Family History Month Wrap-up

Family History Month is just about over, and what a huge month it has been.  Browsing around on the FHM homepage and looking at the number of events, talks, tours, webinars and activities, the month has clearly been a success around the country. Just looking at all the range of topics offered is mind-boggling.

Campaspe Regional Library has offered a number of Family History talks during the month at all our library branches, as well as one-on-one sessions at Echuca, Kyabram and Rochester.  All classes have been well attended and the one-on-one sessions booked out, even after I opened up more days at Echuca to meet the demand. 

If you were meaning to come to any of the Famiy History Month talks at Campaspe Library but didn't make it, the slideshow presentation for each talk is available in pdf on the Library's website under Genealogy Classes.  Check them out to see what is available - they cover :

•  Ancestry

•  Convicts

•  Familysearch

•  German History and Research

•  Introduction to Online Research

•  Irish History and Research

•  Military Records Online

•  National Archives of Australia

•  Organising your Research

•  Public Records Office of Victoria

•  Trove and the National Library

•  Workhouses

Finally, a big thank-you to everyone who attended any of the events.  Your enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, questions and positive feedback has made our Famiy History Month a success.

Researching Abroad Day 2

Day 2 of Researching Abroad was German-European research, with Dirk Weissleder as the main presenter.  His presentations included Primary and secondary sources on genealogy in Germany ; Introduction to European research ; The International German Genealogical Partnership  ; and Archives, libraries & institutions for genealogical researchers in Germany.  I had not had the chance to hear Dirk speak before, but I greatly enjoyed his expertise and humour, and would not hesitate to attend his presentations again, and I can only say that Dirk’s command of the English language is far, far better than my own very limited command of German.

I have been researching my own German ancestors for a number of years, both through online resources and by writing to archives and record repositories in Germany.   My single year of High School German is simply not up to the task of trying to communicate with officials, nor for translating the records I have managed to find.  Clearly I was not the only Australian with German ancestors facing this problem, and a recurring question throughout Dirk’s presentations was “Is that record/website in English?”  The answer was generally no, and I could hear a little sigh go around the room each time.

Some highlight points include :

• Remember to consider the history of Germany – the country only exists as a unified nation since 1871.  Before then, it was an amalgamation of Kingdoms, Principalities, Duchies, and Free Cities.

• For many people their regional background is more important than the national background.  Someone from Hamburg may identify as being from Hamburg first and from Germany second.

• Good preparation is essential.  Aim for precision not speed, and be defined in what you want to find.

• Destruction of records in Germany is going to be a problem that may require some lateral thinking and creativity to work around.

• Family Books were definitely a new resource to me, as were several websites and possible avenues for further research – there is always something else to look for!

Again, there were other presentations during the day.  The Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies and the Genealogical Society of Victoria both spoke about their European Resources, there was another presentation about My Heritage, and Patsy Daly spoke about using DNA to solve genealogical puzzles.

Finally - the opportunity to chat with other researchers, swap stories, successes and favourite resources, catch up with a few familiar faces I only see at days like these or have talked to online but never actually met – it is always a wonderful part of any genealogy seminar.  Many thanks the Alan and the team at Unlock the Past for organising yet another wonderful genealogy event.  I hope to see you at the Deniliquin Genealogy Expo in October, where I am happy to note Unlock the Past is listed among the exhibitors.

Researching Abroad Day 1

A while ago I said I was booked in for the Unlock the Past Researching Abroad roadshow in Melbourne - and if you have not booked in to the Roadshow at one of its locations you are definitely missing out.  Last Friday and Saturday I was at the Veneto Club in Bulleen, Melbourne for two days of wonderful talks.

Day 1 concentrated on the British Isles, with Chris Paton the main speaker.  His four presentations covered British and Irish Newspapers ; Scottish Research Resources before 1800 ; British Censuses and Substitutes ; and Discover Irish Land Records.  A few gems from among the 20 plus pages of notes I took during the day (I concentrate better with a pen in my hand)

• Some newspapers publish two (or more) editions during a day and each will vary - and not every version will be digitised.  It pays to check.
• Browse as well as search - you never know what you might find if you look around.
• Scotland is not England - Scotland has its own legal, religious and cultural structures and seems to have delighted in doing things differently than their English counterparts.  Before 1707 they even had their own units and measures - and Scottish handwriting had its own little ways too!
• Ireland is also not England - they too had their own structures and ways of doing things.
• People lie (this I already knew, but it is worth reinforcing).  Any record is only as good as the informant - and for a variety of reasons sometimes people lie!

 Also on the day Unlock the Past had a table of brochures to pick up and books for sale, and their were also tables staffed by VicGUM, Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies, Genealogical Society of Victoria and FIBIS.  Intersperced with Chris's talks there were presentations from AIGS and GSV on the British Isles resources they have available, and a presentation on what My Heritage and Living DNA have to offer.

Genealogy Expos Coming Up

I think I'm going to be covering a few kilometers on October this year, with some great Genealogy Expos coming up.
The first takes place in Deniliquin on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th October.  The Deniliquin Family History Expo has been an annual event for a few years now - I've been to several and they just keep getting better. 
The list of exhibitors is impressive - their flyer lists over 30 - and there are a number of speakers to listen to across the two days of the expo.  They include : Jason Reeve from Ancestry, Doug Elms from Victorian GUM, Andrew Gildea from Finders Cafe, Neil Smith from Mostly Unsung, Joy Roy from the Scottish Ancestry Group, Ann Burrows from the State Library Victoria and Kaye Vernon from Teapot Genies.
The Expo takes place at the Deniliquin RSL and admission is just $10 per day.
This is quickly followed by the Colac & District Weekend of Family History on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd October.
The event kicks off on the Friday afternoon with sessions on researching, writing printing and publishing your family history, lead by the wonderful Hazel Edwards.
On the Saturday is the main Family History Expo, with exhibitors, demonstrations, talks and competitions - I'll be following their website for more details about exhibitors and speakers.
The event finishes on the Sunday with cemetery tours, history walks and sessions on organising a family reunion.
Some wonderful events to look forward to - and hopefully I'll be able to fit in a little sightseeing while I'm there!