Yearly Archives: 2023

‘A Ship of Contentment and Cheerfulness’: Further Researching on Nineteenth Century Queensland Immigrant Vessels

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The voyage to Queensland ports undertaken by so many of our ancestors represented a transition between one way of life into a totally unknown change in circumstances but was a challenge undertaken with optimism and a spirit of adventure.  After December 1848 most were hoping for an improved standard of living for their families and for themselves especially after Australia’s newest colony was opened to migration. To assist genealogists locate details, many lectures and journal articles have indicated advantages in … Continue reading

Does researching our family history change us? How do we want to be remembered?

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Yes, folks it is my turn again as guest blogger. As usual I am sitting here clueless. What do people want to know, learn or simply read. In May I was one of the guest speakers on the Life Matters program hosted by Hilary Harper on Radio ABC. Also being interviewed was Jenny Brockie, one of the latest celebrities on the new Australian season of Who Do You Think You Are on the SBS on Tuesday nights. The phone lines … Continue reading

Remembering Jane.

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We gazed across the paddock to the area along the bank of Duckworth Creek where we understood Jane Heffernan had been buried in January 1877. The need to reach our next destination on time, fences and long grass prevented my cousins and I from looking for the exact spot where local people believed some trace of graves remained. Jane Heffernan’s death at about 37 years old followed two days after the birth of twins. The twins were also buried near … Continue reading

The challenge of names and places in Irish family history.

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  When Hannah Skinner married, she was described as being from “Baltimore, Cork, Ireland” Brisbane Courier 8 June 1899 p7. Her marriage certificate echoed this place of origin and gave her age as 26. She had arrived in Brisbane 23 November 1891 as a dressmaker, aged 20. These records indicate, not unusually, varying years of birth. Hannah Skinner’s birth: civil records Civil (government) records and baptismal (church records) provide different information. The marriage civil records for those not Catholic commenced … Continue reading

The Next Genealogy Journey – Discovering an Adventurer.

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For years I had been darting from one family member or ancestor to another belonging to my late wife, Helen, gathering the usual dates and places of birth, marriage and death. But that strategy had to change if I was to find how these people lived. Following the advice of seasoned genealogists at talks and conferences, often with their own website, blog or Facebook page, I needed to focus on one ancestor at a time. Who might be a likely … Continue reading