~ August 2009 ~  

MEETING DATES 2009

Meeting held 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10am in the Tebbutt Room, Windsor Library

INFORMATION

"HAWKESBURY CHRONICLE NEWSPAPER INDEX 1881-1888" - NOW AVAILABLE

This new index contains over 7,600 entries extracted from the Hawkesbury Chronicle newspaper, from 1881 to 1888, with references to the following events - Accidents, Births, Burials, Divorce, Land, Marriage, Obituaries,  etc. The index is available in either, A4 book format, or, on CD-ROM, at $35 each (postage free within Australia). See website www.gownewspaperindexes.com.au Contact Rod and Wendy Gow, Newspaper Archivists & Indexers, 50 Ferry Lane, Cundletown NSW  2430

WHO ARE THE GENEALOGISTS OF AUSTRALIA?

As part of a Masters thesis at the University of New England examining the nature and growth of family history in Australia, a survey has been launched to learn about Australian genealogists / family historians. The survey asks questions about:

• The factors and motivations that influenced them to begin their research
• Where and how they conduct their research
• What their research interests are and what they hope to achieve with their research

As a practising family historian or genealogist, you are invited to participate in this survey. The survey has five sections and will take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey will be conducted on-line over a 4 month period -  from August 2009, and it is hoped that as many Australian family historians as possible will take the opportunity to respond so that a comprehensive picture can be formed. Results of the survey will be published on this site after the survey concludes and the data is analysed. To participate in the survey, please go to http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ausgensurvey/Information.html

VESSELS OF HOPE EXHIBITION

Check out the Vessels of Hope, a tribute to the convict women of Australia, developed by conceptual artist Christina Henri showing during August and September at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery at 300 George Street Windsor. Christina's dream is to have 25,566 bonnets made, one for every woman transported to Australia.  If you have a convict ancestor, Christina invites you to share your information on that woman's life and to make a bonnet with her name on it. If you have no female convict ancestry you can 'adopt' a convict woman. To download bonnet pattern see www.christinahenri.com.au/index.php?/info/downloads/   For more information about the current exhibition phone the gallery on 4560 4441.

HISTORY WEEK

Don’t forget that History Week is celebrated all throughout NSW during 5th to 13th September 2009. Check out t he Calendar of exciting events at www.historyweek.org.au  Lots of unusual events, so don’t miss out.

CASTLEREAGH CONVERSATION - COME TO CASTLEREAGH

Castlereagh, the town that never was? Come along and hear a variety of speakers discuss the history of Castlereagh on Sat 5 Sep 2009. Event is free, but bookings necessary contact john.mail@ozemail.com.au see www.geo-sites.zoomshare.com/files/castlereagh-hist-pre-seminar.htm

MULGOA BICENTENARY

Mulgoa celebrates the 200th anniversary of the grant of land at Mulgoa by Lt. Governor Paterson to Edward Cox aged 4 years in 1809. To celebrate various activities have been planned by Mulgoa Progress Association for Saturday 7th November from 10 am including displays of vintage cars, old motor bikes, antique machinery, Sydney Colonial Muzzle Loading Club, Nepean Historical Society at Mulgoa Park, Mulgoa Road.  In addition there will be stalls of fresh fruit & vegetables, plants, toys, cards and stationery, cakes, chocolates, jewellery, old wares + more. Tours to the grounds of Fernhill, Winbourne and Fairlight and Glenleigh (+ interior). By bus only. Buses leave Mulgoa Hall in Mulgoa Park, Littlefields Road, at 1 pm. Cost: $25 per person. Bookings: Send cheques, made payable to Mulgoa Progress Assoc, PO Box 71, Mulgoa 2745, with a SAE & phone details.  The Cottage garden will be open for inspection under theOpen Gardens Scheme on 7-8th November $7. National Parks will conduct a Discovery Walk in the Mulgoa Nature Reserve to explore the ruins of Sir John Jamison’s Regentville & Cumberland Plain Woodland. Email the Secretary Kerry Spurrett kspurrett@internode.on.net or phone 4773-8230.

SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIAN GENEALOGISTS
:: Forthcoming activities. Members & Non-members welcome to attend ::

A Feast of English Research - Michael Gandy at St Patrick’s Church, Grosvenor Street, Sydney
This popular English genealogist and lecturer is returning to Sydney to present two seminars for the SAG. 

Part 1 – Ordinary Folk can give us Extraordinary Problems Tuesday 8 September: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
If you have ‘garden variety’ ancestors then these sessions are for you.  They’re born and die, they might marry, and with luck you might find them in a few census.  But what else can you do and where can you turn to find out more about your ancestors in England and Wales? 
Session 1 - Tracing Middle Class Ancestors          Session 2 – Tracing Country Poor & Town Poor
Book for 8 Sept only – member $25  ($30 non-member)

Part 2 – Getting Your Ancestors back beyond 1800 Thursday 10 September: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
You’ve used the BDM and probate indexes, you’ve checked the census, and you’ve started the slog through parish registers.  This session will look at some of the unique English & Welsh records that will help pre 1800 research.
Session 1 - Tithes & Taxes          Session 2 - Land Records & Manorial Records
Book for 10 Sept only – member $25 ($30 non-mem)
Book for both days $45 members  ($55 non-members) Bookings are essential – light afternoon tea included.

Genseek.com – Catalogue 2 Sat 1 August 10.30am – 12.30pm
This is the next generation of FamilySearch’s Family History Library Catalogue which some pre-release publicity also claims will revolutionise research by searching the ‘deep web’, an area not previously accessible when you ‘google’. Join us to learn more. Presenter: Vicki Eldridge.  $20 members ($25 non-members) Bookings essential Richmond Villa 120 Kent St.

What’s under your nose? - Irish Research Group Sat 1 August, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
Finding the hidden resources within the ‘O’Kief, Coshe Mang……’ 16 volumes held in the SAG library which contain Irish birth & marriage transcripts, gravestone inscriptions, wills, estate records & much more. Presenter: Perry McIntyre.$8 members ($12 non-members) Bookings essential at Richmond Villa 120 Kent St

Tour Lucy Osborne Nightingale Museum, Sydney Hospital, Macquarie St, Sydney Thu 6 Aug, 10.30am – 11.30am 
Curator Eleanor Wrobel will give a 1 hour guided tour of the Hospital’s museum which houses a unique collection of pathology and anatomy specimens. The tour will discuss the history of the hospital since 1788 and the nurses and doctors who have worked there. $10 members ($13 non-members) Bookings essential

Ancestors in Victoria, Sat 8 August  1.30pm – 3.30pm
In addition to Internet resources, the SAG library holds many books, journals, CDs and microfiche that will help you research your ancestors in Victoria. Kerry Farmer will discuss these as well as other sources not in the SAG library.
$20 members ($25 non-members) Bookings essential Richmond Villa 120 Kent St.

Following my father’s footsteps….. Scottish Research Group Sat 15 August 10.30am – 12.30pm
This session will look at what life was like in colonial NSW for Scottish emigrants compared to ‘back home’. Please bring along examples from your own research. $8 member ($12 non-members) Bookings essential Richmond Villa

The Lower Orphan School & Free School in Calcutta - South Asia Research Group
Sat 29 August: Richmond Villa 120 Kent St. 1.30pm – 3.30pm
Maureen Evers will present the history of Calcutta's Lower Orphan School & Free School. Boys from the school were selected to train as hospital apprentices & apothecaries.  This is a fascinating topic for anyone with links to Calcutta or with orphaned ancestors in India, or even with hard to trace apothecaries. $8 member ($12 non-members) Bookings essential Richmond Villa

Society of Australian Genealogists, 120 Kent St, Sydney 2000
Tel: (02) 9247-3953 Email: info@sag.org.au For more information see website at www.sag.org.au

MAITLAND FAMILY HISTORY CIRCLE INC. FAMILY HISTORY FAIR

To  be held Sat 23 August 2009 from 9am – 3pm. Maitland City Bowls Club,Arthur Street, Rutherford. Entry Fee $5

New Items

New items available to use on the Local Studies PC at Hawkesbury City Library, 300 George Street, Windsor.

• Australia’s Army War Dead 1885-1972 (on CD-ROM)
• Police Gazettes Compendium 1921-1925 (on CD-ROM)

Surfing the internet……. Sites for family historians

Members with internet access should check out the following interesting sites. The Library has free access to the internet, contact 4560 4460 for bookings at Windsor & 4578 2002 for Richmond bookings.

Tasmania – family history portal http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/familyhistory
Claim a convict – Lesley Uebel’s website (new URL 29.7.09) http://www.claimaconvict.net/index.html
Berkshire UK Births, deaths & marriage project http://www.berkshirebmd.org.uk/
Dictionary of Australian Artists http://www.daao.org.au/main
State Records - Indexes Online (new address) http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online
Hawkesbury Pioneer Catholic families
http://www.stmatthews.parra.catholic.edu.au/_resources/pioneer-families-in-the-hawkesbury-area.pdf

~ Let us know of sites, that you have tried with (or without) success ~