Fancy a kangaroo steamer? How about a schnitzel with a side of sauerkraut? Or maybe you’re a fan of couscous and dal? Whatever your food passions, imagine connecting to your family history through knowing what your ancestors ate. Some popular contemporary diets are loosely based on how our forebears fuelled themselves – for example the Read More
Was an ancestor of yours admitted to an asylum? Or perhaps a paper trail has gone cold and you’re not sure where else to look? Ancestry’s latest dataset could help. When James Watson walked into the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Ballarat, in November 1897, there was nothing about his behaviour to cause alarm or remark. The Read More
You don’t have to be a genealogist to really appreciate a great old family photo. There’s a certain joy that comes with finding a shoebox in the attic filled with old black and white photos of people living in a world decades before us. Finding and preserving family photos is essential to telling your ancestors’ Read More
Military records can be valuable sources of information for genealogists, helping you to find enlistment dates, learn about famous battles and discover the unique stories of the heroes in your family tree. We’ve put together some tips to help you get the most out of Ancestry’s extensive collection of military records: The best way to Read More
Has Ancestry helped you learn something interesting about your family? Or did you receive surprising AncestryDNA results? Perhaps you’ve connected with long lost relatives? Or been inspired to travel somewhere new? Nothing speaks to the power of Ancestry better than our very own members and we’re currently in search of the most compelling and unique Read More
For family historian Geoff Oliver, the centenary of World War One prompted him to start discovering more about a military ancestor. What he uncovered led him to remember the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele with special significance. From France to Cootamundra, NSW, 30 October 1917: I regret very much to inform you of the Read More
Vital records – records of births, marriages and deaths – are the basic building blocks of family history research as they contain lots of information for your family tree. Marriage records can help genealogists to establish the religious affiliations of their ancestors and can reveal other details such as age and place of birth, occupation, residences and parents’ Read More
With Australia’s next census fast approaching we thought it might be worth revisiting the first census held in Australia way back in November 1828. Prior to 1828 the colony’s population was originally counted through musters however these only focused on parts of the total population. Musters excluded military personnel, and free settlers could not be Read More
When: 11-13 September 2015 Venue: 1 Bay Street, Port Macquarie NSW – click to view on Google Maps. Web: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nswpmfhs There’s always more to learn when it comes to family history and the 2015 Fair and Conference will be held over three exciting days in Panthers Auditorium, Port Macquarie The FREE Family History Fair is Read More
Guest blog by historian Tanya Evans Family historians accept that their research is a journey, often enjoyed over the course of many years, sometimes across a lifetime. My book Fractured Families: Life on the Margins in Colonial New South Wales explores why the life stories of some men and women in the past come to Read More