Author Archives: guestblogger

Have you wondered?

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By Pauleen Cass. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like if all our Australian and colonial census returns had been preserved? I confess I hadn’t anguished over this during my research, on the premise of what you don’t have, you can’t mourn. However, last year, my mate Alex from Family Tree Frog blog wrote her own notes (here and here) on her life across twelve censuses, drawing on inspiration from English blogger and family historian, Janet Few. … Continue reading

In Memory of John Russell Figgis. 1892 – 1939 RIP.

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Anzac Day is an opportunity to reflect on the violence and futility of wars, and the waste of human lives that result from war. We do not seem to learn from history. The following brief investigation into the impact that Gallipoli had on my family demonstrates our desire for peace. Gallipoli was a tragedy. It originated with a plan devised by Sir Winston Churchill. His objective was to seize Turkey, thus weakening the German Allied forces and securing the Suez Canal. The AIF … Continue reading

Genealogy for all.

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By Jill Ball. Recently at Rootstech I co-hosted a panel discussing ethics and genealogy. My purpose was to raise awareness and encourage community members to think about their actions when dealing with people, places, information and things in the genealogy world. During the session and after in many comments on Twitter, genies described times where they felt marginalised, ignored or hurt. These personal issues included ageism, acceptance, sexism, racism, dismissiveness, put-downs, bullying, elitism and more. Issues of sharing sensitive information, … Continue reading

Explaining a missing couple in my research

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By Marg Doherty. Since 1877, Ann Muir, my two times great aunt and sister to my great grandmother, Flora Muir, has been “missing”. Ann Muir was born in the village of Kenknock, Inverness, Scotland, on 23 May 1835, one of seven children born to Thomas Muir and his second wife, Christiana Grant. [1] In 1854, Thomas, Christiana, six of their children, and Thomas’ twin sons by his first wife sailed to Moreton Bay aboard William Miles.[2] By 1857, the Muir … Continue reading

A Storyteller’s Voice Found in a Decades-Old Letter Adds to the Family Tree Story

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By Victoria MacGregor An old, yellowed, typewritten letter resurfaces and creates a context to wrap around a family tree and some photographs I’m always surprised, pleasantly of course, by who responds to the private family album invitations I send. There’s certainly no formula to it, no pattern, no particular demographic, but there’s always been an enthusiastic, almost giddy interaction by those who come back to me, those who leave comments and share stories, just seem to get it. A few … Continue reading