Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2019 - GeniAus

Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2019

As it would be rather rude of me to ask my genimates to respond to this challenge without doing so myself I thought I had better get a move on. I realise how onerous this challenge can be so I applaud all who have taken the time to participate.

1.  An elusive ancestor I found was unfortunately they are all still in hiding.

2.  A great newspaper article I found was... this is difficult as every time I return to Trove I find something new about one of my ancestors because Trove keeps on adding new titles to its collections. 

I have been unable to pinpoint when my Pusell Great-Grandparents moved from Burraga to Cobar. Just one sentence in a new to me article on Trove from 1903 quotes someone talking about an incident in Burraga. The chap said "I got up and went to Mr. Jas. Pusell's, about a quarter of a mile away. Mrs, Pusell came out and struck a match and looked at me."  This seemingly unimportant statement is geneagold to me as it gives me a contemporary source for my ancestors' location. 

3.  A geneajourney I took was  as I'm rather greedy I took several geneajourneys to conferences in the US, UK and Australia this year. 

I love catching up with the Geneabloggers at Rootstech in Salt Lake CIty

We changed our itinerary at the last minute to visit Yorkshire in June when I found a new record on Ancestry that sent us chasing down some of Mr GeniAus' ancestors. 

4.  I located an important record.  Following on from the discovery mentioned in qn. 3 I made contact with Rev Hilary Smith from the Fulneck Moravian Archives who smartly replied with information on the Midgley ancestors. We made arrangements to visit Fulneck and view the amazing records there. We received a royal welcome at the Fulneck village where we were given tours of the Museum, village and archives. 

Rev. Hilary had laid out on a table in the vestry a collection of original records that contained mentions of the Midgley ancestors. 

Original records in the Fulneck Archives

As if this wasn't enough we visited the Fulneck Cemetery and found the grave marker for one of Mr GeniAus' direct ancestors. We were also give directions to the Gomersal Moravian Cemetery where we found a grave marker for another direct ancestor. 

Elizabeth Midgley nee Birkby Grave Marker in Gomersal Moravian Cemetery

5.  A newly found family member shared  a photo of Mr GeniAus Great-Grandparents, William Henry Parkinson and Martha Jane Midgley.

6.  A geneasurprise I received was contact through my website from a living Kealy cousin in Waterford, Ireland. A descendant of Patrick Kealy and Katherine Bowe he is keen to meet up when we next go to Ireland. I wonder if he would like to do a DNA test. My shout of course.  It pays to have your genealogy posted on the web. 

7.   My 2019 social media post that I was particularly proud of was... Number 10 - the New arrival, https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2019/10/number-10-new-arrival.html,  in which I tried to document the history of our searches for clocks mad by James Gowans and son.

8.  I made a new genimate who... I have made several new genimates this year. Highlighting one of them just one of them would be very difficult.

9.  A new piece of technology or skill I mastered was the The GotoWebinar Dashboard. As I am now hosting some of the webinars for The Society of Australian Genealogists I had to learn how to launch, monitor, produce and save the webinar recordings. 

10. I joined  the committee of my local Family History Group as President.  One of the first things I did was set up a Facebook Page for them here,  https://www.facebook.com/lmfhg/.

11. A genealogy education session or event from which I learnt something new was  Of all the events I attended I learnt the most from DNA Downunder in Sydney. The standout speaker was Blaine Bettinger. Catching up with so many geneabloggers and  genimates was an added bonus.

There were so many genimates at DNA Downunder in Sydney

12. A blog post that taught me something new was I am always learning something new from genimates' blogs. The last thing I mastered with the help of Jonny Perl's blog post, https://dnapainter.com/blog/cluster-auto-painter-unravel-your-dna-test-results/, was the Cluster Auto Painter tool. 

13. A DNA discovery I made was that, five years after doing my first DNA test and  attending countless presentations I am finally gaining an understanding of what it is all about. As someone who never studied science I have been on a deep learning curve.

14. I taught a genimate how to I hope that I managed to teach something to a few of the genies who attended the presentations and webinars I delivered. 

Panel Presentation with Kirsty Gray and Janet Few at THE Genealogy Show

15. A brick wall I demolished was ... my sledgehammer isn't too sharp so, while I added a couple of generations to Mr GeniAus' tree I didn't even put a crack in any of my brickwalls.

16. A great site I visited was...  it had to be the Fulneck Moravian Settlement near Pudsey in Yorkshire. Even if you have no ties to the Moravian Church the village  is still worth a visit. The original buildings which mostly stand unaltered date from the mid 18th century. 

Entrance to the Fulneck Moravian Settlement

17. A new genealogy/history book I enjoyed was I had to look at my Librarything account for an answer to this one. Murder, Misadventure and Miserable Ends: Tales from a Colonial Coroner's Court was not strictly genealogy but it was a valuable read as it gave me an insight into the early history of the colony of New South Wales and the grisly activities of the Coroner's Office.  

18. It was exciting to finally meet  so many UK and Irish genimates in the flesh at two events I attended in the UK, THE Genealogy Show and Rootstech London. These events gave me an opportunity to press the flesh with people I had previously only known online. BTW I'll be back in Birmingham in June to present three talks at THE Genealogy Show.
 

Catching up with Genimates, Robert and Nathan at THE Genealogy Show

19. I am excited for 2020 because... There is so much family information hiding out there for me to find.  Actually this last stanza of Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" describes this well:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

20. Another positive I would like to share is ...  my geneactivities continue to enrich my life. Thank you to all my genimates for your support and generosity.

Best Hangout Ever

I realised a dream tonight. I had more people for the GeniAus Hangout on Air to mark the end of National Family History Month then the ten spaces on the panel.

Having so many panelists contributing to the conversation during the broadcast makes the hangout such a wonderful experience for the Hangout host. Thank you to the twelve peole who joined me to talk about their experiences in National Family Month especially Shauna Hicks, voluntary national co-ordinator for the event.  I had an incredible 60 minutes thanks to the collaboration of these generous genies.

If you missed the Hangout you can watch it right here or catch it later here.

#NFHM2014 - Party time at your house today

It's party time at your house at 5:00pm this afternoon (Sydney time). Yes, if you care to join in, you can celebrate what has been a fantastic National Family History Month.

I'm hoping for a full panel in the GeniAus Hangout on Air this afternoon. If you can tell us about a #NFHM2014 event you've attended, hosted or presented, your success with Shauna's 31 activities for researchers or societies, blog posts you may have written or new blogs you have started or brickwalls that have come tumbling down please join the live panel and share your stories.

Around 4:45pm I will send out links to join the panel to those who have responded "Yes" to my prior invitation to the Hangout. Those people who have messaged me and indicated they will be on the panel will get an even earlier link sent to them from 4:30pm. Watch the notifications bell in the top right hand corner of your Chrome browser or your email for these. We need to check your settings, video and sound before we go live.

If want to watch and comment on the dicussion you will need to be a member of the GeniAus Community on Google+, I will be around to approve more memberships between now and Hangout time.  I will be turning comments off on Youtube (if I cn work out how) so that we keep the conversation all in the one place within our community.

If you prefer to watch quietly from the sidelines you can watch the video on Youtube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxYLcvkZja4. 

Questions??? I'll be back online after I have a spot of lunch.

See you at the party, please feel free to dress for the occasion and have your favourite refreshment handy.

#NFHM2014 Report Card

My #NFHM2014 Report Card

Shauna Hicks drew up this list of 31 Activities for researchers to attempt during National Family History Month. How did I score?







1 Visit the NFHM sponsors page and consider entering the prize draw for
individuals  www.familyhistorymonth.org.au/sponsors
I entered the competitions for individuals. Fingers crossed.

2 Apply for a National Library of Australia e-resources card and explore
genealogy resources online at home if you have not done so before
www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources
A great fan of The National Library I have had my card for some years now and regularly use it to access online resources.

3 Visit your State library and see what genealogical information they hold.
If distant, do a virtual visit. If you do not already have a State library card,
apply so that you can use their e-resources at home.
Also a fan of The State Library of NSW I have had a card for several years and used it during #NFHM2014 to access databases. Did you know that the Library has a family history blog at http://statelibrarynsw-familyhistory.tumblr.com/

4 Check out all the new resources on Ancestry www.ancestry.com.au and
enter the prize draw to win a year's subscription - major sponsor and
prize sponsor
I use Ancestry regularly. Having an annual sub is a luxury I appreciate as it allow me to access the resources wheneve. I'ver I wish. During #NFHM2014 I spent some time checking out the hints on the shaky leaves.

5 Have a look at some of the great genealogy cruises coming up with
Unlock the Past www.unlockthepastcruises.com - prize sponsor
Geneacruising is one of my favourite ways to learn. My schedulae for 2015 is pretty full but some of the 2016 cruises are tempting.

6 Visit your State Archives and see what resources they hold
and look at their fact sheets and guides. If distant, do a virtual visit.
This is another repository I love. I visited in person last month and have visited virtually several times this month.
Remember to check out the National Archives of Australia
www.naa.gov.au - NFHM launch sponsor
Several virtual visits undertaken this month.

7 Plan to attend a NFHM event in your area.  If none, suggest to your local
society or public library that they participate next year
www.familyhistorymonth.org.au
I've gone overboard in this area having presented and attended online and in person events.

8 Attend one of the online events in the NFHM web calendar
www.familyhistorymonth.org.au/online-event
Enjoyed hosting online events and have attended others. Love connecting and learning from the comfort of home.

9 Explore your surname in the MyHeritage Last Name Directory
http://lastnames.myheritage.com/last-names - major sponsor and prize
sponsor
Missed the boat on the free access period but hope to investigate later.

10 Visit your local genealogy/family history society and see what resources
they hold. If you are not a member, think about joining or perhaps join a
society near where your ancestors lived
Have visited two local societies I belong to this month.

11 Visit the NFHM Facebook page for updates throughout August
www.facebook.com/pages/Family-History-Month/208048719235109
Have you Liked our page yet?
Certainly have.

12 Did any family members fight in WW1? Participate in the National
Archives of Australia new beta website Discovering Anzacs
http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/home
Have visited but have not yet contributed any material. On the gunna list.

13 Download the free August genealogy ebook from genEbooks www.genebooks.com - prize sponsor
Thanks for the reminder. Downloading now, one never knows when it will come in handy. Need to add it to my Librarything so I know I have it.

14 Check out Twitter https://twitter.com to see the latest genealogy news -
use the hash tags #genealogy or #familyhistory and remember to also use
#NFHM2014
I've overdone this one as well.

15 Why not do a photo book on a person or family? Momento have some
great ideas  www.momento.com.au - prize sponsor
I fall down on this one, not organised enough for photobooks.

16 Attend/listen to a webinar or Google + hangout  - why not join Google +
and see what other Aussie genealogists are doing?
Hosted Hangouts, attended webinars - thanks for the freebie MyHeritage.

17 Early NSW ancestors? - have a look at the Biographical Database of
Australia www.bda-online.org.au - prize sponsor
Have a sub to this one. Must check back to see if there's anything new.

18 Read a family history blog or start your own genealogy blog writing
stories about individual ancestors or families.
I am a blogaholic. I read and write them. I started a new fun one in #NFHM2014. Check it out at 
http://geneadictionary.wordpress.com

19 Have another look at that brick wall - construct a time line of known facts
and relook at everything. I'm offering a prize to assist in brick wall
demolitions if I can. See NFHM sponsors page.
I'm looking.

20 Visit your local library and explore the genealogy and local history
sections. Or visit your local historical society or a virtual visit to an
historical society near where your ancestors lived
Attended a talk at the local library.

21 Enrol in one of the free online genealogy courses offered by the National
Institute of Genealogical Studies www.genealogicalstudies.com - prize
sponsor (details of three courses offered are on NFHM sponsors page)
Great offer which I am declining because I never seem to get around to completing these once I enrol.

22 Make a start on scanning all your old photographs. Remember to identify
and file the images as you go.
I get a gold star here. Have nearly 100,000 photos scanned and tagged with the help of Picasa. I need to weed out duplicates.

23 Visit your local newsagent and see what genealogy and family history
magazines they have. Australian Family Tree Connections
www.aftc.com.au and Inside History Magazine
www.insidehistory.com.au - both prize sponsors
I always make sure that Inside History is visible in our local's display.

24 Findmypast www.findmypast.com.au may be available at a local council
library or genealogy/family history society library - book a session time
and see what you can discover - prize sponsor
I'm lucky to have an annual world sub. It's part of the toolbox at my fingertips.

25 Check out the Gould Genealogy & History www.gould.com.au online
catalogue and be ready when the family ask what you want for
Christmas/birthday etc - prize sponsor
If only the family would take note of my hints.

26 Explore FamilySearch https://familysearch.org and perhaps do one of
their online tutorials. Major sponsor
I find their wiki a useful resource. Have visited this month to do some indexing.

27 Join Trove http://trove.nla.gov.au and correct newspaper text after you
make that exciting family discovery! Why not add tags or make a list of
your discoveries?
I'm a Troveite so this month I have shared the joys of Trove with Mr Geniaus who is now hooked.

28 Plan to attend the next AFFHO congress in Canberra in March 2015
www.congress2015.org.au -
Major sponsor and prize sponsor
Barring some major catastrophe I'll be there.

29 Make sure all your photos are identified (both print copies and online)
and explore Picasa's facial recognition capability
http://picasa.google.com.au
See answer to question 22.

30 Why not plan to attend the NSW/ACT conference in Wollongong in
September www.conference2014.org.au - prize sponsor
Considered this long and hard, I love to catch up with my genimates but as the program this year doesn't light my fire I'll be staying home.

31 NSW ancestors - why not look at transcriptions as an alternative to
certificates with Joy Murrin transcription agent www.joymurrin.com.au -
prize sponsor
Compiling a list for when I have more pennies to spare.

Hoarse and High

Yesterday evening found me hoarse and on a high. Why, you ask?

Firstly because I delivered a full day seminar/workshop/, Family History in the Modern Era, at Wyong Family History Group. I don't think I have done so much talking since I was a teacher. Last night I thought I was in for a cold but this morning my throat is all better so it was as a result of yesterday's gabfest.

My drug of choice must be "talking with a group of committed and enthusiastic learners" because I was just elated when I got home yesterday. The twenty odd or so people who put up with me for the whole day were just inspirational, they were so interested in the topics and shared a thirst for learning.

At the beginning of the day I posted some guidelines for behaviour so that we had a mutual understanding of how the day would proceed.

Rules for the day

The attendees really took the first point to heart, they commented, questioned and shared right through the day. I didn't add "Have fun" to that list but that wasn't needed as there was lots of laughter and bonhomie in the air. A couple of times I had to ring the Society's little bell to restore order and get back on track. We covered most of what I had prepared but went off on a few tangents to clarify questions. One of the popular requests was for a demonstration of creating a blog so this I did although it wasn't planned. I wouldn't be surprised if a few ladies (there was only one male in the audience) from Wyong become geneabloggers very soon.

Session 1

Having quite a decent period of time allowed me to play around with my planned schedule, it was also great that the attendees (who were all seated early) agreed to start early and shorten lunch and afternoon tea breaks so that we could have more time on the job.

Session 2

Thanks go to all the attentive attendees, Wyong FHG President Kerrie Metcalfe, Trish who was appointed to be my minder and IT Guy and sausage sizzle chef Roger for their assistance. The  slice girls deserve congratulations for the sweet treats served, I'd love to have the recipe of that slice based on rice bubbles that was so delicious. The lovely gift you gave me as a memento of the day is most appreciated.

Session 3

 I was thrilled to be invited to present this seminar for Wyong Family History Group in National Family History Month 2014.

A Week of Webinars

All webinared out

In the past seven days I have watched four webinars from different providers in Australia and the US.

1. Evernote for Genealogy, Cyndi Ingle for The Society of Australian Genealogists $10

2. Golden Genealogy Rules, Shauna Hicks for MyHeritage FREE

3. Getting started with Research, Joanne for Queensland State Archives FREE

4. Staying Safe Using Social Media, Thomas MacEntee for Georgia Genealogical Society  FREE

I learnt a little from each presentation and a lot from the Queensland State Archives as I was not at all familiar with that institution amd its holdings. I learnt about presentation techniques from Thomas, he is an excellent and experienced presenter who speaks slowly and clearly with lots of humour (although having known Thomas for a while I have heard some of those oneliners before). He does not rely solely on slides but gives live demonstrations showing how things work on his computer. He engages with attendees during his talk by naming some of them, we realise he can't do a full roll call.

Three of the presentations used the GoToWebinar platform while the Queensland State Archives used another that I much preferred as it showed a video stream of the speaker as well as her slides, this webinar was recorded in front of a live audience and the moderator did a great job of involving the online attendees in the event. I did not realise that one could show a livestream of a presenter on GoToWebinar but Thomas came on screen at the beginning and end of his talk giving it a more personal touch.

This was Shauna's first webinar, she commented on her blog afterwards " I found it a bit strange just sitting in my study talking to my laptop knowing that there were about 120 people out there listening to me."  Shauna and Joanne were first time presneters and did an awesome job in their debuts. 

Having become used to Google Hangouts on Air, where there is video of presenters and panel and more interaction,  I find that, although I learn from them, some webinars are real "chalk and talk" formal lecture sessions. I fear that the moderators do not realise that they are using social media tools and that they have a role to make presenters feel comfortable and to interrupt presenters occasionally to ask questions and pass on comments from attendees.

While my $10 for the The Society of Australian Genealogists wasn't too expensive there were empty seats in the room (webinar lingo) I can't understand why SAG don't offer seats to non-members. This could be done as a last-minute offer via social media once members have had a reasonable time to enrol. I know my mates in country Queensland and the Northern Territory would be happy to add to SAG's coffers if they had a chance to attend the webinars.

Thank you to those three organisations who used their webinars as outreach or marketing tools, I appreciate being able to use your services. Getting a freebie leaves me with a good impression of your organisations.

Cyndi's Other List

Most genealogists should have heard of Cyndi's List, a huge directory of genealogy resources on the internet. I have been lucky enough to have met Cyndi Ingle in person at Rootstech.

http://www.cyndislist.com/

I am a huge fan of Evernote who is always looking for further ways to further use the product. When I heard that Cyndi was presenting a webinar for SAG members about Evernote for genealogy in National Family History Month I signed up and joined 74 other members and moderator, Heather Garnsey, online for the gig.

If one thinks of Evernote as list of things then this presentation could have been called Cyndi's Other List. Cyndi packed a lot into the allocated time talking at a rate of knots to get through her topic, thankfully she speaks clearly and well. She quickly outlined the structure of Evernote before launching into live demonstrations using her Evernote account.

It was interesting to see the way Cyndi uses Evernote in her genealogy. She uses it heavily for tracking her research and saving resources. I picked up a couple of tips from Cyndi that I will find useful.  I like the way she sets up a folder and saves related stuff into it when she is doing freebie research for friends and that she can then share the bits in that folder to the friend via a link.
I hadn't used the Table of Contents feature and will find that useful for one notebook I have. I was also reminded that one can save notes to different formats - something to explore.

Having grown used to Google Hangouts on Air I found it strange going back to the Goto Webinar platform, I missed the interactivity and video components of Hangouts. The webinar felt like a formal lecture, a "chalk and talk" activity. There was time for five minutes of questions at the end of the lecture, I wish this could have been extended to allow for more discussion. I was lucky to have had a couple of questions answered but I should have asked if Cyndi uses Evernote as an organisational tool for Cyndi's List.

Thanks Cyndi for sharing how you use Evernote and for the handy handout you prepared for us. It was great to catch up with you from downunder.

My Irish Eyes were Smiling

Guess who I heard speak on Wednesday?

HINT - she was the star turn at the Hawkesbury Family History Group meeting for National Family History Month.

1. She has a wicked, dry sense of humour.
2. She knows her topic inside out.
3. She is a non-boring academic type.
4. She is obsessed with her topic.
5. Perhaps she should have been named Colleen.
6. She is the Chair of the Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee (GIFCC) which is actively seeking information about Earl Grey’s Irish Workhouse Immigrant women. 

I have heard Dr Perry McIntyre speak on a number of occasions and was privileged to hear her again on Wednesday morning. Perry's topic was "Single female emigration in the 1830s & 1840s". As examples to illustrate her presentation Perry cited Irish examples. Now that was right up my alley as I have a couple of troublesome Irish girls in my tree including my Great-great-grandmother Bridget (Did she swim?) Ryan.

Perry's opening slide

Perry explained the options, criteria and processes for single Irish girls who wanted to come to the colonies and illustrated her talk with images of contemporary newspaper ads, paintings and photos. She then explained what happened to the girls from when they came off the boats until they got hitched. The stories and photos she shared of several Earl Grey girls were interesting.  I wish I could find a picture of my girl, Mary Cregan/Cligan/Creigan/Gregson. 

As Chair of the Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee (GIFCC) Perry is actively seeking information about Earl Grey’s Irish Workhouse Immigrant women; as requested I will be emailing Perry with the scant information I have on Mary Cregan/Cligan/Creigan/Gregson, another of my Great-Great-Grandmothers.

Perry suggested the Atlas of the Great Irish Famine as a useful resource for background information on the famine. She neglected to say that one needs to be a weightlifter to lift this weighty tome!

My revelation for the day came when I asked Perry about how I could access a resource in PRONI that refers to my girl Mary. Apparently our friends at Familysearch have filmed the records and I could order it in to a local centre but I will wait until I go to Salt Lake City for Rootstech in Febraury. It will be something to look forward to.

Should you wish to hear Perry speak on a similar topic she will be talking at The Quarantine Station at North Head later this month. Details here.

Thanks to Jonathan for the happy snap. Perry (left) and me

My super morning was topped off when I had a cup of coffee and nice chat with Jonathan Auld and Michelle Nichols in a nearby cafe. Thanks to Michelle for organising another great talk at Hawkesbury and to Michelle and Jonathan who, knowing about my fetish for geneabling, brought me back a badge from the London "Who do you think you are live" event they attended.

Sharing an Invitation

I picked up this pretty document at a meeting I attended yesterday.I know that most of my readers will not be able to take up this invitation but I am sharing it for several reasons.

1. On a table that had several fliers available for the taking this pretty one stood out and asked to be taken.  Take note those who are creating promotional material for their societies or groups.

2. I had never heard of the group hosting the event and want to find out more about them.

3. I thought a High Tea was a good idea for a fundraiser.

4. I love the theme and activity for the day - an idea for #NFHM2015 perhaps.

NB I erased Joy's and Carolynne's phone numbers from the document but if you want further info I am happy to share.

National Family History Month 2014 Geneameme

My blogging mate Pauleen from Family History across the Seas has issued this challenge for National Family History Month. Being a bit of a meme fan I just couldn't resist it.  

Thanks also to Pauleen for giving me this opportunity to reflect on my genealogy practices. As I am committed to reflection and evaluation this activity provides me with an interesting instrument for that purpose. 

As a geneablogger it is pleasing to see a #NFHM2014 activity just for us. I hope that many of my geneablogging mates complete this activity.. You can find details here on Pauleen's blog.

1. What are you doing for NFHM?
   I am attempting to respond to this geneameme.
   I am trying to work through those of the 31 Activities for researchers that I haven't previously attempted.I hosted a Geniaus Google Hangout on Air that you can view here and have planned another for the final day of #NFHM2014 that you can watch here. To hear about future Hangouts how about joining my Google+ Geniaus Community?
   I attended a talk at Hornsby Library.I am attending a talk at Hawkesbury Library
   I have signed up for a SAG Webinar about Evernote with Cyndi Ingle.
   I will be listening to Shauna Hick's webinar with MyHeritage
   I am writing blog posts.
   I am tweeting about #NFHM2014 events and activities sousing the appropriate hashtag so that those with an interest can easily find info and stories related to the event.
   Paying it forward by doing some Familysearch Indexing.Perhaps i'll find some time for some research!
2. What do you hope to learn in NFHM?
   I am hoping to be surprised. I have a commitment to CGD - Continuing genealogical Development  and know that I will learn smething from all the activities in which I participate. From Cyndi I hope to learn more ways to use Evernote in my genealogy day.
3. Do you research at a family or local history library?
   Sure do. I love the State Library of NSW and National Library of Australia and The Family History Library in Salt Lake City which I will visit again in 2015. I'll be visiting the SoG Library in London later this month. I have a research log in my Family Historian database into which I save tasks for these libraries and archives as well so that when I visit I can get straight to work.
4. Do you do all your research online?
   No way. I do lots of online research but most of this leads me to repositories here and overseas where I continue my sleuthing.
5. What’s your favourite place to store your family tree?
   In my Family Historian database which is synced via Dropbox between my big (home) laptop and my little hot pink (travel) laptop. I also have my tree online at www.geniaus.net, I use the brilliant program TNG to share my data.
6. If offline, which genealogy program do you use? (do tell us its strengths/weaknesses if you like).
   In my Family Historian database. I like this program because it is so customisable and flexible, it comes out of the UK (where my ancestors came from), it uses a native gedcom format and it has super multimedia capabilities. A band of committed and experienced users have written and shared lots of widgets and addons that extend its usefulness even more. How long is a piece of string - I could go on and on about this software package.
7. How do you preserve your family stories for future generations?
   In my Family Historian database with related pictures, documents and clippings on an external hard drive (x2) and in blog posts on the Geniaus Blog.
8. Have you any special research projects on the go?
   I am so caught up trying to sort out myown family history that I haven't started any other projects. I am considering a One-Na,e study for my grandmother's maiden name Pusell but fear that I may not be able to give it the time it deserves. I am wrestling with whether I should just jump in and perhaps do a poor job or leave it. But I guess that a poor attempt is better than no attempt al all.
9. What is your favourite family history research activity?
   It's not research as such. The old adage  "once a teacher ...always a teacher" describes me. I love sharing my knowledge and passion for technology and genealogy via social media and by giving presentations online and in person. I like to talk to the living as well as the dead.
10. What is your favourite family history research place/library etc?
    There's no place like home. I love sitting in my geneacave researching, thinking, writing and sharing.
11. What is your favourite website for genealogy research?
    It's a tie for first place. I love Trove for the wealth of treasure it adds to my tree and good old Google search for the odd things it leads me to. A well-crafted search and persistence with Google will reap rewards.
12. Are you part of a Facebook genealogy group? If so which one?
    I am not a fan of Facebook but because it has such a huge user base I use it reluctantly. I belong to around a dozen Facebook Genealogy Groups that are useful but I fear for some of the advice given in  as some of the generous souls offering assistance are sometimes lacking in appropriate expertise or knowledge. 
13. Do you use webinars or podcasts for genealogy? Any tips?
    I am both a participant and host. I love being able to learn and share from the comfort of my geneacave and in my own time. My advice is give it a go - you won't break anything.
14. Do you use social media? eg Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
    Do I use social media? I am obsessed but realise that I need a personal socila media policy so that I am not overwhelmed.I have many accounts but I use Google+ as my main social media vehicle for genealogy, I prefer to use Facebook for personal stuff but have been swept up by the hordes of genies who use it. I use Twitter to share news of events and I don't quite get Pinterest although I am trying to get a handle on it once more.
15. What genealogy topic/class have you learnt the most from this year at a webinar/conference/seminar?
    It has to be on the Unlock the Past Genealogy Cruise in February where we were exposed to a range of top international and Australian presenters. The informal learning opportunities afforded by being locked up on a ship in the middle of the ocean make this an incredible learning experience.
16. Do you have a favourite research strategy to knock down your brick walls?
    The PIP Process. Persistence, Inventiveness and Patience. Persistence - keep at it, try, try and try again. Inventiveness - harness your creative powers, think laterally to find your way around a problem. Patience - just like Snow White believed that "one day my prince will come" believe that some day you will find your answer, it make take two, ten or twenty years to find that magic sledgehammer. Hey - I just invented the PIP process - my bit of creativity for National Family History Month.
17. Have you used DNA testing for your genealogy?
    The test kits are sitting on my dressing table - must get around to it sometime. 
18. Have you made cousin connections through your DNA tests?
    Not yet!
19. Do you have a wish list of topics for NFHM 2015? 
    More online events.
    I am thinking of hosting a 12 hour GeniAus Hangout on Air event - if I can get a few genies to help out. I envisage drawing up a roster of group of genies who will talk about various topics close to their hearts with a panel who will ask questions and contribute questions just like Dear Myrtle did in her recent 24 hour Geneasleepover. Who's up for the challenge?
20. What do you most love about your family history research?
    The ancestor stories that emerge after years of personal sleuthing and collaborating with new found cousins.

My Geneacave

Caught in the Act

I have debated with myself as to whether I should share this photo or not mainly because I had forgotten to put my iron and ironing board away before it was taken.  But that is the way with candid photos.

GeniAus Haanging out

Last week when I was halfway through my #NFHM2014 hangout my son and Mr GeniAus arrived back from an outing and tiptoed into the room. As the broadcast was in session I couldn't stop to have a chat with them so I just kept going. My son thought it amusing that he "caught me in the act" so he whipped out his phone and took a picture of me which he emailed the next day.

I thought it interesting because the photo shows the things I surround myself with before I start a hangout.  I hangout in the kitchen because the lighting there is good and I am able to connect to my modem by an ethernet cable which I feels gives me a better connection.

Working vaguely from the left of the kitchen table you can see my other gear:

* an handsfree phone that I can dive on and disconnect if someone calls through the hangout
* a vvidoe camera on a mini tripod sitting on a pile of recipe books to get it to a good height
* a botttle of water for when I get parched
* a spiral notebook in case I need to write something down (note the blue pencil in my hands)
* ta big laptop from which I connect to the hangout and monitor my running sheet
* a USB headset
* a portable hard drive on wich is loaded all of my genealogy files
* a pretty pink mouse connected to
* a second laptop on which I watch comments that may be made in the Geniaus Community during the course of the hangout

I am always nervous prior to a hangout commencing. I think this photos shows that once I am connected with my gear around me I am quite relaxed; my demeanour demonstrates that hangouts are not daunting activities.

As you can see from this picture you do not need any sophisticated gear to run or join a hangout, if you haven't tried it yet you should have a go.

Australia's Unknown Soldier

Because I haven't been able to drive for a couple of weeks I dragged my chauffeur Mr GeniAus off to a talk at our local library in Hornsby this morning.

Hornsby Local Studies Librarian, Neil Chippendale and Mr GeniAus at the talk today.

The talk "Australia’s Unknown Soldier Returns Home" was delivered by Linda from local funeral directors T J Andrews. Linda related the story of how Rob Allison former Managing Director of the firm, helped to bring home Australia’s "Unknown Soldier" in 1993.

Prior to the talk we had a jolly time chatting with other folk we found there including my distant cousin Elva, friend Judy and several of Mr Geniaus's former workmates.

Once the talk commenced a stillness descended upon the room, The content was fascinating, the delivery was reverent and the attendees were respectful and attentive as they reflected on the content being presented. Linda included several readings including the eulogy delivered by then Prime Minister Paul Keating in the presentation. I have never encoutered such a silent group at any talk I have attended.

Linda from T J Andrews

Information leaflet from T J Andrews tells the story

Thanks to to Neil Chippendale from Hornsby Library and Linda from T J Andrews for organising such a moving talk during this special week.

Although this wasn't a #NFHM2014 event it caused me to reflect on the sacrifices made by my family members who served their country so selflessly. Mr GeniAus and I both enjoyed the talk and, on the way home, discussed taking a tour of the Western Front battlefields. We have previously visited the area independently but feel that we would benefit from a tour lead by a historian and military expert.

T J Andrews state on their website  "If your organisation would like a complimentary presentation about the Unknown Soldier then please call: 1800 386 372." I would commend this offer to genealogy and local history societies.

Hanging Out in National Family History Month

The first #NFHM2014 event I attended was an online one hosted by myself. It was wonderful to have four Australian and two British family historians join me for a Google Hangout on Air.

As I am presently semi-housebound I realised what a boon online events are for those who are isolated by distance, disability or for some other reason. My stay at home is only temporary as I should be able to drive about next week (I hope) but many others around Australia don't have that luxury.

Here is what newbie panelist Travelgenee had to say about the hangout: http://travelgenee.com/family-history-month-challenge-16/

I won't prattle on about the event instead I will just post the video for you to view.

Sharing the Love #NFHM2014

There is an amazing menu of events for National Family History Month over on their website. These events are taking place all over Australia and in cyberspace as well.

#NFHM2014

I imagine that several thousands of Australian enthusiasts will attend one or more of these events and some will even report on them on social media or other websites. I would love to hear what they are attending, delivering or learning but there are several places on the web where reports are being posted. I follow Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and over 200 Australian genealogy and history blogs but know that I am missing out on lots of news.

#NFHM2014

Voluntary co-ordinator of the event Shauna Hicks recently tweeted the hashtag for National Family History Month. If we all include the hashtag #NFHM2014 when reporting on events then search engines may index the posts.

#NFHM2014

I am not a huge fan of Twitter but I think, it certain situations it is an excellent vehicle for aggregating news. If those of us with Twitter accounts write a short tweet with any #NHFM2014 news we find  then others can access Twitter, do a search by the hashtag and get a results list containing relevant posts.

#NFHM2014

At the moment, if I do such a search on Twitter, presently many of tweets containing the hashtag  #NFHM2014 come from one Twitter user - me. How about turning that around? 

#NFHM2014

If you or your society has a blog or website you could attach a  #NHFM2014 label or tag to your post or article.

Let's share the love for National Family History Month by using the hashtag.

Join our next GeniAus Hangout on Air - What a Month that was - #NFHM2014 

Details https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c250rpao6g1a99j1taoruss8teg

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Postscript: The power of hashtags

It is only about two minutes since I published this post. look what happened when I did a search for the hashtag.