Grave and Memorial Location Search

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by Sharyn Merkley Following your ancestor from cradle to grave inevitably ends in the search for their last resting place. Cemeteries also have stories to tell family historians. Visiting the grave or memorial of an ancestor you have spent days, or even years, researching can be an emotional experience. Historical cemeteries such as Toowong, South Brisbane and Lutwyche are quite large and, in the case of Toowong, very hilly! Don’t go on a hot day without a plan. I went … Continue reading

Parish registers: Chapter 2

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by Annalies Nutley As my previous blog stated, the resource known as the Parish Register in an invaluable one to the genealogist – both amateur and professional alike.  For me, as a genealogist by trade who works almost full time in the profession, the use of parish registers is now part of my modus operandi for every project.  Not only am I extremely grateful for the tireless work done by volunteers and others in getting more of these images scanned … Continue reading

Tracing your ancestors Family History Show

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Taking the opportunity to attend a family history show when overseas is always a worthwhile activity. Not only do you get to view the latest and greatest in genealogy (you hope) but for me, it provides an opportunity to see what most people are interested in given the demographics of the attendees. This particular show is organised by the Discover Your Ancestors magazine and was held on the 21 September at Sandown Park racecourse at Esher, about 30km from London. … Continue reading

Eva McGill’s pottery

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‘Delightful float bowl In black and biscuit, bearing a native design’[1] For some reason I often noticed a particular black and biscuit coloured jug on display at my grandmother’s place. Perhaps it was because I was studying ancient Greek pottery at university at the time and it reminded me of the black figure pots which were made around the 6th century BC.  But the figures on this jug were not Greek gods but Australian animals such as the pelican, swan … Continue reading

Belfast & tracing Irish ancestors

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This blog post is being written from Belfast as I am here for the Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Conference run by the Ulster Historical Foundation. Prior to the start of the week long conference, I attended a 3 day Irish Genealogy Essentials course.  There were about 40 attendees at this workshop/seminar, 5 of whom were Australians and the rest were a mix of Canadians and Americans. There were quite a few in the group who had taken the same course … Continue reading