Category Archives: National Archives of Australia (NAA)

Joseph Guidice: An Enigma wrapped in several Mysteries. An electronic records investigation.

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I came across Joe in the early 2010s while looking for photographs of Australian World War One soldiers for a presentation, I had found his photo on the State Library of New South Wales website.  He enlisted in the Australian Army in 1918, but as he was of Canadian nationality, I didn’t use his image for my talk. However, I didn’t forget him because the question intrigued me, what was a Canadian doing enlisting in the Australian Army? I eventually … Continue reading

“Grab & Go” or “Go Slow”

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In true 21st century style, we are all tempted to do a “grab & go” run on our favourite paid genealogy site. Each site regularly brings new records online and more and more people join the sites. Then there’s all those trees to trawl for common relatives or ancestors. Certainly, this strategy can quickly add branches and information to our trees. However, do we stop and reflect on what we’re seeing and whether it’s substantiated by solid records? This tree-snob … Continue reading

The Wheeler Project.

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Originally published as GSQ Blog on 23 Oct 2016 One hundred years ago the world was engulfed in conflict. Men and women from every nation were conscripted or volunteered to fight when hostilities broke out in Europe in August 1914. Some 416,809 Australian men and women enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army.  By the end of the war, over 60,000 Australians had been killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken … Continue reading

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Family History Research.

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Irving Stone wrote The Agony and the Ecstasy: the biographical novel of Michelangelo in 1961. I loved the book and even more so the movie with Charlton Heston as Michelangelo which came out in 1965. Not that I am comparing myself to Michelangelo, but there is very much a love hate relationship with family history in my opinion. For someone who has been doing their family history for 46 years I would have to say the ecstasy outweighs the agony. … Continue reading

‘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