July has all but gone, which means that August is almost here, and for family historians (at least in Australia and New Zealand), that’s good news as August is National Family History Month. YAY!!

So what does this mean?
It means that we (meaning ‘we’ as researchers) have an opportunity to share our knowledge with others and encourage them in their search. It also means we should take some time to self-educate ourselves … afterall, the more you learn, the better researcher you’ll be. Read a guidebook, watch a webinar, go to your local library or society to check out what they have. Grab a copy of a genie mag from your local newsagent and find out the latest news and tips from that. Revisit a website you haven’t been to for a while. Interview a relative, even just a question or two. Scan or simply file and label photos. Order a certificate. Do some transcribing. Maybe even take the plunge and start your own blog? There’s so many things you can do for NFHM, it’s not hard.

Getting started … 
For those that haven’t started the search, or have ‘just’ started, this is a great time for you. Just check with your local library or genealogy society to see when they’ll be open, and what they offer in relation to beginners talks, or one-on-one help.  Do yourself a favour, and get some good guidance at the beginning, it makes the world of difference and will help your search. And why not join a genealogy Facebook group (trust me there are 1000s out there).

The events …
The National Family History Month website is the place to check to see what organised events are on in your area. With over 200 events scheduled this year, there are seminars, open days, online events and more … there’s things for beginners as well as those who’ve been researching for years.

Personally I’ve already printed out Shauna Hicks’ list of 31 Genealogy Activities for Researchers During NFHM, and plan to work my way through them.

For the bloggers …
Also Alex Daw has come up with a blog challenge for the geneabloggers for National Family History Month, and while I’m still not quite sure what to make of the topics, I’ll keep thinking, and will come up with something.

And the social media minded …
Be sure to stay up to date with what’s happening during National Family History Month by following their Facebook page, and follow the hashtag #NFHM2017 on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram to see what others are posting about it.

So what will you be doing for National Family History Month?

“Every book is a quotation; every house is a quotation out of all forests, and mines,
and stone quarries; and every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In Australia National Family History Month is held during August, so it was timely that a historical place I’d been wanting to check out had another open day during the month. Not that they had planned it as far as I know, but hey I’m counting it towards my National Family History Month (NFHM) activities.

Adelaide’s old Treasury Building (which is now hotel apartments, “the Adina Apartments Hotel“) on Flinders Street in the heart of Adelaide, has a history dating back to the early years of the colony.

the Old Treasury Building, Flinders Street, Adelaide

This former Treasury Building was built in stages from 1839 to 1907, and is a building that has been at the centre of South Australia’s administrative and governmental affairs for more 130 years. And one of the original walls still stands. It housed the Cabinet Room from 1876 until 1968, before that moved to another building. For more on this history of this magnificent building you can read about it here.

Booked in for the 11.00am tour, we were joined by about 60 other people keen to explore the history of this place. Divided into two groups for the actual tour, the group I was with was led by Grant who’s a volunteer at the National Trust, and clearly loves what he does, knows his history, and shares it with enthusiasm.

Firstly Grant showed us the “Records Room” that was made as a fire proof room …  which originally had with slate floor, and arched brick ceiling – and held together without any mortar, just simply by the curvature of the bricks. From a genealogical perspective, it’s so good to know that they were looking after the records, not only ensuring that they were kept, but they were also kept safe!

Anyway you will see from the photo below they have now added steel rods as reinforcement, but the ceiling is still there, and is still the original one, and looks amazing. The room itself is now an actual apartment … and an very nice one at that.

the arched brick ceiling

the plaque on the wall outside the “fire proof” room at the Adina Apartments Hotel

one of three Honour Boards in the old Treasury Building, Adelaide

the huge map of South Australia in the Cabinet Room

here’s the hat stand

heading down the tunnels

The tunnels underneath the Treasury Building were constructed in 1850 and predate the existing building, and it is understood that gold discovered by South Australian diggers in the Victorian Goldfields was stored and smelted in there tunnels, as they contain a furnace and a well.

There are two tunnels, one that runs from the Adelaide GPO on Franklin Street so that government mail could be delivered in secret, and another is thought to lead under Flinders Street to the Torrens Building on the corner of Wakefield Street and Victoria Square, however, it has been blocked for many years.

they used to lead somewhere, but now they’re blocked off

… and even a window too

If you were to go on the “tunnels tour” expecting to walk everywhere under Adelaide, you would certainly be disappointed. The one hour tour ended up being an hour and a quarter anyway, but most of that wasn’t on the tunnels themselves. But if you are interested in the history of building, and Adelaide’s history – do yourself a favour and book in for a tour, you’ll certainly be fascintated hearing all the stories.

a view of the Adelaide town hall clock tower from the courtyard of the Old Treasury Building

National Family History Month has been and gone already. And I got the feeling that it was gathering momentum as the month went one, with more events added throughout the course of the month. So I do hope that continues as a trend for next year, making 2015 even bigger and better.

Anyway Shauna Hicks compiled a list of 31 things to do for National Family History Month, but rather than follow her’s, not that there was anything wrong with it – I simply wanted to compile details of my OWN list of Family History Month activities.

I admit that some of these things I would probably have done anyway (National Family History Month or not) – others not. But as they