By Jill Ball.

Connections 2025. The conference program, registration and master class details are now online.

As a friendly flock we genies love to gather in person. The high spot on the genealogy calendar for family historians downunder is the triennial Congress or, to give it its proper name, the Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry of the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations Inc. (AFFHO)

“The four-day festival of learning and laughing and loving” – Judy G Russell 2018 (11)

Next year’s Congress, Connections2025, to be held in Brisbane in March 2025 will be a joint event with the 5th History Queensland State Conference. I am proud to be serving as the NSW Ambassador for the event with a team of Ambassadors from across Australia and New Zealand.  As my role is to spread the word about this Conference I am taking the opportunity to share my enthusiasm here.

“Congress is such a wonderful opportunity to gather together to celebrate our passion for genealogy and family history.” Shauna Hicks 2018 (9)

I have had a personal involvement with the last four Congresses, whose location rotates through Australian States and Territories and New Zealand. The first Congress “Genealogy in a Changing Society was  held in Melbourne in 1977. Connections2025 in Brisbane will be the 17^th in the list of Congress events.  

Registration desk Canberra 2015.

Congresses , under the auspices of AFFHO, are the premium educational and social events for Australasian Genealogists. The programs organised by state or local societies, typically include local and international keynote speakers, a multistream program of presentations from a range of experts and enthusiasts, a welcome event and a conference dinner.

While we can hear speakers in online forums the benefits face-to-face presentations offer in the formal educational program at Congress is next level. As a bonus we have informal opportunities to continue conversations and discuss concepts with presenters and other attendees.

“The opportunities for informal learning and socialising for we who indulge in what is often a solitary pursuit cannot be underestimated.” – Jill Ball 2018 (6)
By far and away for me the most valuable part of attending Congress every three years is the networking – catching up with friends and colleagues from other States and Territories and meeting new people especially this time social media friends from Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. – Shauna Hicks 2012 (11)

I love the informal learning opportunities that arise at these events held over a few days. In the exhibition spaces one has access to representatives from genealogy and allied organisations who can provide answers to our individual questions. Meeting up with fellow users of a software program can often lead to a resolution of a personal issue or meeting someone with local knowledge may provide information on a new useful resource.

FamilySearch stand in exhibition area, Sydney 2018.

“ It never ceases to amaze me how you can strike up meaningful conversations with people you’ve never met before – genealogy is certainly an effective ice-breaker.” –Pauline Williams 2018 (12)

I have many online genimates; a highlight of attending Congress is that I can finally put faces to names of those I haven’t met and meet up with old friends made at earlier Congresses.

L-R Shauna Hicks, Pauleen Cass and Jill Ball meet up in 2015.

“The venue of the conference may be a temptation in itself.”  – Pauleen Cass 2018 (6)

The Congress program often organises visits to local libraries, societies, archives and sites of significant historical interest. Attendees can combine conference attendance with research or tourist activities. Connections2025 is providing a complementary program for visitors to Brisbane.

Prior to the 2012 Congress I was in the workforce and had never attended Congress. After attending Rootstech in 2011, although it was huge and daunting, I was hooked. Since then I have attended each Australasian Congress.

In 2012 I cheekily suggested to the organisers that they needed an “Official Blogger” and they took up my suggestion. As well as blogging during the event I compiled a list of posts by other bloggers. I know that most of those genies will be joining us in Brisbane for Connections2025.

By 2015 for the Canberra event I was still not confident enough to submit a proposal to speak.  I acted as an Official Blogger with Pauleen Cass and Shauna Hicks. Between us we shared a sizeable number of posts including interviews with presenters. Close to the Conference I was thrilled to receive an invitation to host a panel session at the closing ceremony. It was a lively session on the topic “Family History Research: Why leave home to do it?” The panel members were Josh Taylor (USA), Carole Riley (Australia) and David Holman (UK).

Jill takes the stage at Congress 2018 in Sydney.

Prior to the 2018 Congress in Sydney, I was asked by the organising committee at The Society of Australian Genealogists to help promote the event. I co-opted genimate, Pauleen Cass, to help me set up a Facebook Group for those interested in attending. I was so proud of the success of this endeavour which had several hundred members. I also finally conquered my butterflies and submitted proposals to speak at this event. I was pleased to present on two topics close to my heart: Blogging and Frugal Genealogy.

Due to Covid19 the planned 2021 Conference in Norfolk Island had to be postponed until 2022. I attended this event and gave a practical presentation on Librarything. This was an intimate event with a small contingent of attendees but was still hugely successful. I appreciated the visits we made to the historic sites on the Island. The high spot for me was not the formal program but the opportunities I had to research my GGGUncle, Michael Harrington Ryan, who was a pioneer Catholic priest in the convict settlement. 

Jill standing outside the Priest’s residence on Norfolk Island, Home of Rev. M H Ryan. 2022 Congress.

As I look back at earlier Congresses I value the benefit of blogging about these events. In 2012, 2015 and 2018 I religiously blogged before, during and after Congress, I also compiled lists of other genies’ posts. I now regret that my blogging was practically non-existent in 2022 when I used Facebook as my preferred social channel. I will endeavour to use blogging as a sharing platform for Connections2025.

Geneabloggers at 2015 Congress in Adelaide.

This post has given me an opportunity to travel down memory lane. If you wish to get in the mood for Connections2025 you might read some of the blog posts in the following list. I look to seeing you in Brisbane in March 2025.

References and Further Reading

1.Ball, Jill  Compilation of Congress posts (2012)
https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2012/04/compilation-of-congress-posts.html
2.Ball, Jill  Geneabloggers at Congress – Posts from Congress (2015)
https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2015/03/geneabloggers-at-congress-posts-from.html
3.Ball, Jill  For those who missed the show (2018)
https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2018/03/for-those-who-missed-show.html
4.Ball, Jill Greetings from South of the Border…
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/greetings-from-south-of-the-border/
5.Cass, Pauleen Guest post – Pauleen Cass – perspectives on Congress 2015
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/guest-post-pauleen-cass-perspectives-on-congress-2015/
6.Cass, Pauleen To conference or not to conference?
https://cassmobfamilyhistory.com/2018/03/23/to-conference-or-not-to-conference/
7.Collier Linda  Canberra Congress 2015 days 2 to 4
https://mccollierheritage.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/canberra-congress-2015-days-2-to-4/
8.Johnson, Tiggy Canberra Congress 2015
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/co  Leaving home to do it?
9.Hicks, Shauna  Bridging the Past & Future Congress, Sydney March 2018 
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/bridging-the-past-future-congress-sydney-march-2018/
10.Hicks, Shauna  Overview of AFFHO 2012 heraldry & genealogy congress
https://www.shaunahicks.com.au/overview-of-affho-2012-heraldry-genealogy-congress/
11  Russell, Judy G. Apologies? Nope!
https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2018/03/15/apologies-nope/
12.Williams, Pauline Bridging the Past and the Future – Congress 2018 – another perspective
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/bridging-the-past-and-the-future-congress-2018-another-perspective/
13.Williams, Pauline History in Paradise – Norfolk Island AFFHO Congress – August 2022
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/history-in-paradise-norfolk-island-affho-congress-august-2022/