records and information that the society has available for members. I had intended listening to this live but when an opportunity to have dinner with some fellow genealogists and Judy G Russell in Sydney came up I ditched the webinar. Soon after the webinar I received an email with a link indicating that I would be able to watch or listen to the program at my leisure in the next few weeks.

I've had an informative and pleasant time this morning listening to Heather give her presentation which reminded me of the treasures that the Society of Australian Genealogists has for us in its collection. Although I have been a member for a number of years I rarely visit the Society in the city but having listened to Heather I realise that it's time for a visit.

I haven't thought much about what the collection might hold for me but I was surprised to learn that there were maps, indexes, photographs, memorial cards, memorial booklets, stonemasons records', funeral directors' records and other cemetery ephemera in the collection.

The value of this collection is that it is an historical collection containing records produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It includes contemporary records for cemeteries that no longer exist like the Old Sydney Burial Ground and Camperdown Cemetery.

On my CurryAus surname study task list now is a task to search for Curry in the catalogues at the society. A browse of the cemetery records in the Society's library is another job for me.

As I am now able to watch the Society's webinars at a time that suits me I will enrol in several more.  The provision of webinars has certainly added value to the subscription I pay to the Society each year. It was also pleasing to hear Heather say that even more online offerings will be coming from the Society for members in the future.

I have been known to grumble about the fees charged by the Society but realise that these, coupled with the work of an army of volunteers, provide me with access to a very valuable collection.