Yearly Archives: 2019

It’s almost Christmas!

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GSQ would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and safe and happy new year. On this day – 23 December 1834 Joseph Hansom of London receives patent for Hansom cabs   1893 Opera “Hansel und Gretel” by Engelbert Humperdinck and his sister Adelheid Wette premieres in Weimar, conducted by Richard Strauss   1914 World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt     1954 The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter … Continue reading

Scottish migrants to Moreton Bay 1848-59

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by John Mackenzie-Smith This article was published  in Generation, Vol 19, No 1, September 1996 The population of the Northern Districts, known as Queensland from late 1859, rose from 2,525 to 30,059 in the fifteen year period between 1846 and 1861. The vast majority of this increase was attributed to the arrival of 16,491 English, Irish, Scottish, German, Chinese and Indian immigrants (including 637 British ticket-of-leave convicts or Exiles and the 129 Irish orphan girls) between 1848 and 1859. These … Continue reading

Italian Research

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by Christine Meehan I have recently been involved in Italian research. Not knowing a great deal about this area of research I was pleasantly surprised to find a website that was extremely useful. The website is called Antenati. http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/ Their online indexes allow you to browse and give direct access to the digitized documentation of various State Archives. There is quite a comprehensive list of State Archives that the web site covers. Luckily the district of Ragusa was one the … Continue reading

On why you should read carefully and often

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by Bob McAllister   There are a few fundamental rules for handling a document that may contain evidence of the lives of our ancestors.   Always seek out the original record, (you cannot rely on indexes or transcripts). Read every word carefully, (especially the ones that don’t seem relevant). Question everything, (and seek explanations for all inconsistencies). Check that you have seen the complete document,  (look for another page). I know the rules well. I explain them to others. I … Continue reading

The Who’s Who of my family tree

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The first Who’s Who was published in London (1849) as a handbook of titled classes, listing only names without biographical sketches. In 1899, the format changed to include a short biography and various versions of Who’s Who are now published around the world. Each version has a slightly different format but usually provides details about prominent living people with deceased notables listed in Who Was Who. Every family has notables – some have convicts while others have royalty – some are lucky … Continue reading