Facebook for Australian & New Zealand History and Genealogy...

Since releasing my first big list of Australian history and genealogy links on Facebook in September 2016, I’ve continued to find more, and more, and periodically do updates. So what started out as a list of a few hundred links, has grown to large list of 2085 links (as at 26 January 2023). That’s 77 pages worth of Australian and New Zealand history and genealogy links … just on Facebook. I haven’t added any new categories with this update, but there are additions to nearly every category that’s listed. DOWNLOAD HERE This is an ongoing project which will be updated periodically, so if you have any links you’d like added, please either send an email to  alona @ lonetester.com (without the spaces), or message me on my Lonetester Facebook page. ————– And I can’t mention genealogy on Facebook without making reference to two other incredible lists: – Katherine Willson’s worldwide Genealogy on Facebook list is enormous, and now has over 16,700 links. – Gail Dever’s Facebook for Canadian Genealogy list of over 1000 links is a must for everyone with Canadian...

Are You Listening? 25 Australian History and Genealogy Podcasts...

Hands up how many of you listen to podcasts? Hmm, not enough of you. Before I get into that, let me start right at the very beginning by giving you the definition of podcast. In simple terms, a podcast is a digital medium consisting of audio episodes that relate to a specific theme. The hosts of a podcast are referred to as “podcasters.” So in essence it’s an audio recording that you can listen to on your computer, iPad, or phone. There are literally hundreds of thousands of podcasts available to listen to, on just about any topic that you can think of – just browse Audible to get an idea. They can be fun and entertaining, they can be horrifying, or they can be educational. Podcasts are great to listen to while you’re travelling. Anyway today I just want to highlight a few Australian history and genealogy-related ones for you. Please note it takes a LOT of work and dedication to create a podcast, and as you’ll see some of those listed below are not currently active, but I’ve included them as you can still listen to the past episodes. —- AdeLOL – Adelaide & SA’s Hilarious History Podcasthttps://adelol.podbean.com/Stories of South Australia and Adelaide’s unique, and often hilarious, past. Australian Ancestry Podcasthttps://australianancestrypodcast.podbean.com/The Australian Ancestry Podcast helps you make the most of your uniquely Australian family history research by providing insights into how to perform your research in Australia, overview of historical trends in Australian migration & settlement and interviews with leading Australian researchers. Aussie History Podcasthttps://player.fm/series/aussie-history-podcastThe Aussie History Podcast, (also known as the Aussie Waves Podcast) tells Australian history though the lens of all those peoples who have made the journey from other lands to call Australia home....

Good Reads #1

I’ve been mulling over this post for a while, partly as to if I should even post it, and partly as to what I would call it, if I did. Anyone who knows me, knows that I read a lot. Excluding books for this purpose, I also read lots of interesting articles and blog posts. And it’s these that form the content of this post. It’s kind of an extension of a previous reiteration of “Inspiring Posts” that I had on a different blog – but I didn’t just want to copy that, so instead this is kind of a mix of interesting articles I’ve read, inspiring ones too, as well as educational posts. So that’s how my “Good Reads” theme has started. So if you’re after some good reading, get yourself a coffee, and make yourself comfy as I promise you there’s lots of good reads here for you. INTERESTING STUFF – Covers off the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s hidden treasures that don’t often see the light of day – Oldest tartan found to date back to 16th Century – Cartographer and artist Alex Pescud creates hand-drawn aerial map of Wollongong – South Australia’s oldest known colonial-built fishing boat, the 19th century Rambler, could still be saved – Household Dust Harbors Forensic DNA Info – Scientists scan York cemetery in Western Australia for old, unmarked burial sites dating back to the 1850s – Who Do You Think You Are? UK returns to BBC One this June with a nine-part star-studded line-up – ‘We’re Not All Ikea-Loving Minimalists’: The Resurgence of Young Antique Collectors – Long time no see: Freemasons uncover vault of century-old photo – How FamilySearch is using the future to discover the past with AI...

Join SLQ’s New Transcription Project...

Original records are fabulous, but unless you have the days (or weeks) to sit onsite and view these records in the archive or library going through them page by page, they remain unknown to most of the world. So to make them more accessible they need to be indexed, or even better, transcribed. And that’s exactly what the State Library of Queensland is doing with their latest project. They write … Are you something of an expert at deciphering handwriting? Or are you interested in improving your transcription skills?We have recently digitised the letters received by the Colonial Secretary of the British Colony of New South Wales which relate to the Moreton Bay settlement and Queensland from 1822-1860. The correspondence documents the daily activities of a penal settlement, including petitions from prisoners’ wives, supply requests for items needed to establish and maintain the settlement, and proposed infrastructure plans.This is a large and historically significant collection of 42,000 pages of letters and documents. These letters have never been available online before and will be a valuable research resource. However, the machine-generated transcripts of the Colonial Secretary’s letters are, on average, 50% accurate. Technology is great, but there is no substitute for the human perspective in deciphering handwriting. So if you are interested in Queensland history, family history, or you simply enjoy the challenge of decoding handwritten documents, they would welcome your help. To be a part of their project, you can sign up at From The Page and start...

Traces Magazine – Issue 22 (April 2023)...

If you have a love of Australian history and genealogy, this is just what you need. As with all every issue of Traces, this one is packed with high quality Australian history and genealogy-related articles. Issue 22 recently hit the newsagent shelves, (or your letterbox if you’re a subscriber), so what great articles are in this issue? In this edition Traces welcomes back some regular writers, and several new contributors. Karoline Cernoch explores the stunning Waverley Cemetery, and the social and cultural factors that led to its development. Dr David Waldron shares the grizzly story of Fitzroy’s Hand of Glory, and the folklore maintained by Melbourne’s 19th-century immigrants. The genealogy section features a fascinating article by Lucy Frost about convict orphans, transported from Australia with their convict mothers, and how to find them in your family tree. While the cover story, written by Peter Baker, charts the rise and tragic fall of violinist and entertainer Percy Cowan, his wartime service and his enduring friendship with poet Henry Lawson. There’s another “Vintage Vernacular” article, and a profile of the grand historical estate Edina, with its Scottish connections. But there’s plenty more to discover in this edition’s pages, so if you love Australian history and/or genealogy, do yourself a favour, and grab a copy of Traces. Available in both printed and digital form, you can subscribe through iSubscribe or Traces magazine directly. You can buy the current issue from some newsagents, and back issues of the magazine from Traces magazine themselves. More information:Website: http://tracesmagazine.com.au/ Follow...

More Australian Archives to get much needed funding...

We all heard the absolutely fabulous news from the Australian Federal government in their May Budget, about the National Library of Australia and Trove receiving funding, but I will admit to missing the fact that they were only 1 of 9 Australian cultural organisations to share in over $530 million dollars in funding million over the next four years. Yes, it’s true. And there’s no doubt that this funding is needed. Afterall the organisations have faced funding cuts for years, which resulted in less staff, and less staff to do the required tasks needed to preserve our heritage and the records that go with it. And then there’s the cost of mantenance to the buildings, for which there was simply no money available … until now. So this is fabulous news, not only for the National Library of Australia, but all of these important archives. National Library of Australia (and Trove)The National Library of Australia gets the biggest increase in funding with $146.2 million over the next four years. That includes funding specifically for the Trove program which offers digital access to historical documents, along with money to expand its storage and fix its main building in Canberra, which was seriously damaged in a severe hailstorm in early 2020. **More info => https://www.nla.gov.au/Australian National Maritime MuseumThe Australian National Maritime Museum welcomes $23 million in funding from the recent Federal Budget. Ms Daryl Karp AM, Director and CEO said, ‘We are delighted that the government has established a cultural policy and is supporting and investing in the arts, culture, and community. ‘This announcement gives us much needed short term and ongoing funding – in the first instance, to do urgent work repairing and maintaining our fleet, wharves, and ageing infrastructure....

Genealogy News – March/April 2023...

Last month I started my “Genealogy News” series, and people seemed to love it, so here’s the next one for you. These are, putting it simply, a collation of news from the bigger-name genealogy and history societies, archives and other related organisations from Australia and elsewhere. So grab yourself a coffee, and find a comfy place to sit and click on through to find out the latest news in the genie world. Anyway, now on with the news … 23andMe23andMe Adds More Detail for Customers with British and Irish Ancestry23andMe’s New Hereditary Prostate Cancer (HOXB13-Related) Report Ancestor NetworkThe Irish Ancestry of President Joe Biden AncestryAncestry Shares Corporate Responsibility Progress in Second Annual Impact ReportKurrent & Fraktur: An Introduction to German PaleographyFinding Your Irish Potato Famine AncestorsAncestry Community Update – March 2023 Australian War MemorialAnzac Day 2023 at the Australian War MemorialAustralian War Memorial marks Iraq Invasion 20 years on DNA PainterShared cM histograms: did you know? #3New gridlines and enhanced chromosome view in mapsKeeping track of genetic ancestors: did you know? #2Changing segment layer order: did you know? #1 FamilySearchRootsTech 2023 Unites Friends and Families WorldwideHow FamilySearch is using the future to discover the past with AI FamilyTreeDNAHow Can Testing Your Siblings’ DNA Help Your Genealogy Research?The New “Events” Mini Feature in DiscoverThree Important Takeaways From RootsTech 2023Group Project Administration Series: Shifting Your Mindset on GenealogyEarly Contributions to DNA Studies from Rosalind Franklin and Florence BellNew DNA Analysis Uncovers Mysteries Around Beethoven’s Paternal LineFamilyTreeDNA Works With Cambridge University Team To Uncover New Health and Genetic Information About BeethovenTwo Ways To Manage Test Results With FamilyTreeDNA Find and ConnectUsability Testing is Open!More Institutions Added FindmypastDiscover monumental inscriptions for England and WalesHow to build your family tree with FindmypastExplore the updated...

The 24-Hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon is on Next Week...

The 4th annual 24-Hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon is coming, and it’s on NEXT WEEK, for those in the northern hemisphere is on 13-14 April, for us down south, it’s on 14-15 April! Pop in for a session or two, or stick around for the full 24 hours – it’s completely up to you. And thanks to MyHeritage and Legacy Family Tree Webinars, the entire event is free. It begins on Thursday, 13 April, at 5pm EST (US time), which translates to Friday, 14 April, 7am (Sydney time), and runs for 24 hours. Over that period there are 25 presentations from so many well-known genie presenters, including some Aussies and New Zealanders, and the talks cover a wide range of topics. To make life easy for you, I’ve put the whole schedule below, with both the US time, and the Australian (Sydney) time. But if you’re in a different timezone, use a timezone converter tool, such as Time and Date, or others similar. Legacy Family Tree Webinars writes … Just like every year, the entire event is completely free and open to all. You can attend just a few of the webinars that interest you most, or challenge yourself to attend all 25 lectures back to back! Live Q&As will take place during the lectures and there will be door prizes available as well.Can’t make it in real time? No worries: all sessions will be recorded and made available for free during the week after the event. Beyond that, you can always find them and view them anytime when you purchase a membership to Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Eastern Time (US)Sydney Time (Aus)SpeakerTitleThu, 5.00pmFri, 7.00amMichelle LeonardSolving Unknown Parentage Mysteries with MyHeritage DNAThu, 6.00pmFri, 8.00amDaniel HorowitzSpanish & Latin American Records on MyHeritageThu,...

Who Do You Think You Are? Australia 2023 (Season 14)...

If you’ve been hanging out for the new season of Who Do You Think Your Are?, the Australian version, you don’t have too much longer to wait, as Season 14 starts on Tuesday, 2nd May. This popular series is back with a stellar new line-up of well-known Australian personalities who embark on a deeply personal journey to explore their family history, discovering tales of love, tragedy and perseverance along the way. So just who features in WDYTYA Australia 2023? Here’s the list … Barry Humphries – an Australian comedian, actor, author and satiristJenny Brockie – Australian journalist and documentary-makerDerryn Hinch – media personality, politician, actor, journalist and authorRhonda Burchmore – Australian entertainerStephen Page – Australian choreographer, film director and former dancerPeter Helliar – Australian comedian, actor, television, radio presenter, writer, producer and directorKerry Armstrong – Australian actress and authorJohn Waters – Australian film, theatre and television actor, singer, guitarist, songwriter and musician Bernadine Lim, SBS Commissioning Editor for Documentaries said: “We are completely thrilled the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? will return to SBS from May 2, and with such a brilliant line-up of guests. Prepare to be delighted by Barry Humphries’ quest to prove he’s the most interesting person in his family, captivated by Jenny Brockie’s deeply emotional journey as she searches for the familial connections she has yearned for all her life, and moved as Derryn Hinch finally uncovers the long-suppressed identity of his mother’s father. And that’s just the first three episodes! With this new season Who Do You Think You Are? continues to fascinate, amuse and enthral Australian audiences, resonating with our universal desire to discover our origins, in all their diversity.” Here’s a sneak peek for you … So remember...

Trove is Saved!

Researchers around Australia, and indeed around the world, are breathing a huge sigh of relief at the news that the Australian Federal Government is giving a much needed cash injection to Australia’s national treasure, the National Library of Australia and Trove. In its upcoming May budget, the federal government has promised $33 million over four years to the NLA.The NLA, which runs digital archive database Trove, will also be separately allocated funding of more than $9 million — a move the government said would secure the future of the service for years to come. So this is fabulous news, not only does the National Library of Australia get much needed funding, much of which is needed to upgrade the NLA building itself – the building that holds so much of Australia’s history – Trove gets allocated funds too. With newspapers, diaries, magazines, photos, gazettes, newsletters, maps, artefacts, books, diaries, letters, music, audio and video, and so much more, the Trove website is truly a portal of Australian history, to the world. National Library of Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (Flickr: aussiejeff) On Trove you can find more than 14 billion digital items primarily relating to Australian history, and now with ongoing funding, that number will continue to grow. So a big, big thankyou for everyone who signed the various “Save Trove” petitions, and to those who wrote to their local Members of Parliament to voice concern over the potential closure of Trove. Our voices have been heard, and thanks to the ongoing funding, we can now continue to use our favourite website for all of our research. https://trove.nla.gov.au/ For more about the announcement, have a read of these articles: – National Library welcomes announcement of ongoing Trove funding – Trove secures funding...

Australian Genealogy and History Snippets – March 2023...

From time to time I come across all sorts of interesting history and/or genealogy related tidbits that I want to share with you, so I’ve collected them together to make up a Snippets post. These aren’t meant to be comprehensive, but rather they are just bits that I’ve found and wanted to share. Mostly it is Australian news, but I have tacked on some overseas snippets on the end for you interest too. Discovering Anzacs website “Decommissioned”News on Twitter is that the National Archives of Australia have “decommissioned” (deleted) the Discovering Anzacs website. This is a perfect demonstration of why the community are hesitant to engage with and contribute to institutional projects. How many hours of work and contributions of material has been thrown away? –  via @michwatsonoz@ausglam.space on Twitter. More info on the NAA website. Are you interested in helping to research and preserve the history and heritage of the WEA (SA)?Are you interested in helping to research and preserve the history and heritage of the WEA? The WEA are in their 110th year, and they are launching an exciting volunteer-led project to ensure their  history is properly recorded and preserved for future generations. The project will include a research component as well as cataloguing, digitising, and storing our vast treasure trove of documents, photographs, and objects. Initially we are seeking 3 enthusiastic Volunteers to take on the role of WEA Volunteer History Project Team Leader for our three categories: Research; Cataloguing; and Digitisation. Once our Team Leaders have been appointed we will also be calling for general volunteers to assist with the project. If you’re interested, CLICK HERE for more information or to apply. Sydney Jewish Museum Major ExpansionNews from the Sydney Jewish Museum … “We’re thrilled...