120th Carnival of Genealogy - Business and Commerce

Business and Commerce is the theme chosen by Jasia of Creative Gene for the Carnival of Genealogy,  120th Edition The challenge is:

Did someone in your family own a small business? Was there a favorite clothing store, ice cream shop, shoe store, restaurant, gas station, etc. that your family frequented? Did you operate a lemonade stand when you were a child? This time around we are going to be researching small businesses and recording family memories of such.

Unfortunately in spite of all of their toil none of my ancestors was rewarded with wealth from commerce. Rewards came in the form of happy lives and healthy families.


Frank Duncan, my maternal grandfather, was the subject of a post in 2009 for the 75th Carnival of Genealogy.  I cannot go past Frank and his efforts at making a quid for this post.


Frank's first job was in the copper mines in  Cobar , in outback NSW. I don't know how successful he was at this venture because he left the mines fairly soon after World War I broke out to join the Australian Army. After an unremarkable tour of duty in Europe Frank returned to Cobar.

On his return  Frank was able, through the Soldiers Settlement Scheme, to gain a grant of Crown land on which he built a house for his bride, Ethel. This plot was a station (very large farm) of 32,000 acres, Elsinore, outside of Cobar.  Elsinore was 40 miles west of Cobar NSW. In 2012 this is a remote area, nearly 90 years ago it was extremely remote. Cobar, the nearest town, was a long carriage ride over rutted, red, dusty roads. Sydney and the coast was 700 km away. Life was tough, there were droughts, bushfires and loneliness.

Frank Duncan at Elsinore

Frank ran sheep on his large property. In 1924 there were 3 horses, 2 cows and 916 sheep ; in 1926 there were 3 horses and 1200 sheep. From photos I have of the farm I can see that they also kept chickens.  Life was challenging on the property; my mother says her father wasn't suited to the hard work required "he was basically lazy". By the time my mother was old enough to go to school in around 1930 my grandmother and the girls moved into town and Frank worked the property and came to town on weekends. Some time after 1936 Frank gave up on being a grazier and gave the property away!

Elsinore wool being carted to town

Poddy lamb and chickens at Elsinore

An interesting venture of Frank's was his catering van, he was the Mr Whippy of the outback.  He drove this van around the countryside to feed the crowds at race meetings and other gatherings. From this van he sold his home made pies (I imagine that my grandmother cooked these - I remember that she made pretty good Cornish Pasties) and the ginger beer he brewed. Mum enjoyed the trips she made with her Dad to these far-flung events.

Franks catering van with Aunty Lil (now 83) behind the wheel

Together with my grandmother, Ethel Jane Pusell, Frank ran a cafe in Cobar; the family lived in a flat above the shop. I am not sure how long this venture lasted or if it was successful.  On my recent visit to Cobar I noted that the shop is now an antique store.

Frank certainly didn't make a killing from any of his business  pursuits. When he and the family moved to Sydney in the early 1940s he took a job driving a van for the Kensington Post Office.

This post first appeared on the Geniaus blog http://geniaus.blogspot.com

Caroline Chisholm

I turned green with envy when, earlier this week, I saw a photo on Facebook of my GeniMate, Sharon Brennan, posing beside Caroline Chisholm's grave in Billing Road Cemetery outside London.

http://image1.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2008/247/27034110_122057179528.jpg

Sharon's subsequent blog post told of why Caroline Chisholm was important to her and why she made the journey to Billing Road. I made a comment that  Caroline Chisholm  was important to me because her interview with my convict ancestor, Patrick Curry, was published in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1848. Having access to this interview gives me an insight into Paddy's life on Camden Park Estate that I would not otherwise have had.

As my blog has a few more readers than it had when I posted the following to a Carnival of Genealogy in August 2010; I will repost it here for new readers to see.

The Gift of the Gab

My ancestor Patrick "Paddy" Curry as an Irishman from Limerick probably had the gift of the gab but, as he died 130 years ago, I never had the chance to meet him.

Fortunately some of Patrick's words were preserved in a Sydney Morning Herald article from Thursday 8 June 1848. This and many other great stories can be found at The National Library Of Australia's Trove website.

For this 21st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy I am posting a copy of that article in which Paddy demonstrates that he had The Gift of the Gab.

Sydney Morning Herald 8 June 1848

 This post has been prepared for  the 21st edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture

Carnival of Genealogy, 108th Edition - Places of Worship

Exterior St Vincent's College Chapel

Every day during my school years at St. Vincent's College, Potts Point I was required to 'pay a visit' to the College Chapel. Woe betide any student who did not stop and make that visit on the way into school each morning. The nuns had spies somewhere who were able to identify those students who had forgotten this most important visit and there was punishment awaiting. Being a dutiful girl who was scared of the consequences that might arise from a non-visit I always dropped by to say hello to God.

I am choosing the Chapel as my place of worship for this Carnival of Genealogy as it is the place of worship with which I am most familiar.

It was the venue for my First Holy Communion and the place where I was sent with my classmates to confess our sins on a regular basis.

Geniaus and classmtes outside the College Chapel on First Communion Day

A description on the College website states: "The beautifully proportioned Neo-Gothic St Vincent's Chapel, Potts Point was solemnly dedicated on the 10th February 1902.

Interior of The St Vincent's College Chapel

While modelled on the chapel in Dublin of the Irish Sisters of Charity, it relates beautifully to its own Australian context through the use of local red brick and its sandstone trim. Many of the exquisite stained glass windows were gifted to the Chapel by students and ex-students of St Vincent's College.

There are many examples of Carrara marble statues which still grace the chapel today.

The parquetry floor provides an interesting story that reveals the importance of this chapel in the period of the Second World War as it was paid for by American forces situated locally who needed altar breads."

Chapel Organ

I remember singing many hymns such as "Come Holy Ghost", "Hail Queen of Heaven" and "Faith of our Fathers" to the accompaniment of the Chapel Organ during the many Benediction services we attended there.

I would like to have been married in that chapel rather than my parish church but the Sisters of Charity had not woken up the the commercial possibilities of hiring it out as a wedding chapel at that time. My younger cousin, also an ex-student, was married there; it is a beautiful venue for a wedding.


A Sydney Wedding site describes the Chapel: "The Chapel at St Vincent's College in Potts Point is a lovely wedding venue. It is an old style chapel with a high ceiling and lovely interior features. There is a loft area for an aerial view and also an outdoor area large enough for mingling and group shots.".


Although I may appear a trifle cynical I loved that Chapel. It was a pretty, peaceful place that was a constant in the lives of we growing girls. It was somewhere I visited regularly from age 5 until 16.


This post was prepared for The Carnival of Genealogy, 108th Edition

Speedos - Carnival of Genealogy Edition 106 - Fourth Annual Swimsuit Edition

The latest and greatest gear for budding Olympians in 1961 were Speedo swimsuits. Made of nylon these lightweight and quick dry costumes did not weigh swimmers down in the water like earlier models.

Although we resembled drowned rats my best friend Lee and I thought we were pretty cool as we posed in our new Speedos at a family picinic at Carss Park on the October long weekend in 1961.

Lee and Geniaus - Carss Park October 1961

This post was prepared for The Carnival of Genealogy Edition 106 - Fourth Annual Swimsuit Edition

The shiny new toy - Carnival of Genealogy

For the 105th Carnival of Genealogy we are asked to write about "Your current favorite technology. What tech tools are you using in your genealogy research and to record your family history?"


It's my favourite tech toy of the moment because it's new. Perhaps it will become my favourite because of its wonderful features, versality and portability but, as I'm still in "getting to know you" mode, I cannot say. I will however share what I have discovered so far.

Last week in a post Connecting with the Galaxy I wrote of my decision to buy my Samsung Galaxy Tab.

• 7-inch full touch mobile tablet
• Powered by Android™ 2.2
• 3 mega-pixel camera with video recording
• 1.3 mega-pixel camera for video calling
• Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 5 devices
• USB tethering
• Voice, SMS/MMS capable

As a connected genealogist one of my first tasks of the day is reading my RSS feeds, Facebook posts, emails and Twitter feed that have come in  overnight. The Tab is light at 390 grams and easy to hold up in bed even when I am snuggled down under the covers. It is more comfortable to hold than a netbook and the 7" screen gives a larger display for old eyes than my smartphone. It slips neatly into a handbag  so that I can take it on the train or bus to catch up on this reading.


I do not have an ebook reader and have found that with the Kindle and  Kobo apps I can access and read ebooks comfortably on the device.

The 3 megapixel camera on the Tab takes a decent photo. I could use this on research trips to take photos of graves, documents and people. With the Barcode reader I can snap the barcode of any books that I come across that maybe of interest. These can be downloaded into my LibraryThing Account with another Android app.

Using the 3G network or free wifi when I am out and about I have access to my online family tree.  With the Dropbox app I am able to access other family files that I have stored in the cloud.I have yet to investigate an app that will allow mw to store my tree locally on the Tab.

I would be lost without my Outlook calendar. I sync this with my Google Calendar and can access it on the Tab. I particularly like its calendar interface. Whenever I register for a Webinar I select the option to save the event to my calendar and hey presto it is there with all the details.

I am a very light mobile phone user and have used it mostly for connecting to the internet and email. One can use the Galaxy Tab as a phone and, with the attached earpiece, one can privately make calls. It would not be suitable for someone who is a heavy user but suffices for occasional use. I think it will be replacing my mobile phone in my handbag. Thankfully the SIM card that I have is suitable for use in the Tab.

The camera on my desktop computer is kaput so I have to make Skype calls without video. The Galaxy Tab has a second inbuilt camera that I can use for Skype calls. This will be very useful when I am travelling.

My GPS that I use rarely is a few years old. When I went to the Mio site recently to purchase upgraded maps I found that these were not available but I could trade in my GPS on a later model for nearly $200. The Galaxy Tab can  be used as a GPS unit, one can even purchase a car cradle for it. I will be using this when I go on research trips  instead of purchasing another GPS unit.

My keyboarding skills are poor at the best of times and I find typing on the Galaxy Tab a challenge. My skills in this domain may improve but at the moment I am experiencing frustration. I will be purchasing the optional stylus that one can use with the tab and hope that might assist with my input woes. Alternatively I could buy a keyboard.

If I can find an acceptable way of typing into the Tab I would leave my other gadgets behind and take it as my only tech toy to conferences, research trips and archives. At the moment I could not use it for blogging or long emails.


The uses of this tech toy for genealogy are only limited by one's imagination. For under $AU300 it is one of the best buys I have made in a long time.

Hatching a plan for 2011

The Footnote Maven's recent post "Hatching A Plan At The COG" has spurred me into action.

I know that it is time to evaluate my writing/research plan for 2010 but I have been dragging the chain as I fear that I may have failed on several fronts. As I said last year I am committed to evaluation so here goes.I will firstly produce a report card for 2010 and then formulate a plan for 2011.

2010
* Put the living before the dead - when family members visit make them the focus of my attention; I have tried to ignore the family history when the family appears - I had a big two week break when we headed to Hawaii with some of them.

* Take advantage of serendipity moments eg actively listen to the Aunts at family gatherings, take photos of family members/groups at gatherings; record notes of information shared on my smartphone, scraps of paper, serviettes - just get it down; Could do more here but have made notes and added them to TMG database with person passing on info as source.

* Use web 2.0 technologies to promote genealogy in Australia, eg GoogleWave, Twitter, GenealogyWise Australian Group; Set up Aussie group but Google Wave died. Tweeted Regularly, Tried to motivate people to use Genealogy Wise. A fair effort in this area.

* Be patient with fellow researchers who do not share my enthusiasm for technology; A challenge for me but I am learning that many genies haven't even heard of let alone use Social Media.

* Get organised; Managed to refile most papers according to a new sequence. Still an outright failure as I can barely get into my study.

* Label my Blogposts ; This is now part of regular practice and can be deleted from list.

* Post to Geniaus at least every second day; Changed to 3-4 times per week as things to blog about don't appear regularly. This is now part of regular practice and can be deleted from list.

* Go through ancestors records one by one and properly record sources for all information; Ongoing huge project. Making slow progress.

* Digitise all certificates, wills etc. in my posession; Ongoing huge project. Making slow progress.

* Scan and tag my family history photographs; Huge effort nearly completed.
 * Regularly update my website; This is now part of regular practice and can be deleted from list.

* Respond to emails from fellow genealogists in a timely manner; Need to improve in this department. Perhaps retirement in 2011 will help.

* Maintain membership of The Society of Australian Genealogists; Renewed for 2011.

* Attend Genealogy workshops/lectures. Excellent progress - have attended many lectures, have started giving talks and am booked to attend overseas conference in 2011.

Here's what I aim to do in 2011:

2011
 * Put the living before the dead - when family members visit make them the focus of my attention; 

* Take advantage of serendipity moments eg actively listen to the Aunts at family gatherings, take photos of family members/groups at gatherings; record notes of information shared on my smartphone, scraps of paper, serviettes - just get it down;

* Use web 2.0 technologies to promote genealogy in Australia, eg Blogger, Twitter, GenealogyWise Australian Group - Special emphasis on using other people's blogs for conversation.

* Be patient with fellow researchers who do not share my enthusiasm for technology;

* Get organised - Try harder

* Go through ancestors records one by one and properly record sources for all information - Ongoing.

* Digitise all certificates, wills etc. in my posession - Ongoing

* Scan and tag my family history photographs - Finish project

* Respond to emails from fellow genealogists in a timely manner;

* Become a more active member of The Society of Australian Genealogists;


* Attend and Present Genealogy workshops/lectures;

* Prepare for the 2012 National Year of Reading - Promote this event to genealogists, Read for genealogy and add to personal genealogy library.



This post was prepared for 101st EDITION OF THE Carnival Of Genealogy - “My genealogy research/writing plan for 2011”

"There's one in every family!" or "6 Baptisms, 5 Weddings and a Funeral"

 I have been scratching my head as I wonder who or what to write about for the 100th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.  After much ruminating I am writing about a place significant to our family history. I had previously blogged about St. Mary's in July and, as the Carnival creates an opportunity for my post to reach a wider audience, I am going to embellish and repost for the Carnival.

Our children have all been baptised and married at St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Waverley, NSW. The Church has also been the venue for some of our grandhildren's baptisms and the funerals of other family members.


St Mary the Virgin is an historic church in Birrell Street, Waverley . There is a short history of the Church at the Waverley Council website. A book on the history of the Church, Through the archway of the years : St. Mary's Church, Waverley, N.S.W., 1864-1964, can be found in the National Library of Australia. A list of the clergy who have served at St. Mary's can be found on the Church site.

The Church was designed by Edmund Blacket, a prominent Victorian architect and personal friend of the first rector, Stanley Mitchell. Blacket, who became the official Colonial Architect 1849-1854, was responsible for tthe design of many 19th century sandstone buildings in Sydney including St Andrew's Cathedral. 

St Mary's circa 1900 (Powerhouse collection)

  St Mary's foundation stone was laid on June 6th, 1863 and the Church was dedicated on May 13th, 1864. Additions and modifications have been made to the Church during the past 150 years.  The Church and Organ are listed on the NSW State Heritage Register andthe Church on The Register of the National Estate.

1983 St. Mary's Christmas Pageant - Rev Terry Dicks and children including my four as angels and Joseph

In recent times our family has celebrated significant occasions at St. Mary's Anglican Church Waverley. A peek at the tags in my digital family album shows that I have several hundred photographs tagged St Mary's. As well as hatches, matches and dispatches there are photos of social events, confirmations, Christmas pageants and Sunday School events. The picture on the header of this blog is taken at the most recent family wedding at St. Mary's.

1986 - Confirmees

2009 Family Wedding - Rev Beth Spence

2009 Family Christening - Rev Michael Spence

St Mary's Organ

 St Mary's is a happy place as described in a 2004 article in the Anglicans Together Newsletter,  St. Mary's Church, Waverley : High and Happy

1997 Family Wedding

 More recent news of the Parish is detailed in the snippets below from http://www.stmaryswaverley.org.au/page1/page12/page12.html

St Mary's is a significant place in our family history as so many family events took place in this beautiful Church.

 

The Gift of the Gab

My ancestor Patrick "Paddy" Curry as an Irishman from Limerick probably had the gift of the gab but, as he died 130 years ago, I never had the chance to meet him.

Fortunately some of Patrick's words were preserved in a Sydney Morning Herald article from  Thursday 8 June 1848. This and many other great stories can be found at The National Library Of Australia's Trove website.

For this 21st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy I am posting a copy of that article in which Paddy demonstrates that he had The Gift of the Gab.

Sydney Morning Herald 8 June 1848

 This post has been prepared for  the 21st edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture

20th edition Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: I Speak From Experience

"To be sure, to be sure" is the dream I have for my Irish research.

Sadly I cannot be sure about much to do with my Irish ancestry that is complicated by many brick walls. I have visited Ireland and trudged through muddy cemeteries in search of ancestors who are resting six feet under but was not able to find a grave for any of the fifteen direct ancestors I have identified.

A number of kindly parish priests let me sit in their parlours for hours to pore over their parish registers. I was able to find some relevant records for the Kealys of Ballyfoyle but was not lucky with my Tierneys, Ryans, Moores,D'Arcys, Currys, Molloys, Connollys and Bowes.

Searching for civil registrations didn't help because I was seeking persons who lived before registration. The recently published 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland have helped me identify distant cousins but are not relevant to my ancestors.

From my experience the only advice I can offer is that with time and persistence you may find what you are seeking. Due to work commitments and time constraints my research trip to Ireland was very short. I do believe in "See and ye shall find" so plan to spend a longer period of time when I retire on my next ancestor hunt in Ireland  where "with the luck of the Irish" I may find those elusive ancestors.

Sisters by the Sea

In last years Annual Swimsuit edition post I shared a photo of myself on a family holiday at Ettalong, NSW. For this year's offering for the 95th EDITION OF THE Carnival Of Genealogy I am going back to the scene of many happy family holidays and posting a photo of myself with my mother, aunts and a close family friend.

In her teens and early years Mum,her four sisters and Roma, the family friend pictured, lived in Kensington with my maternal grandparents. As my grandmother also had a couple of male boarders it must have been pretty crowded in their four bedroom home. From photos in the family album I see that trips to beaches around Sydney figured prominently in their social lives. Once they were married they carried on the tradition of trips to the beach with shared family holidays in January to Ettalong and later Port Macquarie.

In the photo below taken in January, 1956 are (L-R) Eileen Duncan, Mary Duncan, Lillian Duncan, Geniaus, Elsie Duncan and Roma Hambly posing at Ettalong Beach. As an only child I relished the family time shared on these holidays.

Genealogy Carnival

News of a new genealogy carnival from f o o t n o t e M a v e n

Tierneys on Parade - My Irish Heritage

Denis Tierney (1811-1894) from Roscrea, Tipperary, Ireland and his bride, Eliza D'Arcy (1816-1858) emigrated on the ship "China" to Sydney in 1839 where Denis, a carpenter, worked for Sir William Macleay on Elizabeth Bay House.

Denis and Eliza soon moved to the Williams River area and were founding settlers in the town of Dungog. Denis worked there as a carpenter and undertaker. Dennis probably put his talents to work on the construction of the family home that is still standing in Mackey Street today.

When Eliza, aged 42, died in 1858 the Maitland Mercury reported - ' Death. At Dungog, on the 26th inst., after an illness of four weeks, Mrs. D. Tierney, leaving a husband and four children to lament their loss.'

Denis, who lived till he was 83 lead a busy life. He was was active in the rifle club and was, for many years, starter for the race club.

Only two of the four Tierney children had a long life. Daughters Jane and Eliza both died of tuberculosis whilst in their twenties. My great-grandfather, John D'arcy Tierney and his sister, Mary both married and had families.

Although I have travelled to Denis' birthplace,Roscrea, Tipperary, and Eliza's birthplace, Templemore, Tipperary, I have not yet found any Irish cousins. Hopefully one day I will be able to locate someone who shares my Tierney heritage.

This precis of my Tierney family's history has been prepared for the 3rd Annual St. Patrick's Day parade, the 18th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture,

Give Their Face A Place - Ethel at Elsinore

My grandmother Ethel Jane Pusell had a new house in which to raise her family. When my grandfather, Frank Duncan, returned from the WWI he was able, through the Soldiers Settlement Scheme, to gain a grant of Crown land on which he built a house for his bride, Ethel.

In this first photo from the 1920s Ethel is pictured with one of the five daughters she had with Frank. I think it may be my mother.

The 32,000 acres of land on which the simple timber house was built on the property "Elsinore" was 40 miles west of Cobar NSW. In 2010 this is a remote area, nearly 90 years ago it was extremely remote. Cobar, the nearest town, was a long carriage ride over rutted, red, dusty roads. Sydney and the coast was 700 km away. Life was tough, there were droughts, bushfires and loneliness.

My grandmother never complained about her lot in life; the stories she told of her early life were laced with the good humour with which she would have faced life at "Elsinore".















This post was prepared for: Smile for the Camera, 21st Edition -Give Their Face A Place - Women's History Month

The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best!

Wow! This is a challenge but I'm going to take a trip down memory lane, trawl my archives and see if I can find any gems.

• Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.

For the Annual Swimsuit Edition of the 74th Carnival of Genealogy I posted a photo of a little girl on the beach in Ettalong, NSW. I love this photo as it brings back memories of wonderful holidays with an extended family that were especially relished by a sometimes lonely only child.

• Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

Photos from 1956, 1965 and 2008 of the girls I attended school with and later met up at a school reunion were in the post Flowers and sunshine cheer our pathway.

Tina, Anne, Jackie, Gabrielle and myself were in each of those three photos. The life stories of these five women would make an excellent mini-series or docudrama. Between us we have been married, widowed or remained single, had no children or large families. Three were teachers as that was one of the few professions easily accessible to women in the late sixties. We have maintained the faith or turned our backs on the Church, we have lived in the city and the outback. We have been mature students changing careers in mid-life or have stayed in the one job for the duration of our working lives.

With the help of lighting, makeup and filters the girls have what it takes to play themselves in this series.

The real life stories of my classmates would show that Vinnie's girls are not Desperate Houswives but that each is a "Woman of Substance".

• Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2009?
  

When the Queen came to town gives a potted history of Elizabeth II's visits to Sydney interlaced with comments about my family's involvements in these visits.

• Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?

The best biography that appeared on my blog was Last July's post "Frank Duncan - an ordinary bloke" about my grandfather, Frank Duncan. I did not meet Frank as he died before I was born but from stories recounted by my mother and aunts, who adored their father, I imagine that he was was a real Aussie larrikin.

• Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?

A popular pasttime in Australia is the derision of public figures especially politicians in our nation's capital, Canberra. Although it did not elicit comments from any readers my post Christmas news from our nation's capital really tickled my funnybone.

New Year's Resolutions! Carnival of Genealogy 87th Edition

As a great believer in the place of reflection/evaluation in the process associated with any task my first task is to repost and evaluate my list for 2009 below.

*********************************************
By taking part in this Carnival I am forcing myself to reflect on the haphazard way in which I approach my genealogy hobby. I am retiring from fulltime employment this month so I should have more time to devote to my search for ancestors and distant cousins. In 2009 I will endeavour to:
* Get organised;
Still working on this one.
* Label my archive of Blogposts and all new posts;
Have retrospectively tagged and now try to tag as I go.
* Post to Geniaus every second day;
Except for holiday periods or when away from home have posted on a daily basis.
* Go through ancestors records one by one and properly record sources for all information; This is happening in a most haphazard manner - needs attention.
* Move my paper files into one sequence and out of their family-based folders;
Have sorted all files into one long alphabetical sequence by individual names.
* Digitise all certificates, wills etc. in my posession;
Partially completed.
* Scan and tag my family history photographs;
Slow process - 1600 more old photos scanned, 60,000+ digital photos tagged.
* Update and redesign my website;
Major project of transferring files and commissioning site http://www.geniaus.net is complete but, as site is continually evolving, it will never be finished.
* Respond to emails from fellow genealogists in a timely manner;
I hope that I have done so.
* Rejoin The Society of Australian Genealogists.
Have joined the Society.

************************

And now for 2010

I am fairly pleased with my progress in 2009. The retirement I had anticipated would give me lots of time was short-lived as I took on a part-time role in a family business. I would not have missed this opportunity for the world - I have enjoyed working in a completely new industry.

In addition to progressing with my 2009 resolutions I will add some more to my 2010 list. My updated list follows

* Put the living before the dead - when family members visit make them the focus of my attention;
* Take advantage of serendipity moments eg actively listen to the Aunts at family gatherings, take photos of family members/groups at gatherings; record notes of information shared on my smartphone, scraps of paper, serviettes - just get it down;
* Use web 2.0 technologies to promote genealogy in Australia, eg GoogleWave, Twitter, GenealogyWise Australian Group;
* Be patient with fellow researchers who do not share my enthusiasm for technology;
* Get organised;
* Label my Blogposts ;
* Post to Geniaus at least every second day;
* Go through ancestors records one by one and properly record sources for all information;
* Digitise all certificates, wills etc. in my posession;
* Scan and tag my family history photographs;
* Regularly update my website;
* Respond to emails from fellow genealogists in a timely manner;
* Maintain membership of The Society of Australian Genealogists;
* Attend Genealogy workshops/lectures.

Dear Genea-Santa: 86th Carnival of Genealogy

Dear Genea-Santa,

I've looked at a couple of lists of gift suggestions for genealogists and have realised that I am a lucky old genealogist as I have many of the goodies suggested on the lists.

From Julie Miller, Senior Times and Carole's Canvas are lists of gift ideas. These are many wonderful suggestions - our individual needs will dictate those items an individual would most desire.

As well as some concrete items, Dear Genea-Santa, I would be pleased to have the following:
Perseverance when I encounter a brick wall;
Patience when dealing with individuals who don't quite get IT;
Time to indulge my passion for family history;
Generosity to share the results of my research;
Meticulousness when recording my research findings;
Understanding for those who are reluctant to embrace new technology like Google Wave;
Good Health and Energy to continue with my endeavours.

Please continue to spread peace and goodwill to all men as you set out on your Christmas journey.

Thanks, Geniaus

This article was written for the Carnival of Genealogy - 86th edition

Christmas at the Cross

In the early 1950s Geniaus attended kindergarten (preschool) in Sydney's King's Cross.

My gift for this carnival is a photo of Geniaus, her kindy pals and teacher in front of the tree at the Kindergarten Christmas Party. The children were required to wear fancy dress for the party; luckily Geniaus had an outfit from her ballet concert that she could wear. Some of the children are clutching the Christmas stockings we received as gifts on the day.

Geniaus is the little sailor girl on the bottom left of the photo. The tall girl in the middle back row with short, dark, curly hair is, fifty-five years later, Geniaus' friend. She is my son's best friend's mother. It's a small world!




This post was prepared for the Smile for the Camera, 19th Edition Carnival - Gift

How did they get here?

Our National Anthem reminds us that Australia "is girt by sea"; it is a big island not reachable by land from any other country.

As my ancestors were not able to walk on water they had to make the perilous journey to the land downunder by sea. Unfortunately a number of them had no say in the matter as they were banished to Australia for a range of petty crimes and the remainder came to escape poverty in Ireland.

As all of my ancestors had arrived in Australia by 1877 there are no photographic records of their journeys. I am therefore offering, as my contribution to "Smile for the Camera, 18th Edition - Travel" some pictures found on the internet of those ships on which my ancestors made the arduous journey to Australia.

Mary Kealy 1877 - Kapunda (Follow link for picture - cannot paste image due to copyright restrictions)


Richard Aspinall 1837- Bengal Merchant



http://www.bengalanmine.com/bengal.html

I cannot find immigration details for some of my other ancestors but I presume they didn't swim. Unfortunately I cannot find pictures of the ships that brought the following ancestors to Australia in the 1800s. I will keep searching.

Patrick Curry - Hooghley
James Homer - Elizabeth I
Catherine Maxwell - Caroline
Ellen Moore - Mariner
Elizabeth Phipps - Wanstead
James Pusell - James Pattison
Denis Tierney and Eliza D'arcy - China
John Tucker - Hercules II
James Westbrook - Earl Spencer


This post was prepared for the Genealogy Carnival: Smile for the Camera, 18th Edition"Travel"

When the Queen came to town

On 3 February 1954, the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to set foot on Australian soil. She was accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Although I was a tiny tot I remember the excitement this royal visit engendered in her Australian subjects. For the 1954 visit I lined up with my Mum hours before the Queen's drive through King's Cross. Luckily we were at the front of the crowd so I caught a glimpse of the lady in the big black car. Unfortunately my father, Allan John Curry, was unable to join us for this occasion as he was busy with work. As a member of the NSW Mounted Police he and his horse were elsewhere (perhaps in Canberra, ACT) getting ready to form a guard of honour or provide an escort for the Queen. I think the photo reproduced below was taken at this time.



My Dad and his fellow officers in the NSW Mounted Police c.1954

The Queen has visited Australia fifteen times in all : 1954, 1963, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2002 and 2006. I have vague memories of some of these visits.

Once the Queen's motorcade passed by my grandmother's home in Anzac Parade, Kensington. Together with Nanna and some Aunts we stood on the street to wave to Her Majesty. I can remember Mum and the Aunts discussing the Queen's flawless complexion after that event.

I was visiting my eye specialist once in Sydney's Macquarie Street on the day of another visit. With the specialist and his receptionist we had a birdseye view of the Queen and her entourage as they moved down Macquarie Street and we waved froom his upstairs window.

Since the advent of colour television I have not taken to the streets to see the Queen but have followed her from the comfort of my living room.

This post has been prepared for Follow the Parade,Carnival of Genealogy, 80th Edition.

Flowers and Sunshine Cheer our Pathway.....

.......was the first line of our school song at St. Vincent's College, Potts Point in inner city Sydney NSW.

Although there were few flowers bordering the pathways at Vinnies those of us who were students in the fifties and sixties had a very happy time in the oldest Catholic girls school in Australia. It was established by the Irish Sisters of Charity in 1858.

1956

I was one of the littlies in this photo of the infants students taken in 1956.In the fifties the School had a small infants and primary department; these have now been closed and the School is a day and boarding school for girls in Years 7-12. There were 55 girls in our Class of '65.

1965

In 2008 the school celebrated its 150th anniversary with the St. Vincent's Sesquicentenary Alumni Dinner at The Sydney Hilton Hotel. I enjoyed the festivities with 18 of my former classmates including some who were with me in the 1956 photo and a number from the Class of '65 photo.

2008

This post has been prepared for the 17th Edition of Smile For The Camera "School Days."