Family links to land.

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By Stephanie Ryan. Who first purchased the land where our families grew up, which, in its homes, streets and suburbs, became the background of their lives? When did this land become part of the suburbs? How do I trace its history? State Library has hundreds of estate maps showing first sales of residential blocks in Queensland. In this estate map the sketch of the local area puts the streets in context. Cheap, easy transport was a selling point when private … Continue reading

My Great Grandfather Alfred

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For some time now I’ve had a photo of a man in a military style uniform in my possession. It was passed to me by my mother when she moved house as she knew of my interest in our family’s history. The photo was originally found in my Nan’s wardrobe after she passed away in 2004. The simple frame was barely holding together, there were no markings or inscriptions on the photo itself to indicate who this gentleman was, or … Continue reading

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

The way things used to be

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Although it’s difficult to appreciate now, when I first started to research my family history in 1987 there was no internet. Family history research was a much slower process; when we contacted people, we sent letters by post and waited patiently for a reply. If we wrote to someone overseas, we would buy International Reply Paid coupons so there wouldn’t be anything preventing a reply. If we ordered a certificate, we had to wait several weeks before they arrived. We … 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