Did you hear about National Family History Week in Australia last year? Well, the country-wide programme of family history events has been extended to the whole of August for 2013. New Zealand is holding its own sister event, too.
If you’d like to take part, look at the events listed on the right here, state by state. If you aren’t already involved, here are some ways to join in, and Shauna Hicks has drawn up another list of family history society things to do here, one for every day in the month. Overseas Aussie genealogists like me can get inspiration from Shauna, NFHM’s voluntary national coordinator, in her genealogy research suggestions here. And you can visit the Family History Month Facebook page.
Marriage certificate of Thomas Delaney and Mary Maude Wilson, my great-grandparents (copy)
Genealogy and family history are huge in Australia, and I can understand why. My own Aussie ancestors intrigue me, as you’ll have guessed if you’re a reader of the A Rebel Hand blog, website or book.
So I’m going to start the month with my own Australian family history list: details of the ancestors I’m researching and the ones I’ll be looking at in the future. Ancestry members can see the Delaney family tree here (.com.au) and here (.co.uk). If you’re a relative, do comment below or use this form – I’d love to hear from you.
The Delaney side:
- Nicholas Delaney (c 1772 – 3.9.1834) and his wife, Elizabeth Bayly [Bayley, Bailey] (c 1892 – ?)
- Their son Thomas Delaney (11.2.1812 – 10.1.1871) and his wife, Lucy Simpson (18.11.1818 – 20.1.1880)
- Lucy’s parents, John Simpson (c 1777 – ?) and Sarah Marshall [Simpson] (c 1796 – 10.12.1838)
- Thomas and Lucy’s son, Thomas Delaney (25.6.1851 – after 1932), and his wife, Mary Maude Wilson (10.12.1855 – 2.5.1932)
- Mary’s parents, Thomas Robert Sandon Wilson (dates unknown) and Sarah Emma Henley [Dicks?] (1827 – 25.10.1910)
The Winter side:
- Eleanor Ann Edith Richards (28.2.1871 – ?) and her husband, Thomas Henry Winter (7.4.1863 – ?)
- Eleanor’s parents, Rebecca Harrington (c 1841 – ?.12.1884) and her husband, James Thomas Richards (c 1815 – 24.2.1896)
- The Harringtons of Hackney, Bethnal Green or Tower Hamlets and the Richards and Wickings of Deptford
- Thomas Winter’s parents, John Winter (1830 – 6.3.1875) and Ann Graham (c 1841 – 14.7.1878)
- The Winters and Hogarths of Westmorland and the Grahams and Bells of Cumberland and Co Durham
NFHM has some impressive sponsors, and I’m looking forward to posts, tweets and messages from people who organise or attend events this August.
Update: Go to Geniaus for a Twitter feed of #NFHM13 tweets. Great idea!
You’re still here after that long list? Great! As a thank-you, here’s a link to some (mostly free) Australian history ebooks. With thanks to the Inside History team, who inspired me to search Open Library.
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I hope you have great success with your research in August. As you’ll see there’s a deafening silence in the NT but they are running some sessions as part of Seniors Month (suspect it’s to do with funding). Anyway I’m giving a short, and hopefully not too frightening talk about why genies should read blogs 😉
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Sounds interesting! Good luck, and I hope the seniors take away some useful ideas and discover the joy of reading blogs and the connection it brings for us genies. Not to speak of how much we learn from them…
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Great idea to list your own family details – now to find the time to do mine!
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Thanks, Shauna! It was a useful exercise because I had to double-check all the details. I’m looking forward to reading about your (busy-looking) month and all the other Aussie genies’ experiences during NFHM. Thanks for everything you’ve done to bring it together.
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It’s so great that you’re taking part in National Family History Month, even from so far away! Nice work. I must say I got a a bit excited when I saw you had Winter’s in your tree, then read on and saw they were from England. Mine were from Finland, So no connection. 😉
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That’s a shame about our Winters… 😉 I’m always hoping to find another rellie to help me chip away at those brick walls.
National Family History Month is such a great idea and I feel inspired by it. After all, I’m half-Aussie! Here’s hoping it gives a boost to everyone working on their family histories. I’m going to be following it closely from the ‘wrong’ hemisphere.
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