Author Archives: Helen V Smith

Housing for People of Small Means: Worker’s Dwelling Act 1909

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On 22 December 1909, the Queensland government passed “An Act to Enable the Government to Assist Persons in Receipt of Small Incomes to Provide Homes for Themselves”. Very understandable why the act was generally referred to as the Workers’ Dwelling Act 1909! The aim was to provide  a means for working class families to acquire a low interest mortgage to construct their home. The first home was built in 1910 and by the late 1920s 23,515 homes had been built … Continue reading

When did he find out? Did he ever find out?

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It is really important to always “Roadmap Your Records” to know how and why a record is produced as this can give information about the record and its contents. Civil registration in Queensland began at the same time as New South Wales registration in 1856, as Queensland was still part of New South Wales until 1859. Queensland indexes are available online with each index date range increased on 1 January by one year. You do need to be aware of … Continue reading

As Time Goes By

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It is 2020 and already half-way through January. The change of year brings many wonderful things, not just Christmas and family gatherings and way too much food. Did you talk to your family about their stories? Maybe get a family member to take a DNA test? But the present giving is not over yet, as the change of year also brings new index releases. Queensland now has birth indexes to the end of 1920, marriages to the end of 1945 … Continue reading

We become what we see!

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For those who know me you know I am a public health microbiologist, a scientist. I have done a number of presentations for Scientists in Schools and had the interesting experience of a young lad about 11 years old very upset with his teacher as he thought they were getting “a proper scientist! Girls can’t be scientists!” It is hugely important that people can see that girls can be scientists, plumbers, doctors, teachers etc and also that this is also … Continue reading

The Spanish flu in QLD – 100 years

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May 1919 is the 100 year anniversary of “Spanish Flu” hitting Brisbane then spreading throughout Queensland. “Spanish Flu” does not come from Spain but was first majorly publicised there as Spain was a neutral country in WW1 and the press was not censored so it acquired that name and it has stuck. It had been a long four years of war. The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than did World War I, at somewhere between 40 and 100 … Continue reading