Auckland Family History Expo - report

I've just spent the last three days in Auckland, New Zealand, for the Auckland Family History Expo, a main event of the Kiwi based Family History Month celebrations - and what an event! Organised by Seonaid Lewis and her team at Auckland City Libraries, in partnership with the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, the event started with an opening evening gathering on Friday, followed by two full days of talks and workshops, as well as the 'shopfloor' display of exhibitors and vendors. I gave seven talks in total including the opening keynote on Friday, and also held a workshop with a group of small but perfectly formed beginners key to learn the basics of UK and Irish family history research! In addition I had many one to ones with folk seeking specific advice on brick wall problems.

During the weekend I got to meet many new friends, including Andy Fenton, managing director of New Zealand Micrographics (www.micrographics.co.nz), genealogist Fiona Brooker (www.memoriesintime.co.nz), Kae Lewis, who has created a database of Cork based Protestants from 1650-1850 at www.CorkRecords.com, and many more. In addition I managed to catch up with many current friends, not least the magnificent Jan Gow QSM from Beehive Books!

A great event, some great memories to take away, and all kudos to Seonaid and her team for a superbly run event! Today I head to Sydney, where Dirk and I will be speaking at Parammata oer the next two days - details at http://www.unlockthepast.com.au/events/researching-abroad-british-isles-european-ancestors-sydney.

Thanks Auckland, and in particular to my wonderful hosts for the event, Bryn and Lindsay Smith! Some pics from the event...

 

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Heading off down under for Unlock the Past roadshow

I'm heading off in a few hours to Australia and New Zealand, though not before a short four day stopover in Dubai on the way there to see my brother. There's no better time to be going, as August is National Family History Month (http://familyhistorymonth.org.au) in both Australia and New Zealand, and I'm looking forward to speaking at various cities on the Unlock the Past roadshow, entitled Researching Abroad: British Isles & European Ancestors, as well as at the Auckland Expo in New Zealand from August 11th-13th (see http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/Events/Events/pages/familyhistoryexpo.aspx).

The first place I will be speaking at is in Brisbane, at the Kedron-Wavell Services Club in Chermside South, on Tuesday, August 8th, where I will be giving the following talks:

• British and Irish newspapers
• Scottish research resources before 180
• Irish family history resources online
• Down and out in Scotland: researching ancestral crisis

I'll also be at the same venue on Wednedsday 9th, when Dirk Weissleder will be speaking on several European themed topics, and I would be more than happy to give advice on any Irish, Scottish or British themed queries (if I can!) whilst there! For the full Brisbane itinerary, please visit http://www.unlockthepast.com.au/events/researching-abroad-british-isles-european-ancestors-brisbane.

Whilst away I will do my best to keep posting, not just on the roadshow's progress but on the regular genie news.

One thing to note is that in addition to the main blog, I am now utilising my GENES Blog Facebook page considerably more at https://www.facebook.com/BritishGENES/, where you can get a few more bonus features, video shares and all sorts of other goodies - so why not follow the page for a wee bit extra?! :)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Talks tour to New Zealand and Australia in 2017

Hi everyone and apologies that I've been away from this blog for a few days. I have some major developments on a couple of fronts currently happening at my end, which has kept me unbelievably busy, which I will be in a better position to discuss in the near future. In the meantime, here's news of another major development affecting what I will get up to later in the year...

So brace yourself Australia and New Zealand - I'm heading back down under again in August! And this time I'll be there for Family History Month!

From August 8th to 26th I am participating in another Unlock the Past talks tour of Australian cities, and in an expo organised by Auckland Library, in which I will be accompanied by fellow genie Dirk Weissleder, an expert in German genealogy (www.forum-familiengeschichte.de). The following is the current schedule proposed for the event:

BRISBANE - Tue-Wed 8-9 Aug
Kedron-Wavell Services Club, Chermside South - 9am-4.30pm each day

AUCKLAND - Fri-Sun 11-13 Aug (Auckland expo organised by the Auckland Library)
Fickling Convention Centre, Three Kings, Auckland

SYDNEY - Tue-Wed 15-16 Aug
Parramatta RSL, Parramatta - 9am-4.30pm each day

MELBOURNE - Fri-Sat 18-19 Aug
Veneto Club, Bulleen - 9am-4.30pm each day

CANBERRA - Mon 21 Aug
venue to be advised - 9am-4.30pm

ADELAIDE - Wed-Thu 23-24 Aug - Adelaide
The German Club, Adelaide - 9am-4.30pm each day

PERTH - Sat 26 Aug - Perth
venue to be advised - 9am-4.30pm


Program

Each city will have a two-stream program

Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide
- British Isles stream one day – headed by Chris Paton
- European/German stream the other day – headed by Dirk Weissleder
Canberra and Perth - both streams the same day in two separate theatres
Auckland - Chris and Dirk will be key presenters in the wider expo program

Supporting presentations will be given by major libaries and societies in each city.

Full details and booking form for each city to come

COMMENT: I'm very much looking forward to returning, particularly to Auckland, whilst my visit to Sydney in particular will be the third time that I'll have spoken in the Parramatta RSL - so I'm guessing I might even qualify for residency soon!

Keep an eye on the Unlock the Past website at www.unlockthepast.com.au/events/researching-abroad-british-isles-and-germanyeurope for more developments, as well as for biographies on both myself and Dirk, and I will of course update this blog in due course. 


It's going to be a lot of fun - see you there!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

National Family History Month in Australia

Starting today it is National Family History Month in Australia (http://familyhistorymonth.org.au/all-events/).

From the Australian based National Archives (www.naa.gov.au):

The National Archives is proud to again sponsor the launch of National Family History Month. To celebrate the month, our staff in Adelaide have organised a range of seminars:

National Archives Open Day, 13 August
Researching family and local history, 17 August
Find yourself in the Archives, 31 August

Our Perth staff will show how to begin or advance your family history research in Making Australia Home on 10 August.

The National Library of Australia is alos getting in on the act with a dedicated page at https://www.nla.gov.au/news/2016/07/27/family-history-month-at-the-library.

I'm going to throw in a quick plug here also for Adelaide based Gould Genealogy (www.gould.com.au), which provides a range of genealogical research materials and presentational resources for your ancestral research. A family based business of several decades standing, the company also runs a series of highly enjoyable genealogy conferences at sea through Unlock the Past Cruises (www.unlockthepastcruises.com), its various expos, including this year's History and Genealogy Expo in Adelaide (see www.unlockthepast.com.au/events/australian-history-genealogy-expo-2016), and its ever growing range of research aid publications under the Unlock the Past imprint (www.gould.com.au/Unlock-the-Past-guides-s/2576.htm). I've contributed a few to this range on Scottish, Irish and British topics, and have in fact just started on a new one, hopefully to be published in the next few weeks!

If you're looking for research guidance also, don't forget that there is the excellent Australian magazine Inside History (www.insidehistory.com.au), and many wonderful family history societies across the country, including the Sydney based Society of Australian Genealogists (www.sag.org.au). You'll find others listed at www.cyndislist.com/australia/societies/.

If you're starting off with your family history down under, there are plenty of good folk in the neighbourhood to help you get on your way, and plenty of folk on this side of the planet to help also!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.