For anyone with ancestors from Sydney, Rookwood General Cemetery may hold clues vital to your family research. Why? Because it’s the largest cemetery from the Victorian era still in operation in the world, with more than one million burials spread across its 200 hectares. Its vast landscaped gardens have become the last resting place for Read More
If you are new to the world of family history and DNA, you might not be aware of one of the best offline resources at your disposal – family history societies. Societies have been around for decades and have always been a haven for those of us looking for our ancestors. Prior to the boom Read More
Family historians know the value of a good murder. A death and some intrigue in colonial Australia often left a great paper trail in the records, one that can reveal all sorts of details when you know where to look. Historian Catie Gilchrist, from the University of Sydney is one such person. Catie has always Read More
There are lots of family history societies around Australia and New Zealand and they play a key role in genealogy research. Membership fees are typically very reasonable, so here are some great reasons why it’s worth joining up. 1. They can help you get started. If you’re new to family history, joining a family history Read More
Richard Dutkiewicz had always wondered about his father. He’d never known him – his mother had said he was killed in action in the Pacific at the end of World War II. “I was born in Germany in 1946,” explains Richard, who now lives in Canberra. “My mother was German, my father an American marine Read More
Anzac Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It’s the day on which we remember all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in war and on operational service past and present. To commemorate Anzac Day on April 25th, we wanted to acknowledge the brave men and women in Read More
When Alice Anderson was found dead in her garage in 1926 it made headlines around Australia. Why? Was it because she was the nation’s first female mechanic – an astute businesswoman who trained and gave female mechanics an opportunity to work in the male-dominated industry? Or was it because her death was a mystery – Read More
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the many women across the course of history whose passion and reserve brought about immense change. From the fight for suffrage on the streets of London in the early 1900s, Rosa Park’s bravery in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the women who bravely accepted new Read More
For many Australians, stumbling across a convict in your family tree is a joyous occasion; after all, convicts put their blood, sweat and the occasional tear into building this country. However, we often gloss over the fact that many of these convicts were habitual or opportunistic criminals who found their way down under through a Read More
I have a confession to make. My interest in Australian history has never really extended to European male explorers. Yes, they performed amazing feats to understand the world in which we live but so did many others – Rose de Freycinet, for example – who are nowhere near as lorded. But I have always had Read More