It’s funny what you find along the way!

Thomas Baines

Recently I was researching my 2nd great uncle, Thomas Baines, an Irish school teacher who emigrated to Queensland. Now, I am one of the ‘new kids on the block’, as far as genealogy is concerned, so the Queensland State Archives (QSA), although not completely unknown to me, was not a place where I felt comfortable to do my research. However, if I was ever going to give a correct account of my ancestor’s life, then that is where I was hoping to find the meat to put on the bones of my basic research and bring him to life on the page.  This is my QSA adventure.

Firstly, I went on-line to the QSA Home page:   https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/arts/heritage/archives

I then scrolled down to ‘more ways to explore’.

I then clicked on Schools, Hospitals & Orphanages. Scrolled down to Teachers 1860 – 1905.

3. Once again I scrolled down and selected Schools, Hospitals & Orphanages and selected Teachers 1860-1905. Joy oh joy! A full online searchable index.

5. I downloaded the file and saved it to my computer for future reference (this is optional). So now I was ready to search and find long lost Uncle Thomas.
6. To find Uncle Thomas in such a large database; there is a search box at the upper corner of the page, so I typed in ‘Baines’ and sure enough, up came all the teachers with the surname of Baines.
7. Armed with these reference numbers, off I went to search to QSA in search of Uncle Thomas’s teaching record.

Note: You can order the ‘not filmed’ records from the counter when you have the correct reference numbers.

8. By asking at the counter for a little direction – lo and behold the Microfilms were easy to locate, there were plenty of fiche/film readers available, and quite a number of records to scroll through, but I ‘hit pay dirt’ on my elusive Uncle Thomas –  from his teaching record I found a myriad of information.

Signature Date of arrival in Australia Referee Previous employment Qualifications Number of children Inspector’s reports Date of Birth Nationality Religion Date admitted into the service Date resigned from the service Previous employment history Classification Authority of Record, Name and Date School Appointed to, date and position held Salary Skills Organisation of school

9. Because I had to look through many names on the microfilm, it was difficult for me not to notice how many teachers were employed at that time. I began to wonder, did any of my ‘brick walls’ become teachers? So, if you have drawn a blank on one of your ancestors in Queensland, you could try an enjoyable day at the Queensland State Archives.

Extract from the Queensland Times article 1876

However, don’t forget your lunch – I’m sure you’ll be amazed at just how much information has not been made available on the ‘web’.

What became of Thomas Baines?  Yes, I did search Trove and there he was, large as life. Thomas was a teacher and head master and taught in and around Ipswich from 15 July 1878 to 15 March 1882, he became an auctioneer and ran his own business auctioneering firm in Ipswich. He was a well-respected and civic minded individual who served as a councillor on the Ipswich City Council and became Lord Mayor of Ipswich in 1899. I found a very interesting article following the trail of Uncle Thomas, which clearly sums up how he chose to live his life.

Happy hunting!