With the Connections 2025 Early Bird closing date behind us, my thoughts are now on another conference which I’m currently attending. This one is rather different to our big one next March which is at Eight Mile Plains in Brisbane, as we’re now at sea onboard Celebrity Edge, and the conference is run by Alan Phillips under his Unlock the Past (UTP) banner.

Chris Paton presenting ‘Scottish research resources before 1800’

With these UTP cruise conferences, there are sessions during sea days and every night, one at 8pm. The first evening onboard we had a general welcome abroad by Helen V. Smith and then each speaker gave us a brief bio of themselves. The presentation team consists of lead speakers Chris Paton and Mia Bennett, accompanied by Helen Smith, Eric Kopitte, Rosemary Kopittke, Hilary Blanford, Maggie Gaffney, Shauna Hicks, and Michelle Patient.

Sunday 2nd December was a sea day which began for us with Chris Paton giving us an overview of Scottish records and what is where. In Chris’ usual style it was highly entertaining with his comical way of keeping us all involved. Helen Smith then explained how useful timelines can be in your record keeping, to rule out unlikely bmd’s, find research gaps and track movements. In between some sessions a 30 minute break for a cuppa etc takes place, a great addition to this busy timetable. After Helen, Mia Bennett took the floor with her ‘Hunting through matches’ which was a DNA presentation. This talk gave us lots of hints and suggestions to help us along the way.

Lunch break was a great game of ‘Spot an empty table’ and eventually we hit the jackpot with four empty seats. Then came decision making time with more choices than anyone could imagine; well folks, cruising is all about the food, right?

With all refreshed, Shauna Hicks started the afternoon with ‘Australian genealogy online’, Shauna’s knowledge of what archive has what online is second to none! GSQ Member Helen Smith gave me the following review of Hilary’s presentation which I missed:

’Hilary Branford gave a presentation on the research she had done on branches of her Allender family including the interestingly named Urias who was transported in 1803 aboard the Calcutta. She used a wide range of records including Royal Navy records including some from Greenwich Hospital, UK parish records, a range of court records in the UK and convict records in New South Wales and Tasmania.’ Thanks to Helen for that.

Following on was Michelle Patient and ‘Dating photographs’,with hints and tips to help you in that task.  More relaxing and chatting over dinner followed, and then back to the conference room for the night session with Chris Paton’s ‘British and Irish newspapers’.  Phew; the first full day completed and another nine to go, I am definitely going to have to slow down somewhat to survive this education-a-thon!

Michelle Patient keeping us all enthralled.

The next day was a port day in Hobart which initially involved drizzling rain that soon cleared. I had booked to tour the Convict Penitentiary in the city, the 90 minute tour is titled ‘Unshackled’ and is highly recommended by myself and the many folk from our party who did it. Others went on organised bus tours to different parts of Tasmania, with some to wineries, as the cruise is actually a wine themed cruise. I’ve visited Hobart and spent days exploring its wonderful heritage just prior to Covid, so I just enjoyed finding my way around Celebrity Edge in the quiet before all returned to the vessel.

Maggie Gaffney presenting ‘Tracing property in England from Domesday to present day’

Wednesday 4 December was another sea day with 12 sessions available including five in a separate conference room. Speakers that day were Mia Bennett, Chris Paton, Maggie Gaffney, Rosemary Kopittke, Eric Kopittke, Helen Smith and Michelle Patient. Sometimes it’s hard to know which one to attend with double sessions but most speakers have provided very detailed notes which is a great help.

Thursday 5 December was a port day, this time at Kangaroo Island where the ship dropped anchor about 500 metres from the shore and we were tendered into Penneshaw. It was a beautiful fine day but extremely hot at 34C, and once again there were many tours organised in all directions from the tender dock itself with some onboard choosing to wander around that little village and the local market which was run as a ship was docked for the day. As it happens, this island was the only destination the previous Unlock the Past cruise in 2020 got to visit, as Covid reared its ugly self during that time and the vessel we were on then was ordered back to the departure port just before the ship reached Hobart. Kangaroo Island in March that year was still in recovery mode having suffered devastating fires destroying much of the islands countryside and wild animals a few months prior to our visit. That evening Chris Paton’s talk was titled ‘Sharing your family history online’. Are you actively doing this? If not, now is the time to begin! 

Chris reminded us that a great way to get your stories across to your family members is via a Blog post, just like this one. As it happens, one of my GSQ roles is as the Blog Editor. We have blogs published every Monday from mid January to mid December, with many members and guest bloggers telling their interesting stories. Chris relayed that blogging is a great way to find more family members, which I can vouch for. One blog that is an amazing example of this was written by Robyn Dean in 2021-2022 period. That one story is still having comments on it from time to time, with many new cousins found, and that’s just one example. As Blog Editor, I need to approve these comments prior to publishing and I can vouch for what an excellent source they are for family historians to use.

Mia Bennett during her ‘Probate: where there is a Will’ presentation.

Friday arrived making two port days in a row, this time to Adelaide. Once again our conference members spread far and wide taking organised trips or just taking a local bus to the nearby suburbs. The beauty of Port Adelaide is that there is a train station right opposite the dock, so it is very well set up. My own destination was the Chihuly Exhibition in the Botanic Gardens in Adelaide city centre, the day was a lot cooler than originally predicted thankfully, and the various glass sculptures throughout the park were just amazingly beautiful. Our after dinner speaker was Michelle Patient who had us all enthralled to hear her ‘Secrets behind the mysteries’ presentation and how she approached the many brick walls encountered. It was an emotional talk which had many of us realising the extent that detailed researching of such mysteries can involve.

Saturday 7 December is another sea day so another 13 sessions with 6 of those in the 2nd conference room. All the presentation team had sessions that day with a wide range of topics; I’m having to pace myself more, as this genealogy cruising is pretty hectic! Tomorrow is another port day with the ship docking in Melbourne, our last destination. Mia Bennett is the night session presenter with ‘A life at home and at sea’, I’m looking forward to that and not sure what the talk will centre on. 

Monday 9 December our last full day onboard is another sea day with seven talks scheduled featuring Helen Smith, Shauna Hicks, Michelle Patient, Chris Paton, Maggie Gaffney and Mia Bennett. Tuesday morning will see 120 or so keen genealogists disembarking, eager to get home and do all those extra searches, read through the many handouts and begin to put their recently learnt information into practice.

Postscript: I have written the above in stages, and am now safely home having edited it slightly. It was a wonderful cruise on an amazing vessel and I think all of our party will endorse that. It is rather a dampener that Covid began appearing on Sunday and by Wednesday (today) a number had succumbed to it. Thanks to the Unlock the Past team for another great conference at sea. Sadly, it is the last one planned.

Speakers on the last night of cruise. L to R back: Eric Kopittke, Mia Bennett, Shauna Hicks, Maggie Gaffney, Chris Paton. F: Rosemary Kopittke, Hillary Blanford, Helen Smith. Thanks to Kerry Beeton for permission to use image.