AFFHO Congress Presenter Interview - Paul Milner

When is an interview not an interview? Perhaps when you are having a pleasant day out with friends.

Mr GeniAus and I had a Pre-Congress Social Day out with AFFHO Congress presenter,  Paul Milner and his wife Carol Becker yesterday.

We tried to not to talk about genealogy etc because our spouses (who don't admit to being genies) were along for the ride to the beautiful Blue Mountains. At times, during our 11 hours together the conversation did turn to geneachat and Paul kindly responded to my questions.

Paul indicated that he loves Australia and was thrilled to have an opportunity to be able to address a new audience at our national event. Paul has plenty to share, he is not having difficulty with what to share in his sessions but in what to delete from his talks so that he can adhere to the 45 minute session time limit at Congress. I have heard Paul speak on a previous Australian tour and an Unlock the Past Cruise and can attest that he has lots of knowledge to share. Paul's presentations are packed with information and he is an excellent presenter, he will be giving 5 talks at Congress so do try to get along to hear one or two.

Paul, as a conference attendee, is pleased that he will have an opportunity to hear presenters from the UK and local speakers that he does not have an opportunity to hear in the United States. Paul, like many Americans, also has ancestor ties to Australia and feels a areal affinity with our country.

Paul was pleased to tell me that local publisher, Unlock the Past, have published several of his books and that they will be on sale from the Unlock the Past booth at Congress. I'm sure Paul will be happy to sign any of his titles that you purchase there.

Paul and Carol have allowed themselves time to explore NSW before and after Congress and are looking for advice on places to visit particularly in and around Canberra, The Snowy and the South Coast so if you know of some local hidden gems please do find Paul during Congress.

Our first stop Blaxland Riverside Park was a huge success, Carol had read about it in a landscaping magazine and was keen for a visit.  Thankfully the weather there was just overcast.

Blaxland Riverside Park

We had a fun but frustrating day when we reached our destination, the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney, the weather just wasn't cooperating.At Echo Point The Three Sisters and the Jamison Valley were shrouded in obliterated by mist, Paul and Carol bought a postcard so they would know what they should have seen.

The Three Sisters came out for a few minutes to greet Carol and Paul

While at Echo Point Carol was excited to a Banksia and I was pleased to see the Road Builders' Memorial that I misssed on my last visit.

Blue Mountains Banksia

Road Builders Memorial

After our lunch break at the Paragon in Katoomba which was a hit my hardy co-travellers managed a walk to the Leura Cascades with its beautiful display of ferns. Our drive home was punctuated by a yummy dinner at The Red Spoon at Top Ryde.

A Room at The Paragon, Katoomba

While Paul and I enjoy Congress I think that Mr GeniAus and Carol are going to fit in some sightseeing - I do hope the weather is kind to them.

World Poetry Day passed me by

I missed World Poetry Day because it fell on a Saturday and my Saturday was spent with our living family.

This is why I missed World Poetry Day

I started Googling around to see what I could post about the day and came across this post that my Genimate Shelley wrote in 2011.  Her poem is so apt as more and more people undertake genealogy testing for DNA.

You can read Shelley's geneapoem here: http://twigsofyore.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/world-poetry-day.html

GAGs - GeniAus' Gems - 20 March 2015

It seems as though I find a new Australian geneablog each week to add to my RSS and that makes my task of selecting posts for GeniAus' Gems more difficult. What I also love to see is the resurrection of  some dormant blogs which has occured recently.

1. I am giving myself poll position this week with a post that contains content from many Australian geneabloggers. There is so much interesting reading in this compilation of pre Congress posts.
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/geneabloggers-at-congress-pre-congress.html

2. Congrats to Carnamah for creating local history education resources.
http://www.blog.carnamah.com.au/2015/03/australian-curriculum-resources.html

3. Diane gives us a peek into rural life.
http://familystoriesphotographsandmemories.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/sharing-memories-mail-deliveries-in_17.html

4. I am in awe of the wonderful work of Glyn Llanwarne. Here is his latest report.
http://lostmedalsaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/john-topliss.html

5. Matt shares a letter home from a First Fleeter.
http://randomfh.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/a-first-fleet-letter-home-john-and.html

6. Putting this book on my wish list.
http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2015/03/book-of-the-week-the-story-of-australian-english-by-kel-richards.html

7. Yes, I do love reading, Chris.
http://crissoulisbookspot.blogspot.com/2015/03/love-reading-even-better-for-free.html

8. Familysleuth investigates the Jonathan Jarvis mystery.
http://familysleuthforever.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/its-all-in-name-not-my-family-jonathan.htmlhttp://familysleuthforever.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/its-all-in-name-not-my-family-jonathan.html

9. Sherie combines two interests in HSP105
http://genealogybugsherie.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/hsp105-introduction-to-family-history.html

10. In which Alex takes stock....and it's a good result.
http://familytreefrog.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/resolution-check.html

11. Jenni discovers some postwar generosity.
https://jengenie.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/food-parcels-after-ww2/

12.  Allen is not who he thought he was.
http://allevan.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/changing-names-my-dna-adventure.html

13. It's a bakers' dozen again this week. I knew about VD in WW1 but not much about the VADs.
http://arc.parracity.nsw.gov.au/blog/2015/03/17/world-war-one-voluntary-aid-detachment-parramatta/

Trove Tuesday - Our Debt to Ireland

The Leprechauns are on my side tonight. 

I was just trawling thorugh Trove to see what new stories I could discover on my Irish ancestors when I found an aarticle I just had to share on this St Patrick's Day Trove Tuesday.

My Great-Aunt, Eliza Tierney, had in 1907, as a 12 year old, submitted an article to The Catholic Press in Sydney entitled "Our debt to Ireland". In the article she talks of the trials faced by early Irish priests in Australia. As she lived in Queensland I don't know if I ever met Aunt Lizzie who died when I was an infant.

Could that be Lizzie standing at the gate of the Tierney home in Mackay Street dungog?

I was thrilled to discover and read her article on St Patrick's Day. I don't know that 12 year olds today would write in a similar vein.

1905 'Our Debt to Ireland.', The Catholic Press (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1942), 14 September, p. 32, viewed 17 March, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104903289

And here is the transcribed text of the article:

Our Debt to Ireland.

Mackay street, Dungog.

Dear Playmate,— I think we can justly boast of what Ireland has done for Australia. Was it not they who fought so heroically to plant the Catholic faith in Australia ? Only think
what the early Irish priests had to.endure ! The first Irish priest to land in Australia was Father James Harold,who, being deemed a rebel, was seized at the altar whilst celebratingMass,and after a short term of imprisonment transported to Australia in 1800. Some time later the Rev. James Dixon arrived; the principal charge against him was that he wore the badge inscribed 'Erin-go-Bragh. ' Those priests were doomed to the last degree of human misery,and only partially allowed to exercise their ministry. Father Dixon, an Irish priest, was the first to offer Mass in the Southern continent. He spent five years out here, and then returned to Ireland. After that Father Therry arrived, and his heroic labours entitle him to a prominent place in Australian history. It was he who secured the ,site on which St. Mary's Cathodral now stands, When Dr. Ullathorne set sail for tho home countries in 1830, one of the special commissions entrusted to him was to obtain a community of religious workers. Five Sisters of Charity embarked for Australia, and this was the beginning of the Sisterhood in this land, What a contrast between now and then? Here we are in this prosperous twentieth century with churches, schools, and convents in almost every town: aud do we not owe the blessings of the True Faith and Catholic education to our, Irish predecessors ?— I remain, your new play mate, LIZZIE TIERNEY.(Aged 12 years.)