Australian Genealogy and History Snippets – June 2023 (& some extras)
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 another Snippets post.
These aren’t meant to be comprehensive, but rather they are just bits that I’ve found and wanted to share. They are mostly Australian-related news, but I have tacked on some overseas tid-bits and details of some new books that you might find interesting too.
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Australian news
Lutheran Archives Donation Appeal
The Lutheran Archives is actively trying to make its collection more accessible through digitisation, but it’s a long, slow and expensive process. As well as our ongoing digitisation of Registers of Pastoral Acts (baptisms, confirmations, marriages etc) they have begun digitising their collection of church periodicals. These date from the late 19th century up to today and contain not only general church news, theological discussion, and spiritual direction, but also personal details, photos and local community news. Digitising each year of a periodical costs $100 of digitising time and there are over 500 annual volumes of material across all synods and districts. Donations to complete this work can be made at: https://donation.lca.org.au/project?id=P21021 and identifying that it is for digitisation of periodicals. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
[from the Lutheran Archives ANZ Facebook page]
Moreton Bay Regional Libraries adds preservation stations
Exciting news for all! All of the libraries at North Lakes and Strathpine have recently installed brand-new Preservation Stations. Whether you have old family photographs, slides, negatives, or important documents that you want to preserve for future generations, the new stations can help you create archive-quality digital copies. To book a session at these new preservation stations, simply contact the library. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to protect your precious memories and keep them safe for years to come!
More info: https://mbrc.link/preservationstations
QSQ is fundraising with containers
GSQ has entered into a fundraising arrangement with CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE that every member can participate in. By collecting your recyclable containers, glass or plastic bottles, poppers and /or cans and recycling them the funds can be credited to GSQ fund raising account. Containers can either be taken to a recycling depot see below link for details of your closest depot OR arrange for a home collection. [GSQ’s Scheme ID is: C10659195]
More info: https://www.containersforchange.com.au/qld/where-to-return
Provisional State Heritage Listing of Victa Cinema
Great news from the Art Deco & Modernism, Adelaide Chapter, the Victa Cinema at Victor Harbor in South Australia has been granted Provisional State Heritage Listing. As the first South Australian picture theatre purpose-built to screen ‘talkies,’ the Victa Cinema established the pattern for all picture theatres that followed and is both an influential and pivotal example of its class. On 25 November 2022, the Victa Cinema (former Ozone Theatre) was provisionally entered in the South Australian Heritage Register under s17(2)(b) of the Heritage Places Act 1993 to protect the place from development so that it can be appropriately assessed. You can read the Summary of State Heritage Place about Victa Cinema here: https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/…/26556-SSHP-Victa…
QR Codes on Headstones at Mount Barker Cemetery
Next time you visit the old part of Mount Barker Cemetery you’ll notice QR codes at some of the historic gravesites. The QR codes have been placed by the National Trust SA Mount Barker branch. Using the camera app on your smartphone, point your camera towards the QR code. You’ll first notice that the QR code will be highlighted briefly on your screen and then a banner will appear with a link to the website. Tap the link and you’ll be taken directly to the National Trust SA website with a biography of the person whose QR code you’ve viewed. Mount Barker Cemetery is the resting place of some absolutely fascinating pioneers who have made significant contributions to the story of Mount Barker. The QR Code project was developed with the support of Council and Business Mount Barker.
[info from the Mount Barker Council Facebook page]
State Library of Queensland’s Transcription Project
The SLQ is asking if you’re an expert at deciphering handwriting? Or if you are interested in improving your transcription skills? As they 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. 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 contribute to this worthwhile project, please visit http://ow.ly/sPmP50NSPL8 to sign up at From The Page and start transcribing.
[info from the State Library of Queensland Facebook page]
GenealogySA – New Family Historian Special Interest Group
Ok, this isn’t brand new news as this group was formed late last year, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, so figured it was worth doing so. So for those who have the software program Family Historian, and would like to meet with other users, this group meets on the 2nd Tuesday, of each month via Zoom, at 7pm (South Australian time).
Be sure to check the GenealogySA events calendar for details: https://www.genealogysa.org.au/whats-on/events-calendar
Have you started listening to the National Library of Australia’s ‘Bold Types’ podcast?
The podcast tells the stories of some of Australia’s first female journalists and how they blazed a trail for the industry today. Read about their stories and the experiences of the book’s author, Patricia Clarke – a trailblazing female journalist in her own right – in the book that inspired the podcast. Find the ‘Bold Types’ book in the NLA bookshop: https://bit.ly/3Ncm0F4
[info from the National Library of Australia Facebook page]
New Index from Archival Access Victoria
Mark from Archival Access Victoria has been busy, busy and has now indexed the Victorian State Ward records from 1911-1922. This contains 18,867 names of children who were made wards of the State (of Victoria) between 1910 and 1922. Use the index to find the reference, and then you can access the full ward record at PROV. View the index here: https://www.archivalaccessvictoria.com/indexes-tools-1
[info from the Archival Access Victoria Facebook page]
Bendigo Regional Archives Centre releases Patient Records Index 1908-1931
A full index is now available for patient records from the Bendigo Receiving Ward (1908-1931), series VPRS 18845 and part of the Bendigo Health collection. These registers contain two pages per patient, and record various particulars like age, locality, native place, marital status and their discharge details. Many also contain notes on the patient’s symptoms and delusions, and other details about their lives. Once you’ve found a relevant entry, note the Unit number and order that Unit from the PROV catalogue to view at the Bendigo Reading Room (link beneath the index): https://www.brac.vic.gov.au/catalogued-collection.
[info from the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre Facebook page]
WA Convict Website Updated
The WA Convict Website compiled by the FHWA Convict Interest Group has been updated. Convict details and files containing links to UK prison registers have now been added for all convicts up to and including the Edwin Fox (Convict No. 5340). The means that we have now loaded details for 5,112 convicts. Only 4,468 to go! Check out the website at https://waconvicts.fhwa.org.au/index.htm
[info from the FamilyHistoryWA Facebook page]
New Home for the National Trust of South Australia
The National Trust of South Australia head office has officially moved from Beaumont into their new home at the North Adelaide Baptist Church on Tynte Street. The historic Church was built in 1870 and has been generously gifted to the National Trust. Come say hello to the team and check out their office space!
[info from the National Trust of SA Facebook page]
New Website for Saving Karrakatta Cemetery
We are proud to announce the launch of our new website savingkarrakatta.com. This website contains important information about the Karrakatta Cemetery redevelopment process. Please share it with friends and family to help get the word out. https://savingkarrakatta.com/
[info from the Saving SA Graves Facebook page]
Applications are now open for WA heritage grants
The 2023-24 Heritage Grants Program budget is $1.221 million, with $1 million allocated for the WA State Heritage Grants funding stream, and the balance allocated for the WA Community Heritage Grants stream. Eligible not-for-profit organisations, businesses and local governments are encouraged to apply for the Community Heritage Grants that assist innovative community engagement activities or interpretation projects that promote or celebrate a State Registered Heritage Place or local heritage listed place.
More info: https://www.miragenews.com/applications-are-now-open-for-wa-heritage-grants-1023793/
Overseas News
Findmypast Family History Forum
The Findmypast Facebook group has had a makeover! Now named the Findmypast Family History Forum, it will continue to be a place to seek help with your family tree and share your discoveries. Plus, you can take advantage of exclusive content, expert advice, and of course, being a part of a friendly, welcoming community. Join their group => https://www.facebook.com/groups/findmypastofficial
[info from the Findmypast Facebook page]
Pharos Tutors Launches ‘New Look, New Website, New Student Experience’
The online genealogy course site, Pharos Tutors has just launches their brand new website and it looks very schmick. They offer over 50 courses all easily findable with their new course finder. Check it out at www.pharostutors.com.
[info from the Pharos Tutors Facebook page]
New Publications – Recently Released
How to Discover Your Family History Using FREE Resources
by Anthony E. Trice, Family History Books, £9.95
https://www.familyhistorybooksonline.com/how-to-discover-your-family-history-using-free-resources-by-anthony-e-trice-372
Suffering, Redemption and Triumph: The first wave of post-war Australian immigrants 1945-66
by Peter Brune, Big Sky Publishing, AU$32.99
https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/books/suffering-redemption-and-triumph/
Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy
by Drew Smith, Genealogical Publishing Company, US$29.95
https://genealogical.com/store/generation-by-generation/
Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 9
by Bruce Buzbee, RootsMagic, US$17.95/AU$29.95
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Most-Out-RootsMagic-9/dp/1932932178
Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians
by Chris Paton, Pen & Sword, £14.99
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Belfast-Ancestors-Paperback/p/23194
Fettered Frontier: Founding the Moreton Bay Settlement, the First Four Years 1822-1826
by Jennifer Harrison, Boolarong Press, AU$34.99
https://boolarongpress.com.au/product/fettered-frontier/
Convict Orphans: The heartbreaking stories of the colony’s forgotten children, and those who succeeded against all odds
by Lucy Frost, Allen & Unwin, AU$34.99
https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Lucy-Frost-Convict-Orphans-9781761067686/
Esme Quentin Mystery series ‘The Scourge of the Skua’
by Wendy Percival, the 5th book in the Esme Quentin Mystery series. Available in both Kindle and paperback formats from Amazon.
https://mybook.to/Skua4Kindle
New Publications – Coming Soon
The Deserter’s Tale by Nathan Dylan Goodwin available for pre-order
A new short Morton Farrier story is now available to pre-order on Kindle! The Deserter’s Tale will be released 15 September 2023 (10 years to the day after Hiding the Past was first published). Audiobook to follow soon after. Hardback & paperback will be combined with Morton #10. https://getbook.at/Deserters
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If you have any Australian genealogy and/or history related news that you’d like me to share, please feel free to send me an email with the info, and I’ll put it in my next Snippets update.
2 Responses to “Australian Genealogy and History Snippets – June 2023 (& some extras)”
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that 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’ have already been thoroughly indexed (by Marianne Eastgate and her team) in the Queensland Early Pioneers Indexes 1824-1859, which have been published.
I found a few new sites and updates amongst these, so thank you very much for passing along the details. Greatly appreciated.