Started by Gilad Japhet in 2003, the company has grown to become a trusted place to create their trees online, share memories and stay connected, and by adding DNA testing to the MyHeritage experience, users can enjoy a new level of information.

Gilad Japhet, MyHeritage Founder and CEO says:

DNA testing provides a fascinating new way to discover one’s origins and find previously unknown relatives. Offering the highest quality DNA tests to our tens of millions of users around the world in 38 languages, and providing DNA matches with hundreds of thousands of people who have already had their DNA tested, significantly advances our mission of bringing family history to the masses. By combining DNA with our innovative Smart Matching technology, families will be closer than ever before to constructing a more complete picture of their history.

By purchasing a simple cheek-swab DNA test, users can now use information contained in their DNA to find present-day relatives who share a common ancestor up to many hundreds of years ago. A DNA test can also reveal ethnic origins such as Native American, African or Jewish descent on paternal or maternal lines, as well as uncover ancestral information for those who were adopted. While DNA tests can break through brick walls in family history research by revealing biological relations, MyHeritage’s flagship Smart Matching technology then steps in to help piece together the paper trail by uncovering how the family trees of related people actually connect. In addition, people with the same paternal surname can get together via MyHeritage to see if they’re related by DNA.

MyHeritage has introduced a wide range of DNA tests to meet different research objectives and budgets, with special discounted prices for MyHeritage subscribers starting from as low as US$84. Users can identify the deep ancestral origins of their direct paternal line (Y-DNA), of their direct maternal line (mtDNA), find relatives across all lines via autosomal DNA (Family Finder), receive a percentage breakdown of their ethnic roots and confirm or disprove whether someone is a close relative.

For the analysis of users’ DNA tests and the DNA matching, MyHeritage is working with long-time partner and global leader in genealogy DNA, Family Tree DNA. Pioneers of genetic genealogy and with a state-of-the-art laboratory, Family Tree DNA has established the world’s largest DNA database for genealogy and is well known for its work with National Geographic on the Genographic Project. All information is kept strictly confidential and is never shared.

Bennett Greenspan, president and CEO of Family Tree DNA said, “We’re proud to work with MyHeritage to bring DNA testing to a much wider, global audience. The phenomenal size and reach of the global MyHeritage family network will create new horizons in collecting DNA data, helping many more people discover their ancestral origins.”

And you can check out the video for more on the MyHeritage DNA testing

I can’t believe it … The South Australian BDM Indexes are now online. Last year there was rumours of them coming, and now they’re here. This is BIG, BIG news for everyone with family connections to South Australia … and they’re free to search.

The BDM Indexes cover the following:

- Newspaper Birth Notices Index from 1960 onwards
- Newspaper Death Notices Index from 1972 onwards
- South Australia Cemeteries Index
- Birth Registration Certificates Index 1842-1928
- Marriage Registration Certificate Index 1842-1916
- Death Registration Certificate Index 1842-1972

The data is part of the Genealogy SA website, which is the South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society’s new revamped website.

The database allows you to search by Surname, and you can narrow it down by adding in a first name or initial, as well as a year (with + or – up to 7 years). You don’t seem to be able to narrow down search for just a birth, death or marriage … but the search results are grouped into each category, so are easily viewable by those you wish.

The above image is a screenshot of what you see when you’re looking at births.

The results you get with the various categories is:

Birth Index: Year, Registration Number, Surname, Given Name/s, Father Name, Mother Name, More Info

Marriage Index: Year, Registration Number, Surname, Given Name/s, Spouse Surname, Spouse, Given Name, More Info

Death Index: Year, Registration Number, Surname, Given Name/s, Relative Name, More Info

Cemeteries Index: Resting Place, Transcription Source, Surname, Given Name/s, Age, Year, More Info

Newspaper Birth Notice Index: Source, Surname, Other Surname, Given Name/s, Parents, Publication Year, More Info

Newspaper Death Notice Index: Source, Surname, Other Surname, Given Name/s, Publication Year, More Info

Remember that these are indexes only,  so the information you get is as above. If you want further info, you can click on the More Info button, which takes you to a page where you can submit details to the Society and request a lookup for $11/request, or a transcription at $15/request.

(Just a tip, double-click on the video to make it big enough to see better).

If you have a PC and would like to try out RootsMagic, you can download the RootsMagic Essentials version for free.

If Mac users don’t wish to use CrossOver, you can also use Windows emulation software such as Apple Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, and VMWare Fusion. For more information on how to go about this, you can read the article on the RootsMagic blog.

For anyone who’s been involved in the Australasian genie field for a number of years, you’ll know that Congress is the BIG event held every three years. So here’s the details for this one …

When: 28-31 March 2012 (Wed-Fri 8.30am-5.00pm, Sat 8.30am-3.35pm)

Where: Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide (click here for more details)

What: 4 days of seminars from local and international guest speakers, together with an exhibition of 30+ exhibitors

Cost: There’s three options available:
Full registration $495 (4 days seminars and exhibition)
Day registration $145 (1 day seminars and exhibition)
Exhibition Only $10 (1 day entry to the exhibition)

Speakers: there’s a total of 39 speakers from the US, UK, Israel, NZ and Australia. You can see the full speaker biographies list here.

Topics: with 4 days of seminars from 39 speakers, there is so many topics you’re going to find it hard to fit them all in. Below is just a sampling of the topics. Click here for the Congress timetable.
English apprenticeship records
wills
reading old handwriting
ancestors in church
using New Zealand’s historian BDM online records
tracing British merchant seaman
researching German family history in present day Poland
FamilySearch indexing
advanced methodology
are you the family archivist?
forensic genealogy
tracing transported to Australia
writing your history
engaging a professional genealogy
PowerPoint your family history
online newspapers for research
face recognition and photo tagging for genealogy research
tax records of England
no room for Irish orphans in Australia
surgeons at sea
illegitimacy and much, much more

Exhibitors: there are over 30 exhibitors
Abbott Printing
Adelaide Cemetery Trust
Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group
Adelaide Proformat
AFFHO
Ancestry.com.au
Archive Digital Books Australasia
Cornish Association of South Australia
Congress 2015
FamilySearch
Family Tree Maker User Group
FindMyPast.com.au
Fleurieu Peninsula Family History Group
Gould Genealogy & History
Guild of One Name Studies
History & Genealogy Cruises
Inside History
Legacy User Group
Lutheran Archives/Friends of Lutheran Archives (FoLA)
MyHeritage
National Institute of Genealogical Studies
National Library of Australia
Openbook Howden
Playford Library
Public Trustee – Adelaide
Society of Australian Genealogists
South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society
State Records/National Archives of Australia
Unlock the Past

Tours:
As an added bonus, the Society has organised some tours which you can  attend if you wish. These consist of a day tour around the major South Australia record repositories, a visit to two Adelaide cemeteries, a day tour to the Barossa Valley famous not only for its wine, but also for its German settlements. And another trip will take you to the Southern Regions of Adelaide visiting historic towns along the way. Further details on these tour can be found on the Congress website. Please note these are NOT included in the cost of registration.

Other useful info:
- there is parking at the Adelaide Convention Centre
- Full registration and Day registration entitles attendees to refreshments and lunch at the Convention Centre, as well as receiving the Congress satchel and a copy of all Congress publications
- the Registration Desk is located in the Adelaide Convention Centre foyer, and will be open Tues 3pm-7.30pm, Wed 7am-6pm, Thur 8am-6pm, Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-2pm
- you can turn up on the day without having pre-registered and buy a Day Registration, or a pass to see the Exhibitors only. But you cannot however buy tickets for indivial talks.

So for many who’ve gone to the trouble of updating your computer, this comes as a rude shock, which turns quickly into frustration as you’ve paid hundreds of dollars for these CDs to find out they’re now unusable … GRRRRRR!!!

Well, we finally have some good news.

“YOU CAN RUN YOUR DIGGER DISKS ON YOUR WINDOWS 7 64-BIT COMPUTER”

And here’s how …

The various editions of Windows 7 come in 32-bit and 64-bit variants. Digger itself should work without any problems with 32-bit Windows 7, however it will not work with 64-bit. If you are unsure which type of Windows 7 you have, click on Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System, and look for the System Type.

If you want to use Digger with Windows 7 64-bit, it is suggested that you download and install Windows XP Mode. Windows XP Mode makes use of Microsoft Virtual PC, and it integrates with Windows 7, so you can launch Digger from the Windows 7 Start menu. Windows XP Mode and Microsoft Virtual PC are both free products from Microsoft. Windows XP Mode is only available for Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate. You can download Windows XP Mode and Microsoft Virtual PC from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx.

The Digger CDs that are currently available are:
Bounty Immigration New South Wales 1828 to 1842
Northern Territory Census, Electoral Rolls and Directories 1881-1940
Northern Territory Deaths 1824 to 2004: Part 1
Queensland Pioneers Index 1829-1889
Queensland Federation Index 1890-1914
South Australian Birth Registrations Index 1842-1906
South Australian Birth Registrations Index 1907-1928
South Australian Marriage Registrations Index 1842-1916
South Australian Marriage Registrations Index 1917-1937
South Australian Death Registrations Index 1842-1915
South Australian Death Registrations Index 1916-1972
Tasmanian Pioneer Index 1803-1899
Tasmanian Federation Index 1900-1930
Tasmania Collection of Records 1830s to 1930s
Victorian Federation Index 1889-1901
Victorian Marriage Index 1921-1942
Victorian Death Index 1921-1985
Inquest Index Victoria 1840-1985
Marine Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria 1853-1920
The Argus Newspaper Index, Victoria: Births 1914-1931 and Marriages 1931-1941

So, welcome to my first post on Australian Genealogy and History Snippets. It’s not meant to be comprehensive in anyway, but rather it is bits that I’ve recently come across and would like to share with you.

BLOGS
Android Genealogy
If you are into genealogy, and have an android phone or tablet, you’ll be wanting to follow Jill Ball’s latest blog, as it is specific to Android genealogy and news.
http://androidgenealogy.blogspot.com/

Sticky Notes
Ancestry.com.au have recently launched their Sticky Notes blog. This is designed for you to share and discover stories. You can not only read the post they write, but also contribute by asking questions.
http://ancestry-stickynotes-au.tumblr.com/

GENERAL NEWS
Gympie, Queensland – Town turns 100
Gympie, the major settlement of the Local Government region, officially came of age when it was declared a city on this day [5 January] in 1905 – although no-one seemed to take much notice at the time. The town has done a lot better in marking the occasion on its 100th anniversary however. You can read the full article in The Gympie Times.

Naracoorte, South Australia – SA Firefighting History Preserved
Some of South Australia’s firefighting history may soon have a permanent base in the South East, offering the public a chance to view appliances and memorabilia and to learn about the history of the Country Fire Service. Naracoorte’s SA Volunteer Fire Fighters Museum Inc, formerly known as the SA Country Fire Service Heritage Committee, was founded in 2005 by a group of hardworking volunteers dedicated to restoring and preserving historic firefighting vehicles and equipment. The full article can be read in the Stock Journal.

Sydney, New South Wales – 180 Years of the Jewish in Australia
Sydney grandfather Joe Kensell is eagerly anticipating January 30 – it will be the 180th anniversary of Australia’s first officially sanctioned Jewish marriage – and the happy couple, Moses Joseph and Rosetta Nathan, were his great, great grandparents. Kensell, 73, of Five Dock, a stalwart of the Great Synagogue and a genealogy buff, told The AJN this week the date was historically significant as ‘it shows there’s definitely been 180 years of Jewish worship in Australia’. You can read the full article in the Australian Jewish News.

GROUPS
Family Tree Maker User Group East Brisbane, Queensland
A big thanks to Lyndall from GSQ for informing me of the FTM User Group that they hold. Details for the group are as follows:
Meetings for 2012:  15 January, 11 March, 8 July, 9 September, 11 November
Times:  10:30am to 12:00pm
Where:  38 Fisher Street, East Brisbane
Contact:  Genealogical Society of Queensland on (07) 3891 5085 or at gsq1@optusnet.com.au
Website:  www.gsq.org.au

SOCIAL MEDIA
Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia
Were your ancestors pioneers of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia? Did they arrive between 1892 and 1902? Then join the new group on Facebook called the “Pioneer Association of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia” and lets see how many pioneering families we have out there! http://www.facebook.com/groups/277882488933389/

Greenough Pioneer Museum, Western Australia
The Greenough Pioneer Museum which is 19km south of Geraldton in Western Australia is now on Twitter and has their own blog.
blog: http://www.greenough-pioneer-museum.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @GreenoughMuseum

Mackay North and Western Queensland Old Pics and Yarns
Another great site for sharing and learning about the history of the region is the Mackay North and Western Queensland Old Pics and Yarns Facebook page. You can find them at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mackay-North-and-Western-Queensland-Old-Pics-and-Yarns/271725352851414

Moonee Valley Family and Local History, Victoria
The Moonee Valley Library have a blog, and a Twitter account which they use to promote their family and local history collections.
blog: http://mooneevalleyfamilylocalhistory.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @mvlshistory

Prospect Local History Group, South Australia
The Prospect Local History Group in South Australia have joined Facebook to promote local and family history within the community and increase their digital collection. Keep up with the latest news from them by Liking them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/e.historyprospect

Yeppoon/Rockhampton/Central Queensland, Queensland
If you are a Facebooker, and have connections to this area, “Like” the ‘Yeppoon/Rockhampton/Central Queensland Old Pics and Yarns’ Facebook page, and share your knowledge of it’s history. You cand find them at: http://www.facebook.com/OLD.PICS.AND.YARNS. You can read the full article on the ABC Capricornia website.

NEW RELEASES
The Forgotten: Children in Homes, Reformatories and Industrial Schools, New South Wales – CD or BOOK
This is an index to various institutions relating to girls up to the age of 18 and young boys up to the age of 17. These children were either unable to look after themselves, were leading a troubled life or through no fault of their own were place in to care. The CD is $54 and book is $65 (inc postage), and both can be purchased from the Teapot Genealogy website.

Norfolk Island Deaths 1788 to 1814 – CD-ROM – Due March
News from Cathy at Australian History Research, is that she has a new CD-ROM due to be published in March 2012. The Norfolk Island Death 1788-1814 CD contains over 260 deaths during the first settlement of Norfolk Island, and includes complete details on each person and their family. It also includes some shipping records and photos of headstones. The Pre-publication special (for orders received by 15 February) is $28.00 (includes postage). The CD will be mailed in March 2012. You can buy online on her website http://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/norfolk-island-deaths-1788-to-1814/

WEBSITES
South Australian Local History Books
While browsing around online today I came across a website for South Australian local history. With a large collection of books, each has had index scanned and downloadable a a PDF so you can see if any contain info on your family members. Churches and Religious Orders in South Australia, Schools and Education, Places and towns in South Australia, Shipping in South Australia and Cemetery books are all listed.
http://localhistory.gravesecrets.net/index.html

1. Some important improvements for syncing source citations, relationships, and accepted and rejected hints.
2. Resolution of some data issues that were causing sync to fail in some cases
3. Sync stability and performance improvements.

As you would expect the question everyone wants to know is “how do I get this free update?” As you’re a user of Family Tree Maker 2012 (Windows edition) simply open your program, and the update will be ready for download. If you need help with the upgrade (version 21.0.0.506), technical help is available by email or by phone 1800 251 838 (toll free from Australia) and 0800 442 100 (toll free from New Zealand).

While this update provides some helpful improvements, there is one issue they’ve found it can’t resolve as yet:

‘TreeSync has been so popular that on occasion it has temporarily overwhelmed our online system! During these times, your tree data has been safe, but syncing has been unavailable for a short time. It is very important to us that this popular feature is working for you at all times and we are working very hard towards improving the system to accommodate the huge and growing interest in this feature. But, if you should run into a problem with syncing, please wait a few hours and try again. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.’

Keep your Family Tree Maker up-to-date, download this update. It’ll help eliminate any potential bugs you have (or may have) come across.

We did have an immediate response, and sent these magazines off to the Dalby Family History Society at the request of a member or user of their services. While the Dalby Society was very grateful for the donation, due to very limited space the Group has, they felt we should help them find another new home.

So here’s your second chance to grab 20 years of the Society of Genealogists magazine. They cover the period 1981-2000 with only a couple of issues missing. It’s an amazing collection, one that doesn’t come up very often.

The request of the original donor still applies, that these are to go to a public organisation (library, society or group), and are to be accessible to the public.

As mentioned before they are FREE, and are to be taken as a set, but we do ask that the Society pays the postage costs. The whole collection weighs 7kg, so to give you an idea of freight costs we’ve listed the cost for city regions below. Country regions obviously are higher, please contact for details.
Adelaide – $7.95
Brisbane – $14.50
Melbourne – $11.80
Perth – $17.50
Sydney – $12.50
Tasmania – $20.00

If your Group, Society or organisation is interested in this collection, please send an email to inquiries@gould.com.au, together with details of your group.

One of my fav geneabloggers John D. Reid from Anglo-Celtic Connections, asks the question who is your favourite Rock Star Genealogist? By this he means, who are “must-see” people at genie events, or who write “must-read” articles or books.

He has a list of over 70 people to date, from many countries, including quite a number from Australia. You can only vote once, but you can vote for an many Rock Star Genealogists as you wish. Click here to take the survey.

I have voted, and included a couple of extras not yet on the list in the Comments box, as I feel that they’re worthy of being there.

So go ahead and have YOUR say on who YOUR favourite genealogy Rock Stars are!!

Voting closes Saturday 28th January
(Canadian time, so that’s likely to be Sunday morning Australian time).

And if you love the whole Rock Star Genealogist thing enough to wear it, check out the Zazzle website as they happen to have two such t-shirts.

If your genealogy wish for 2012 was for more new records to be added online, FamilySearch was certainly listening, as they’ve started the year off with a bang by releasing 119 million new (not-previously-online) records … and of course, being on FamilySearch they are all FREE.

The 119 million new records online come from 33 different countries, and consist of about 64 million indexed names and 55 million browsable images, which brings the total to 2.58 billion searchable names and 466 million digital images on FamilySearch. These numbers are mind-blowing, and to say that it is exciting for family history enthusiasts is an understatement! Just think even 2 or 3 years ago, much of what is currently on FamilySearch wasn’t there. And this is all made possible by not only FamilySearch themselves, but also the thousands of volunteers from all around the world.

Here’s the complete list of new additions:

Don’t you think it’s time to revisit FamilySearch again?

Historians at Monash (Professor Al Thomson, Associate Professor Christina Twomey and Dr Seamus O’Hanlon) and La Trobe Universities, in partnership with ABC Radio National and the National Library of Australia, are collecting life story interviews with Australians born from the 1920s to the 1980s.

They are interested in the life stories of all Australians – rural and urban, male and female, the recently arrived and people whose families have lived in Australia for generations. The collection of interviews (over 1500 hours worth) will provide a snap-shot of historical change in Australia throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, and will be used by the research team in written histories and in a series of ABC Radio National history programs. The interviews will then be archived at the National Library of Australia (NLA) in Canberra.

You can get everything else you want to know about the Australian Generations Oral History Project here.

And if you would like to be a part of the Australian Generations Oral History Project, you can fill in an Expresssion of Interest form here.

From a genealogy reseller point of view, the one disappointing thing (and this is my own personal opinion) is that Family Tree Maker does not have a demo which allows people download and play with it to try it out before buying  [although they did with an earlier version]. Every other genealogy program that we sell, such as Ancestral Quest, Family Historian, iFamily for Leopard, Legacy Family Tree, Reunion, RootsMagic, and The Master Genealogist does.

Anyway found a collection of Family Tree Maker tutorial videos on YouTube. For users of Family Tree Maker, you can use these to help you with your program. For those of you who don’t, check them out, as it’s a great way to see just what the program is like, and how it works.

In these first four video tutorials you’ll learn the basics of Family Tree Maker 2012, how to create a tree, how to add to your tree, and about using maps.

“20% off all stock in-store moving  sale”

from Tuesday 3 January 2012 until 5.00pm 18 January 2012 when we will close for our move.

This applies to:

• All stock held in-store.
• Prices are 20% off marked prices.
• Does not apply with any other offer.
• In-store sales only, between 3-18 January 2012.

So if you’ve been meaning to come and visit us, now is the perfect time to, and save yourself some money while doing so. We’d love to see you.

Our address (until Jan 18th): Unit 4, 247 Milne Road, Modbury North, SA 5092.

Gould Genealogy & History will then operate from two locations from late January 2012, and we will continue with our online store as usual.

Online

• Our full range will still be available for mail order, though we will discontinue some products we have carried in the past.

Warehouse/distribution

• Most of our stock and all our order processing and dispatch will be done from an office in the Adelaide Hills. This will not be open to visitors.

Shop/Office

• We will have a small showroom at Shop 1/1257 North East Road, Ridgehaven, only a few doors from the shop we had in the early 1990s. It’s almost opposite the St Agnes Shopping Centre.
• We will have limited stock available at Ridgehaven, mainly software, a selection of data CDs, Unlock the Past publications, and a selection more popular books and all scrapbooking products.
• Orders for other titles can be placed online or by phone, and collected from the Ridgehaven store.

We will be retaining the same phone number and postal address.

Moving
To facilitate our move, our shop at Modbury North (as shown above) will be closed from 5.00pm 18 January 2012, and will reopen at our new shop at Ridgehaven on 25 January 2012.

For phone, mail and online orders there should be very little disruption or change.

Contact Details
Phone: (08) 8396 1110
Email: inquiries@gould.com.au
Postal Address: PO Box 675, Modbury North, SA 5092
Street Address (until Jan 18th): Unit 4, 247 Milne Road, Modbury North, SA 5092
Street Address (from Jan 25th): Shop1, 1257 North East Road, Ridgehaven, SA 5097

With each issue around 60 pages, the stories together with the regular features such As Things Were, Know Your Ancestors, Parade Post, Book Reviews, and the Paradewords crossword make for fascinating reading. Just as the Inside History magazine is Australia’s current history and genealogy magazine, the Parade magazine was back then. Although I don’t know the exact timeframe that it was produced, we have issues ranging from 1968-1980.

In browsing through a few issues, there are stories of men who were awarded VCs, and other military related articles, stories of sports men and their remarkable feats, stories of good men and bad women (and vice versa), convicts and politicians, pioneers, novelists, incidents from history, early inventions, stories of regional towns and more. You’ll find stories on Charles Kingston ‘Smithy’ Smith, and Elizabeth Woolcock who was the only white woman to be hanged in South Australia.

For all with a love of Australian history and heritage, we have to thank our Australian ‘Parade’ magazine for recording such remarkable stories.

We have a total of 76 issues, and have a request that they are to be sold as a complete set. So if you, or your organisation would like to own this amazing collection, now is your chance.

The issues we have:
1968: Aug
1970: Jul, Nov
1971: Jan, Feb, Apr, Aug, Oct
1972: Feb, Mar, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1973: Feb, Mar, Apr, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1974: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1975: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1976: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1977: Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Nov
1978: Apr, May, Jun, Nov, Dec
1979: Jan, Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct
1980: May

Please note, as this is a large collection, and weighs over 10kg, postage within Australia is $25.00. For those overseas, the rate will depend on your country.

This is a once only offer, and will be sold to the first person who purchases it. It is available for sale through our website.  BUY NOW

 

The end of 2011 is almost here, so we thought we’d get a list our of top 50 best selling titles for the year. And what an interesting list it is. With software, archival storage, heritage scrapbooking papers, and the Unlock the Past guides all dominating the list.

1. History and Genealogy 2011: Australia and New Zealand

2. Certificate Polypocket (single)

3. Discover Scottish Church Records

4. Family Tree Maker 2012 Upgrade Australia and New Zealand Edition

5. Family History on the Cheap

6. Scrapbook Pages 12×12 (1 sheet)

7. A4 Polypocket C1 (single)

8. Getting Most Out of FindMyPast.com.au

9. Google Your Family Tree

10. Death Certificates and Archaic Medical Terms

11. Family Tree Maker for Macintosh Australia and New Zealand Edition

12. Family Tree Maker 2012 Deluxe Australia and New Zealand Edition

13. It’s Not All Online: A Guide to Genealogy Sources Offline

14. Locating Your German Ancestor’s Place of Origin

15. Copper Brought Them Here: Pioneers Buried in the Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo Cemeteries
16. Family Tree Maker 2012 Platinum Australia and New Zealand Edition

17. K & Company Ancestry.com 12×12 Pedigree Chart

18. Family and Local History Resource Directory for Victoria

19. Writing and Publishing Your Family History

20. Social Media for Family Historians

21. Your Family History Archives: A Brief Introduction
22. What Was the Voyage Really Like?: A Brief Guide to Researching Convict and Immigrant Voyages to Australia and New Zealand

23. DNA for Genealogists

24. Solving Riddles in 19th Century Photo Albums

25. 7 Generation Pedigree Chart

26. Irish Family History Resources Online

27. AIF Unit Histories of the Great War 1914-18

28. Family History Research in South Australia

29. 15 Generation Pedigree Chart

30. Which Genealogy Program?

31. A4 Journal Holder (single)

32. Paper Loft 12×12 Double-sided Family Tree Pedigree

33. Sewerage Records: An Untapped Magnificent Resource

34. Irish Family and Local History Handbook

35. A4 Polypocket C2 (single)

36. Organising a Family Reunion

37. 9 Generation Pedigree Chart

38. Historical Records of New South Wales Volumes 1-7

39. A3 Landscape Polypocket (single)

40. National Burial Index for England and Wales CD 3rd Ed

41. A4 Landscape Polypocket (single)

42. A Primer for The Master Genealogist

43. Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885
44. A4 Polypocket C4 (single)

45. Legacy Family Tree 7 Deluxe (CD & printed manual)

46. Researching Scottish Family History

47. London Marriage Licences 1521-1869

48. New South Wales State Electoral Roll 1913

49. Tracing Your Family History on the Internet

50. South Australian Government Gazette Compendium 1841-1850

This list only lists the top 50 best sellers for 2011, with over 10,000 titles on our website there’s a whole heap more for you to checkout. If you’d like to keep up to date with the new titles and the latest specials, you can subscribe to our weekly email newsletter (look for the Join Our Newsletter box on the right hand side).

Along with a new year, 2012 will see the release of many more genealogy-related titles, so it’ll be interesting to create new year’s Top 50 Best Selling Titles list in a year’s time, and compare it to this one. But before that we’ve got a whole year of living and researching …

Boxing Day is one of the most popular times of the year for people to research their family history, I know I’m hoping to. With the family gathered around for the festivities, it’s the perfect time to quiz the older generations on what they remember about the family, and get the youngsters inspired too.  And with nothing but repeats on TV all week, it is the absolute perfect time to get down to some serious record searching.

With this in mind, findmypast.co.uk and Genes Reunited will be taking part in this year’s Start Your Family Tree Week.  From Boxing Day 2011 right through to New Year’s Day they will have special offers every day, including free getting started guides, printable charts, discounts and competitions.

To find out what will be on offer, visit www.findmypast.co.uk/content/start-your-family-tree-week/index and www.genesreunited.co.uk/static.page/syftw now!

It is a UK initiative, but people worldwide should use it to encourage a brother, sister, cousin, parents, auntie or uncle or friend to start their own family history? You already know how fun and rewarding it can be, so encourage them to start the journey. Besides it is always more fun if you have someone who is also researching, that you can share the excitement with.

My copy of January 2012 Australian Family Tree Connections magazine has arrived just time for some holiday reading.

This issue contains the following artilces and stories:  The Mist of Hardship, which tells of the search for Robert May;  Happy New Year, Daddy, which is a portrait photograph of Frank Dare Jennings. You’ll read about James Middleton, publican who literally shot himself in the foot! And Susannah Harriet (Pike) Harris and her tapestry. You’ll see a photograph of the Julie Marie Abbot’s “Mrs Browning Birthday Book”. Deb (Greening) Kreiger has written a long article about Willie Augustine Greening who was born at Hamley Bridge in April 1882.

And there’s a whole bunch of compelling reasons on WHY you should join a Genealogy or Historical Society? and the benefits of doing so. The article on Genealogists and Philatelists shows you that sometimes you’ll find information and connections in surprising places. Ross Hartley’s article on Ethics and Managing the Long-Dead does make for an interesting read.

And maybe you an you help someone out with information on ‘Old Nan’ Sarah (Billinghurst) Sheridan? or William James Willis?

The Computers and Genealogy section has a heap of webiste, sich a the South Australian BDMs which are on the Family History SA website, the British newspaper Archive, and Find Free Maps. Cora Num’s listing of Family History of Historical Societies in Australia is highlights, so it the Federation of Australian Historical Societies together with a heap more.

These are combined with all the regular features such as:

- Can you help?
- Area research
- Family histories
- Family reunions
- For Sale
- Genealogy services
- Missing ancestors
- Missing relatives (living)
- Odds and ends
- One-Name studies
- Wanted
- Where to go
- Genealogy news
- Letters to the editor
- New resources
- Surname register
- What’s on this month

Issued monthly this magazine is on sale at newsagents, and family history societies around Australia (price Aus $6.95, and price NZ $7.95). New Zealand and overseas readers can buy this month’s magazine directly from Australian Family Tree Connections. Subscriptions and back issue can also be purchased directly through AFTC.

We all know Christmas is coming … though way too fast for many of us. But like it of not, it will be here very soon.  I’d been wanting to write some kind of Christmassy post, but hadn’t decided what to do, until I stumbled upon a post today by Diane Lynn Tibert … and rather than ‘reinvent the wheel’ … I thought I’d share her post with you.

I’m sure as genealogists you’ll all be reading through this list as I was, nodding your head in agreement … because we do all have our own Genealogy Wish List. We just don’t usually write it down.

Anyway, on to the Christmas Wish List …

1. I wish for you to find a wrecking ball in 2012 that knocks down a major brick wall blocking your path to unearthing a piece of information that exposes a branch of your tree that has been kept buried for years. May the opening be large enough to see into several generations.

2. I wish for you to take a trip to a place you’ve never gone and discover a long lost headstone you’ve been seeking for years. May it still stand with a flawless inscription that provides all the vital information, including the deceased’s country of origin and a wee tale of why they came to Australia (or elsewhere in the world). I wish you clear passage to it and an insect bite-free visit.

3. I wish for you to taste a dish rediscovered from your childhood, a recipe your great-grandmother had made for you and passed down through the family.

4. I wish for you a hassle-free year with no technological malfunctions, computer crashes or software glitches. May all your genealogy programs run smoothly and just the way you expected them to operate.

5. I wish for you to open your email, pick up the phone or receive a letter from a distant cousin in a family line you have very little information on. Not only does this cousin have well-documented research, she’s willing to share with you.

6. I wish for you to uncover a photo of an ancestor, one you never knew existed and it’s so old, it’s on tin. May it reveal facts that until then were a mystery.

7. I wish for you to easily find that elusive ancestor, perhaps the one who changed their name, while searching census records.

8. I wish for your ship to come in and you find the name of the vessel and the passenger list detailing your ancestors’ arrival in Australia (or elsewhere). With a little luck, a picture will also be found of the ship to add to your family history.

9. I wish for you to come into possession of a stack of letters. The yellowing envelopes contain love letters between your great-grandparents when during the First World War he was a soldier serving overseas and she was living at home with her parents.

10. I wish for you heavy reading when out-of-the-blue, you discover a mysterious ancestor kept a journal of his trip from the old country to Australia (or elsewhere), detailing the immediate family left behind and those born in his new country.

11. This creative person also liked to sketch and did his best to capture his family and surroundings within the journal pages.

12. I wish for you to be able to track down the missing birth, marriage and death records that have been dodging you in your research.

13. Ultimately, I wish for you good health, happy times and many hours of productive research. From my family tree to yours, may your holidays be merry and bright.

[Please note, I did change the country mentioned in numbers 2, 8, and 10  from 'Canada' to Australia. The rest is as Diane wrote it.]

I’m not sure what’s left to say after that, as it really does cover it all? Happy Christmas everyone,  and I do hope you get a chance to work (and progress)  on your family history in 2012.

A photo or two, some paper and accessories, and it is truly amazing what someone can come up with. This page shows my grandparents wedding photo, and uses some papers that are available through Gould Genealogy.

Materials used:
- Bazzill Cardstock (Breathtaking)
- DejaViews (Family Brushed Blue)
- Versacolour Ink (Imperial Blue Hyacinth)
- Flowers (Prima and Kaisercraft
- Ribbon
- Brads
- White Gel Pen
- Dimensional magic
- Folk Art Papier Opaque (Dark Hydrangea)
- Sizzix Alphabet (Funky Brush)

Page created by Penny Tozer, 2010.

So the 51 links listed here for Australian Military History and Research, is my list to far. I don’t claim that it is a comprehensive list, but I’m sure everyone researching an Australian who was in army will find some links of use.

The links relate to Boer War, World War I, and World War II, and have been divided in several categories, including one for sites you’ll find on Facebook. As Facebookers we know that Facebook can be much more that just updates from family and friends. It has become an important modern day source of information. And with the numerous sites around just related to Australian military history (and that’s without noting all the individual battalion sites), its just as useful and educational as other forms of media these days.

RESEARCH AND INFORMATION

Adelaide River War Graves
http://www.adelaideriverwargraves.com/
Adelaide River is a township lying 113 km south of Darwin, on the Stuart Highway, the main north-south road from Darwin to Alice Springs. During WW2, Adelaide River was the headquarters of a large base and the war cemetery was created especially for the burial of service personnel who died in this part of Australia.  It was used by Australian General Hospitals Nos 101 107, 119, 121 and 129 and after the war the Army Graves Service moved into it other graves from isolated sites, temporary military burial grounds, and from various civil cemeteries in the area.

Adopt a Digger Project
http://www.adoptadigger.org/
The purpose of the Adopt a Digger Project is to commemorate that centenary by honouring the men and women from the (current) Sunshine Coast region of South-east Queensland who fought in World War One. The aim of this website is to create a database which records each soldier’s WW1 military history and a brief personal history. This database will be a valuable source of reference for historians, researchers, descendants and school students, and will be a significant contribution to the historical military records of Australia, and particularly the Sunshine Coast region.

The AIF Project: Australian Anzacs in the Great War 1914-1918
http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/index.html
The AIF Project’s major activity is the construction of a database that draws on a wide range of sources to provide details on the 330,000 men and women who served overseas in the (First) Australian Imperial Force, 1914-1918.

ANZACs Online
http://anzacsonline.net.au/
ANZACs Online is an online military museum which displays photographs, diaries and letters, relating to the many Australians who served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I. The goal is to try and find a picture of every WWI Australian serviceman and woman and have them all available in one location.  The aim of this museum is to allow for these items of our Australian military history to be preserved and be made freely available as a shared resource, for current and future Australian generations alike.

Australia @ War
http://www.ozatwar.com/
This website contains a wealth of information. It just takes a bit to work your way through it all though, as there’s no easy search function.

Australia’s War 1939-1945
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/
This site was created by the Information Services Branch of the Office of the Board of Studies NSW for the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Australia’s War 1939-1945 is under progressive development. More detailed information and new stories relating to campaigns and themes will be added.

Australia Light Horse Association
http://www.lighthorse.org.au/
The website of the Australian Light Horse Association Ltd, a non-profit organisation, whose aim is to preserve the history and tradition of the Australian Light Horse and its predecessors. The site is dedicated to the Australian Light Horse Regiments, and the Light Horsemen who served their country in both war and peace, and contains both historical and current information on famous regiments and famous battles, as well as information on both ordinary soldiers and commanders, existing Military Units, current Re-enactment Troops, and Light Horse Museums.

Australian War Graves Photographic Project
http://www.australianwargraves.org/
The Australian War Graves Photographic Archive is committed to procuring a digital photograph of every Australian War Grave and Memorial Commemoration …  worldwide. Most Australians are aware of the service participation of our Armed forces; past and present, but many,  would be surprised by the extent. The photographs procured throughout this project are being used to populate the searchable database. It will be accessible to all Australians and will attempt to continue and extend the awareness of the ‘ANZAC’ spirit.

Australian War Heroes
http://www.australianwarheroes.com/
A national war memorial song and a tribute to the ANZAC spirit of mateship, courage and sacrifice. Over 100,000 Australians have lost their lives in the service and defence of our country.  Along with their mates, they’re marching once again, in the towns and cities, across our great land. The song is timeless and honours the memory of those who have died in the service and defence of Australia in war.

Australian War Memorial
http://www.awm.gov.au/
During the First World War Australian troops were officially encouraged to collect relics of the battles in which they had fought. The tradition of acquisition and preservation continues today, enhancing the written record of war, and has produced one of the finest military artefact, document, and media collections in the world. This web site makes some of those collections accessible online to everyone for the first time.

Australians in the Boer War – Oz-Boer Database Project
http://members.pcug.org.au/~croe/ozb/
The Australians in the Boer War (Oz-Boer) Database Project is a free online search aid to help you identify books, journals, webpages and other ephemera dealing with individual Australian soldiers and nurses involved in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902).

Boer War Memorial
http://www.bwm.org.au/
Australia’s contribution was significant; we suffered casualty numbers which have only been exceeded by those of World Wars 1 and 2. In all, over 16,000 troops were engaged in the Australian contingents and another 7,000 Australians fought in other colonial and irregular units. Possibly 1,000 Australians lost their lives on service in South Africa during the Boer War. This site gives you the history of the war, details of existing memorials, the medals, battle honours, ancestor search, descendant database, the soldiers and much more.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
http://www.cwgc.org/
Established by Royal Charter in 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission pays tribute to the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars.

Defence Honours and Awards
http://www.defence.gov.au/MEDALS/
This provides information on Australian and Imperial campaign awards made to Australians since Federation in 1901 and includes the Boer War 1899 -1902.

Digger History
http://www.anzacwebsites.com/general/diggerhistory.htm
An unofficial history of the Australian and New Zealand Armed Services.

Graves of Tasmania
http://gravesoftas.dyndns.org/
Those behind the Graves of Tasmania site have been photographing and recording headstones in Tasmania, and have almost completed all of Southern Tasmania. This site includes some war cemeteries.

The Lost Diggers
http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/blogs/article/-/8900933/the-lost-diggers/
Channel 7’s Sunday Night team made headlines with their sensational discovery of a secret collection of photographs of Australia Diggers in France. After following up on a rumour they found over 3,000 fragile photographic glass plate negatives in the attic of a dilapidated farmhouse in the small town of Vignacourt, a 2 hour drive north of Paris, near Amiens.

Mapping Our Anzacs
http://mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au/
The idea behind Mapping Our Anzacs is to use place-based information to provide a new pathway to the records. Developed in-house by the National Archives web team, Mapping our Anzacs gives you three ways to commemorate the original Anzacs:  1. locate a service person; 2. add to the scrapbook; 3. build a tribute.

Military Historical Society of Australia
http://www.mhsa.org.au/
The Military Historical Society of Australia’s aims are the encouragement and pursuit of study and research in military history, customs, traditions, dress, arms, equipment and kindred matters; the promotion of public interest and knowledge in these subjects, and the preservation of historical military objects with particular reference to the armed forces of Australia.

Monument Australia
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/
This website is a historical and educational research site which contains information on the public monuments and memorials in all Australian States and Territories, which includes War Memorials. The object of this website is to document the monuments and memorials within Australia which have been erected by public desire to commemorate people or events. There are many monuments and memorials which have been erected to individuals or families in many towns across Australia.  In many cases these memorials are included in this website if they were not solely erected by the immediate family.

National Archives of Australia
http://www.naa.gov.au/
The NAA holds records about service in the Australian defence forces from Federation in 1901. Click on the Service records link under Using the Archives to find out how to access records relating to the Australian Army (Army), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and other records relating to wartime service. Digitised copies of first Australian Imperial Force (AIF) personnel dossiers (WW1) are online (free) and many of the WWII service records have been digitised and are online. If a record is not online copies (hard or digital) can be requested for a fee ($25).

The Navy List
http://www.navy.gov.au/Publication:Navy_List
The Navy List traditionally contains details of the officers of the Australian Navy. These past editions have been digitised and placed in the public domain. It covers the period 1905-1979.

Queensland War Memorial Register
http://www.qldwarmemorials.com.au/
This Queensland War Memorial Register is dedicated to the memory of the fallen and those who served Australia in the Armed Services. The Register honours service personnel that were drawn from Queensland communities.  

Queensland WWII Historic Places
http://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au
Between 1942 and 1945, Queensland became a support base for the war effort in the South West Pacific.  With the rapid capture of Singapore by the Japanese forces and the subsequent bombing of Darwin and Townsville, Queensland felt vulnerable and many anticipated invasion. Fortifications, airfields and civil defence became an immediate priority. This website maps more than 1000 sites around Queensland of military significance during WWII.

Russian Anzacs
http://russiananzacs.elena.id.au/
During the First World War around 1000 Russian born servicemen fought in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). They were the largest national group in the AIF after British, New Zealand and Canadian born servicemen. Besides ethnic Russians these Russian born Anzacs included members of a score of different ethnic groups who lived in Russia – Finns and other Scandinavians, Estonians, Latvians, Germans, Lithuanians, Jews, Poles, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Ossetians, Georgians, Tatars, as well as Western European nationals born in Russia or posing as Russian subjects at enlistment. Their story is told on this website.

SA and NT War Memorials
http://www.tributesofhonour.info/
There are over 5000 photos linked to over 1700 memorials on this site, which is dedicated to the people listed on the South Australian and Northern Territory War Memorials.

South Australians at War
http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=833
Nothing can describe the trauma, courage, humour, loyalty and despair of war more evocatively than the words of people who have lived through them. Within the collections of the State Library are thousands of stories of the sacrifices and contributions South Australians have made to international conflicts.

Victorian War Heritage Inventory
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/veterans/veterans-heritage/victorian-war-heritage-inventory2
This database contains information and images of sites relating to Victoria’s war history including war memorials, avenues of honour, memorial buildings, former defence sites and places of commemoration. It does not currently list moveable heritage objects such as honour rolls or museum collections.

Victorian Military Vehicle Corps
http://www.vmvc.org.au/index-1.html
The VMVC is a non-profit club run by enthusiasts of ex-military vehicles. The club is based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. New members are welcome. The club will provide friendship, technical help and fun!

Victorians at War Oral History Project
http://www.victoriansatwar.net/
Over the last century Victorians have played an important role in serving their country during times of peace and war. This website records the experiences and recollections of twenty Victorians through a series of interviews and the presentations of related material held in the State Library of Victoria’s special collections.

War Memorials in Australia
http://www.msk.id.au/memorials2/default.htm
This site was created by Michael Southwell-Keely who died in 2006.  The site continues as a memorial to him and in thanks to all those who contributed information, photos and provided encouragement and support for the site. It contains locations, descriptions and images of war memorials in the states and territories of Australia. Memorials include monuments, honour rolls, buildings and a variety of utilitarian facilities all erected in honour and remembrance of those who served their country in war.

War Memorials of Western Australia
http://www.warmemorials.net/
There is no central registry of Memorials in Western Australia, this site attempts to list some of them and will be added to as new material comes to hand. At the end of WW1 every town had felt it’s effects with a high proportion of young men volunteering for service with many never to return from the battlefields. To commemorate and honour these men committees of local dignitaries and ex-Servicemen were formed in Towns and Districts throughout the State (some as early as 1915) to raise funds, decide on the type of Memorial and oversee it’s construction.

World War I Pictorial Honour Roll of Victorians
http://ww1vic.gravesecrets.net/
This site is dedicated to commemorate the lives of those who served in the Great War in pictorial form. With the upcoming 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Great War  I felt it was appropriate that a site should be made available with photographs of not only those who made the supreme sacrifice for their country,  but also all who served.

World War I Pictorial Honour Roll of South Australians
http://www.ww1sa.gravesecrets.net/
This site is dedicated to commemorate the lives of South Australians those who served in the Great War in pictorial form.

World War Two Nominal Roll
http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/
The World War Two Nominal Roll was created to honour and commemorate the men and women who served in Australia’s defence forces and the Merchant Navy during this conflict.

RESEARCHERS

Australian Military Research
http://www.australianmilitaryresearch.com/
Australian Military Research provides research services into all aspects of Australian military services from the New Zealand Wars to Vietnam.  Requests can cover medal roll confirmation, Service Records, Casualty checks and much more.

MEDALS

Heritage Medals
http://www.heritagemedals.com.au/
Medals, whether originals or replicas deserve to be mounted with military precision. One of the reasons our reputation continues to grow with serving members of the ADF and federal and state law enforcement agencies right across Australia and throughout the world on postings and deployments. We can accurately mount your medals (all medals on the site here have a mounting option included in each description), in either swing or court (sometimes called Royal) mount style in strict order of precedence.

Lost Medals Australia
http://www.lostmedalsaustralia.com/
This site is dedicated to returning medals that I (LtCol Glyn Llanwarne) have in my possession to the veteran’s nearest kin. Since 2000 I have been acquiring, researching and then returning lost medals to veterans or their families. I started out purchasing medals however; now I am supported through donations of ‘found’ medals and I no longer purchase them. I now use all my resources for research and trying to locate families. I do this free of any charge or fee.

Medals Gone Missing
http://www.medalsgonemissing.com/index.html
Every year – thousands of War Medals are bought, sold and traded around the world. If your family is missing a war medal that once belonged to an ancestor – chances are, it could be your grandfather’s medals that are now in the hands of somebody else. Medals Gone Missing will help you to find and recover that lost war medal. But this website can do more than just find a missing medal. It can also help you to find items of militaria that were once issued to your respective relative. Or – if you are hosting an upcoming event and want the Militaria world to know about it, you can list any Upcoming event for free – no hidden costs or strings attached.

Stiches Medals
http://www.stitchesmedals.com/
Stitches Enterprise (ST.ENT) have over 30 years experience in the study, supply and medal mounting of Australian military / service medals and undertake work for numerous units of the Armed Forces, Emergency Services and Associations, as well as thousands of individual satisfied customers all over Australia and around the world.

Zed’ s Medals
http://zedmedals.com.au/
Zed’s Medals specialise in medal mounting, medal restoration, supply of replica medals, medal research and individual framing.

FACEBOOK PAGES

Adopt a Digger – researching WW1 diggers from Sunshine Coast Qld
http://www.facebook.com/adoptadiggerproject
The aim of this website is to create a database which records each soldier’s WW1 military history and a brief personal history. This database will be a valuable source of reference for historians, researchers, descendants and school students, and will be a significant contribution to the historical military records of Australia, and particularly the Sunshine Coast region.

All-Australia Memorial Photos
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-All-Australia-Memorial-photos/143680875700801?ref=pb
Photos and biographical notes of Australian World War 1 soldiers from Victoria.

ANZACs Online
http://www.facebook.com/anzacsonline
ANZACs Online is an online military museum which displays photographs, diaries and letters, relating to the many Australians who served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I. This is a non-profit website with a mission to commemorate the service of every Australian who served during World War I to ensure that their sacrifices and our history is preserved online for today’s Australians and future generations. Theie Facebook page is a great way to keep up with the latest news.

Australian War Graves Photographic Archive
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-War-Graves-Photographic-Archive/115372195220461
The Australian War Graves Photographic Archive was began in 2000, and is committed to procuring a digitally photograph of every Australian War Grave and Memorial Commemoration; worldwide. ‘Like’ them on Facebook to keep up with the latest news.

Discover a Digger
http://www.facebook.com/Discoveradigger
Delve into the exciting world of Australian military history research and learn how you too can discover a relative’s war service details and learn about what they and their mates did during the war.

Frontline Australia 1942
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frontline-Australia/192430944116445?sk=wall
Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin Australia on 19th February 1942. Frontline Australia is the official brand name for the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. A two-week program of events and activities is planned in Darwin for 11 to 26 February 2012. Find out more about the program and visiting Darwin from the Frontline Australia website. We would love to hear your story, or your family’s story on the events of 1942 in Northern Australia – please share your story here.

The Lost Diggers
http://www.facebook.com/lostdiggers
A historic trove of WWI photos lost in a French barn for nearly 100 years. For nearly a century a unique, these piece of Australian history has laid hidden and neglected among the dust and cobwebs of an attic in a disused French barn. Now Channel 7’s Sunday Night program has tracked down the incredible cache of 3000 glass plate photographic negatives — featuring Australia’s first Diggers on history’s bloodiest battlefield, the Western Front.  Australian war memorial historians are thrilled with the poignant pictures — many of them the last, or only, images of men before they died in the unspeakable carnage of trench warfare. But together, we need your help in putting names to the faces of the lost diggers. Do you recognise anyone in these photos?

Regimental Books
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/regimentalbooks
Regimental Books is an Australia’s Military Book and Unit History specialist. But more than just a bookseller, they can also help you discover Australia’s captivating military past with ideas for research, help with medal identification and mounting and more.

We Will Remember Them
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/We-Will-Remember-Them/168554686559011
A Community Project initiated by Wedderburn Korong Vale RSL to Commemorate the Centenary of World War One, by researching our WW1 Service Women, Men and Families. Over the next three years our objective will be to discover, record and catalogue Photos, War Diaries, Postcards, Letters to and from home, Local Newspapers articles,  Memorabilia and Family Stories connected to our local AIF Service Men and Women .

WWI Lost Boys
http://www.facebook.com/WW1lostboys
This Facebook Page is a place to find or share photos of Aussie World War 1 Ancestors. Feel Free to Share your photos of Military Ancestors: Memorials, Parades, Honour Rolls in old Town Halls, Letters to and from Diggers, War Dairies, WW1 HMAT Ships, Photo’s taken by Diggers, Avenues of Honour etc.

While for most Family Tree Maker is an easy program to get into, interacting with a User Group will enable you learn more about the program, including new ways of doing things from interaction with others. There are always lots of tips and tricks to pick up and you will learn creative ways of using Family Tree Maker. If you are new to Family Tree Maker (or new to a newer version), attending a User Group meeting will help you get started, both in finding out what you can do in Family Tree Maker, and how to how to use it efficiently.

New South Wales – Botany Bay
Meetings: 3 times a year
Where:
When: check website for details
Cost: $3.00 for members, $5.00 for non-members
Contact: Web http://www.bbfhs.org.au/  Email: botanybayfhs@yahoo.com.au

New South Wales – Sydney
Meetings: once a quarter
Where: 120 Kent Street, Sydney
When: need to check the SAG website for details
Cost: $8.00 for members, $12.00 for non-members
Contact: http://www.sag.org.au/
Organised by the Society of Australian Genealogists, they also have an online forum for FTM Users
http://www.sag.org.au/component/content/article/17-general/142-subscribe-to-the-family-tree-maker-forum.html

Queensland – Brisbane
Meetings: 1st Friday of every month, and last Sat of each even numbered month
Where: 58 Bellevue Avenue, Gaythorne
When: starts 10.00am
Cost: free (and non-members are welcome)
Contact: Kerri Kleidon familytree@qfhs.org.au or http://www.qfhs.org.au/
Organised by the Queensland Family History Society

Queensland – Cleveland
Meetings: 4th Wednesday each month
Where: RVVG Bldg, Cnr Passage & Middle Sts, Cleveland.
Starts: 9.30am
Cost: free (and non-members are welcome)
Contact: mcfadzen@bigpond.net.au
Organised by the Redland Genealogical Society to assist both new and experienced users.

South Australia – Salisbury
Meetings: 3rd Saturday of each month
Where: Salisbury TAFE Heritage Centre, 3 Ann Street, Salisbury
When: from 1.30pm-3.30pm
Contact:  info@andfhg.org
Organised by Adelaide Family Tree Maker User Group, in association with the Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group. You can find them on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Tree-Maker-FTM-Adelaide-User-Group/130167707058063?ref=ts or you can visit their website http://www.andfhg.org

South Australia – Stirling
Meetings: details for 2012 to be confirmed
Contact:  info@andfhg.org
Organised by Adelaide Family Tree Maker User Group, in association with the Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group

South Australia – South East
Meetings: no meetings
Contact:  http://www.sefhg.org/index_files/membership.htm
The South East Family History Group don’t hold regular Family Tree Maker User Group meetings, but they do have an online forum where you can post queries. Their Membership Page has information about how to do so.

Victoria – Melbourne
Meetings: 3rd Monday of each month (not December or January)
Where: Wadham House, 52 Wadham Parade, Mount Waverley
When: doors open 7.00pm for a 7..30pm start
Cost: $2.00
Contact: ftmusers@vicgum.asn.au
held in association with VicGUM http://vicgum.asn.au or on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/VicGUM/193869012290

If you know of any other FTM groups around (even informal meetings), or are interested in starting one up, please send an email to alona@gould.com.au, so I can keep this list up-to-date.

With only a few weeks left until the end of the year, the management and staff (I’m included here) at Gould Genealogy & History would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for your support over the past year, and wish each of you all a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

Over Christmas and New Year our shop trading hours are:

Friday 23 December – 9.00am-5.00pm
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – Closed *
Thursday 29 December – Closed *
Friday 30 December – Closed *
Saturday 31 December – Closed
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed
Tuesday 3 January – 9.00am-5.00pm

* On these days there “may” be some staff in the office. If you are considering coming out to our shop, please phone (08) 8396 1110 beforehand to make sure there will be someone who’ll be able to help you.

You’ll still be able to place orders on our website, by email, fax or mail throughout this holiday period.

And in 2012 …
I can tell you there are many fabulous new products one their way which we will be listing in the new year, so keep an eye on our website, and subscribe to our weekly email newsletter to keep up with the latest products and specials.

2011 has been a busy year for the Unlock the Past team. Along with organising and hosting four History & Genealogy Expos in different states, as well as organising two History & Genealogy Cruises (the 2nd of which is currently still running) – they’ve produced another 11 books this year, including two in November 2011.

It is these two new books that I wanted to let tell you about …

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Cracking the Code of Old Handwriting
Author: Graham Jaunay
Media: paperback, 36 pages
ISBN: 9780980874624
Year: 2011
Item Code: UTP0243
Price: $10.00

Sooner or later, family historians will come across a major obstacle in progressing their research – old handwriting can be difficult to resolve and this booklet is designed to overcome some of these problems.

The problem rests on the facts that most of us unknowingly read by identifying whole words by their shape rather than looking at individual letters. When we come across unfamiliar writing, we are forced to look at the individual letters in their context. The unexpected shapes of old letters and a multitude of shortcuts n writing results in considerable difficulties for modern readers, and this booklet provides some strategies to overcome this problem.

There are a number of books on this subject, but, apart from the practical advice within, a strength of this publication lies in the number of actual examples to help the researcher identify seemingly meaningless words.

Early parish registers often have some level of Latin in their content. This book contains a useful dictionary of the more common words that may be encountered in parish registers containing Latin. Click here for the full description.

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Irish Family History Resources Online
Author: Chris Paton
Media: paperback, 74 pages
ISBN: 9781921956010
Year: 2011
Item Code: UTP0282
Price: $19.50

There is a popular belief that Irish family history research is virtually impossible because ‘all the records were burned in the civil war’. But as Northern Irish born family historian Chris Paton demonstrates, the glass is most definitely half full rather than half empty when it comes to research in the Emerald Isle. Many records still exist which can help with your ancestral pursuits, and for those unable to make their way to Ireland to carry out research, the internet is finally coming to the rescue, as more and more material is increasingly finding it’s way online by the day.

This concise Unlock the Past guide explores the key repositories and records now available online, and will prove to you that if you have been put off with Irish research in the past, now is absolutely the time to take another look. Click here for the full description.

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You can find all of the Unlock the Past titles on our Gould Genealogy website, as well as through other selected genealogical outlets.

I know there are a number of titles that are being planned, so keep an eye out for more great guides in 2012!

What makes the British Newspaper Archive project so special?
Well for a start it has made viewing old British newpapers accessible a whole lot easier for everyone worldwide. But to quote directly from BNA …

“we have scanned millions of pages of historical newspapers and made them available online for the first time ever. Search millions of articles by keyword, name, location, date or title and watch your results appear in an instant. Compare this with hours of painstaking manual searching through hard copies or microfilm often requiring a visit to the British Library in North London and it is easy to appreciate the ground breaking nature of this project.”

Searching the BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk?
You can search by region, or by keyword.  The types of records you’ll find are:
- News Articles:  read about national events, as well as issues of local and regional importance. News articles are your window into daily life in historical Britain.
- Family Notices: search for your family’s birth, marriage and death notices plus related announcements including engagements, anniversaries, birthdays and congratulations.
- Letters: read letters to the editor written by the newspaper’s readers, including illuminating contemporary debates, aspirations and anxieties.
- Obituaries view a wealth of contemporary information on the lives of notable individuals and ancestors.
- Advertisements: these include classifieds, shipping notices and appointments.
- Illustrations: see photographs, engravings, graphics, maps and editorial cartoons.

How much does it cost to use?
The all important question is how much does it cost to use. And at least in my option the rates look extremely reasonable.

The BritishNewspaperArchive offers both subscription and credit options. The 12 month Subscription (£79.95) gives you unlimited access to every page in the archive which means you don’t need to keep track of how many credits you have left.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to a shorter period, you can choose a time-limited Credit Package. The options provided are:
30 day / 3000 Credit Package costing £29.95
2 day / 500 Credit Package costing £6.95

With currently over 3,079,000 pages online, and thousands more being added everyday, this will be where many, ugh what am I saying, I mean ALL genealogists or family historians with English heritage will be visiting in the near future, if they haven’t already.

So whether you are a researcher, historian or you simply want to know more about Britain’s history, take this fantastic opportunity to search this vast treasure trove of historical newspapers from your own home.