New Interactive Local Resource

Last night Mr GeniAus and joined several other local history history enthusiasts at a function at Hornsby Central Library where a new interactive online digital resource, Hornsby Shire Recollects, was launched. I was attending as a representative of the Hornsby Shire Family History Group.

The database claims to "provide easy online access to a rich store of heritage material relaitng to Hornsby Shire, its people, and events."

Hornsby Shire Recollects Home Page

The three speakers, Hornsby Mayor Phillip Ruddock, Associate Professor Carol Liston and Hornsby MP Matt Kean each spoke briefly about the importance of local history and heritage and then Mayor  Ruddock cut the celebratory cake.

Reference and Local Studies Librarian, Neil Chippendale, and Library staff member, Karen Richardson, then got to the good bit, a demonstration of this new tool which provides a user friendly platform to access Hornsby's collection of digital resources supplemented with new additions from community organisations and local history enthusiasts. The new platform certainly appeared easier to search than the collections it replaced but I needed to try it out myself.

This afternoon I gave the database a run through. Logging on and creating an account was a simple process. Navigating the site was a breeze and the search mechanism was intuitive. I give it a thumbs up. Having heard the presentation and tried out the tool I am keen to add some resources from our family collection to the database.

The promotional material for the resource states " you are also able to contribute your own knowledge and memories about the holdings, as well as create personal collections of your own." If  community members embrace this resource and share the photos and documents they have squirrelled away Hornsby Shire Recollects will be a valuable resource, not just for people from the Hornsby Shire but for many with an interest in Australian history and heritage.

My Big Day Out

There were three genealogy related events in my day yesterday and I traversed quite a bit of the northern part of Sydney to attend them.

https://maps.google.com/

My day started with a 9:15 departure from my home in Galston (E on map) to Hawkesbury Library (B on map) for 10:00am, then I drove for about 50 mins to my next destination, Ku-ring-gai Historical Society (C on map) after spending a few hours there I set out for Hornsby Library (D on map) where I arrived at 6:00pm. I finally reached home around 8:00pm. Google maps estimate that I drove around 98 km. and it was worth every centimeter.

So how did I amuse myself?

Siobhan and her book

At Hawkesbury Library  I attended the monthly meeting of the Hawkesbury Family History Group. The guest speaker was Dr Siobhan Lavelle whose talk was about the 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains. The content of the talk was different from what I expected but was fascinating; I had expected to hear a straight history of the crossing by Blaxland, Wentworth, and Lawson but Siobhan put a different slant on her talk. She discussed the various celebrations that have been held to mark anniversaries of the crossing and demonstrated, with references to books, newspaper articles, pictures and other resources, the influences that society and members of the explorers' families at various periods had on shaping those celebrations. I was most impressed by Siobhan's presentation; she was a lucid and entertaining speaker with a dry and irreverent sense of humour.

I purchased and look forward to reading a copy of Siobhan's book, 1813 a tale that grew in the telling, that is available from the Royal Australian Historical Society and bookshops in the Blue Mountains.

After chatting with a few fellow group members and Michelle Nichols, the local studies librarian, I popped into my Bambino and headed for Ku-ring-gai Historical Society where I spent a pleasant few hours scanning historical photographs and adding them to the Society database. I also managed to have a chinwag with members of the Preservation Group who were beavering away at various tasks.

Because at talks I habitually sit behind tall gentlemen who block my view of slides on the screens I like to arrive early to snag  a seat near the front of lecture rooms. I arrived 30 minutes early for the talk at Hornsby Library and was able to catch up with Peter Booth, Kim and his wife from Ku-ring-gai Historical Society and Neil Chippendale the local studies librarian. Guest speaker at the Hornsby talk was one of my favourite speakers, Dr Carol Liston, whose topic was "The Links between Local and Family History". Carol was in fine form and gave a great talk.

What I found interesting in Carol's talk was that she covered some of the same themes that Joshua Taylor had addressed in his talk last Saturday particularly the importance of Place in family history research.

Thanks to  Michelle and Neil, two of my local history heroes, for organising these great Family History Month events.

One of my fave speakers coming to Hornsby

As someone who likes to attend lectures I have heard speakers who range from woeful to wonderful. Neil Chippendale, Local Studies Librarian at my Local Library at Hornsby has sent me through details of the next talk in the Library's Family History series.

I'll definitely be going along to hear Dr Carol Liston who is on the wonderful end of my speakers scale. Carol, an academic at The University of Western Sydney is a great communicator and entertaining speaker. 

A Real Teacher

When one attends a genealogy conference in the United States the sessions are called "classes" and the presenters "teach" those classes. The use of these words from the field of education implies that the presenters have a set of skills beyond that of presenting a topic in a lecture. From my observations at the genealogy events I attend both in Australia and overseas only a small number of presenters demonstrate these skills at a high level. They may have great subject knowledge and be engaging and entertaining presenters who get their messages across but good teachers do a bit more than that. There are many great lecturers in the genealogy world but not so many great teachers.

Carol Liston at Hawkesbury

Good teachers are aware of the people in their classes; they are patient with those who do not catch on at first; they have a sort of sixth sense that allows them to adjust their lesson to suit the needs of the individuals in their classes; they are aware when someone in the class loses attention or cannot understand a concept; they respond to questions from the class as they go; they stop and emphasize or explain a point when necessary; they are willing to be interrupted: they will go off on a tangent and exploit any teachable moment that arises.

I do not expect all genealogy presenters to be good teachers but I am mightily impressed when I come across one who is as I did last week at The Hawkesbury Family History Group meeting.

Dr Carol Liston, an academic from the University of Western Sydney, spoke to our group about Accessing Land Titles records. This is a tricky subject that I have heard presented on a few occasions. Carol's presentation was excellent; she explained the topic well in simple language giving emphasis and further explanation when required. Having heard Carol's talk I think I finally get land records in NSW. The first thought I had after this event was that I had experienced good teaching at a genealogy event.


Carol is Associate Professor in History at the University of Western Sydney.  She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Sydney. Her research and teaching cover early colonial history in New South Wales, with interests in people (convict, colonial born and free immigrant), local history, heritage and the built environment. Her particular interest is the colonial development of the County of Cumberland and the use of land records to investigate its history.


Should you have a chance to hear Carol present (teach) I recommend that you make an effort to attend. I note that Carol will be presenting the John Crowe Memorial Address and speaking about how new technology has led to the digitisation of NSW Land Title Records at  the 28th Annual Conference of the NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies in September - this could be your chance to hear her.


Have you encountered any Good Teachers at Genealogy events?

Carol Liston

It seems that whenever Carol Liston gives a talk I have something else on. I am so pleased that I am free  and able to attend Carol's talk next week on Accessing Land Titles records at The Hawkesbury Family History Group.  If you are at a loose end and would like to come along you would be made welcome.

Michelle Nichols has shared this information on a Rootstech List :

" This will be a very informative session where researchers can find out how to gain access to fantastic resources about land in NSW. Meeting will be held Wednesday 13 June 10am-12noon at Hawkesbury Library Service 300 George Street Windsor and is FREE! Enquiries phone 4560 4466 or email history@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au"

Head out to Hawkesbury

It isn't a bad drive outside of peak hour to Hawkesbury Library at Windsor although it's on the outer fringe of Sydney. Once one arrives at the library free parking can be found under the building.

I venture out there on the second Wednesday of the month to attend the meetings of the Hawkesbury Family History Group. This group is a support and information group for family historians co-ordinated by the Hawkesbury City Library Service. Anyone interested is invited to attend the meetings.

I was just putting the dates for the remainder of the year's meetings in my calendar when, looking at the list of guest speakers, I realised what are worthy crop they are.  If you would like to hear Carol Liston on "Accessing Land Titles Records", Vicki Eldridge on "Teacher and School History Records" or Angela Phippen on "Wises Post Office Directories" consider joining me at the Hawkesbury meetings; details can be found here.

In addition to the regular meetings the library hosts Family History Classes with Michelle Nichols, Local Studies Librarian. Some of these are free and some are $10. Bookings for these are essential; details can be found here on the library site.

I'm heading for Windsor on Wednesday this week to hear Julie and John Sword speak about "Family: the first century" history of the Sword family. For me it's a pleasant 30 minute cross-country drive through Sydney's beautiful semi-rural areas.