Trawling in the Lake

Normally when I present a webinar or talk it is on a topic about which I have a reasonable amount of knowledge.

Recently I have been on a steep learning curve as I prepare a talk, Trawling in the Lake: resources for family history research in the Lake Macquarie area, about my new local area. With the support of fellow members of The Lake Macquarie Family History Group I am learning about the history of this area and the resources to support research into the district.

Lake Macquarie LGA is within the red lines on this map

Until I started this exercise I thought that the Newcastle Local Government Area (LGA) was the major LGA in the region. I have since learnt that Lake Macquarie (649km2) covers a greater area than Newcastle (187km2). The Lake Macquarie area's population at 2018 was 204,914 while in Newcastle the population at 2018 was 164,104. The lesson here for genealogists researching in the area around Newcastle is that the Lake Macquarie LGA should be included in your searches. 

Suburbs like Cardiff, Charlestown, Edgeworth, Glendale and West Wallsend that I had thought would be in Newcastle are actually in Lake Macquarie. The Lake Macquarie area also extends south past Morisset to Wyee, south on the eastern side past Catherine Hill Bay and west past Cooranbong and into the Watagans National Park.

If you would like to learn more about resources for researching in this area you are invited to join the Zoom event hosted by The Lake Macquarie Family History Group and presented by me as an outreach activity on August 28th during National Family History Month. 

Bookings are necessary for this free event.

Please email  lakemacfhg@gmail.com  to register. A link to the event will be emailed to participants in the days prior to the event.