Blog Archives
How to Write a Non-boring Family History with Hazel Edwards
If you weren’t at Springwood Library on Wednesday night you missed a fun, informative, action-packed workshop with acclaimed and beloved author, Hazel Edwards.
Over the evening Hazel gave great advice about writing an interesting family history and it wasn’t all just listening. Hazel was into audience participation and several writing and thinking exercises were set and under Hazel’s guidance some lovely pieces of writing were completed. I just hope some of the audience publish their stories because there were some very intriguing snippets; love letters that may or may not be published; cousins who aren’t really cousins; gypsy blood queries. My interest was well and truly piqued.
Hazel showed us her website which has a page for Aspiring Writers which is well worth a look at.
At the end of the evening Hazel was available with more advice and to sign copies of her book, How to Write a Non-Boring Family History.
Oh, and we also learned how to sign “I love hippopotamuses” – well, you never know when it might come in handy.
Family History Week @ the library
Family History Week @ Springwood Library
As part of Family History Week, The Blue Mountains Family History Society will be conducting sessions to introduce you to the Family History resources at Springwood Library. An overview will be given of the varied specialised resources available for genealogy research. These free 1 hour sessions will be conducted in small groups and held Monday July 30, to Friday August 3, 10am-11am and 11am-12noon. Bookings are essential. To book call Springwood Library on 4723 5040.
Family History @ Your Library
To celebrate National Family History Week (27th July – 5th August), we have an interview with Jan Koperberg, Pauline Hincksman and Alison Tissington from the Blue Mountains Family History Society, who have over the last two years reorganised the resources in the family history section of Springwood Library. Click here to listen to it online, or search for ‘Listeners in the Mist’ iTunes to subscribe to the podcast for free.
Also, in collaboration with the Blue Mountains Family History Society (BMFHS), the library will be conducting introductions to the Family History collections at Springwood Library. The sessions will be delivered by members of BMFHS and will give an overview of the varied specialised resources available. These free 1 hour sessions will be conducted in small groups and held Monday 30th July to Friday 3rd August, 10am-11am and 11am-12pm in small groups of 6. Please book at your local Blue Mountains library branch.
Click here for more information about the Blue Mountains Family History Society Inc.
Family History online: Merchant Navy records
Spotlight on Find My Past, an online Family History resource available at the library…
One million 20th Century UK Merchant Navy Seaman Records released
For the first time ever the UK Merchant Navy Seaman records have gone online. Thousands of these merchant seamen were recorded as being born in Australia and New Zealand.
The records are index cards which the Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman used between the two world wars to produce a centralised index of merchant seamen serving on British merchant navy vessels. They cover the period 1918-1941.
These records are very helpful for any family historian as they i
nclude biographical information such as name and date of birth, and in the most complete records this may also include detailed descriptions such as eye and hair colour. In some cases other information such as discharge number, health insurance number, address of kin, official vessel numbers and signing-on dates, a photograph, and a signature of the seamen. They also contain vivid and unusual details such as scars and tattoos.
We found Australian born James Barker, who was listed as a Greaser. James had a tattoo on his right arm of the Australian coat of arms and a kangaroo on his left arm, how very Australian! These rarely seen photos of the mariners mean you can see what your seafaring ancestors looked like for the first time – a real achievement for any family historian.
Start searching today and see what you discover! Access is within the library only, on one of our PCs or with yours using the free WiFi at Blaxland, Springwood and Katoomba libraries.
The library subscribes to a range of online resources to help with your genealogy research. Explore the Family History services we offer here.
Family History online
Spotlight on Find My Past, an online Family History resource available at the library…
Queensland Railway Employees 1889-1940
These records are an index to the employees of the Queensland Railways between 1889 and 1940. The records track the career of approximately 370,000 people, covering the entire career of many railway employees. It gives the name, age (from 1899), position, branch/office, and railway/division for each person employed in the railway service in Queensland.
Start searching today and see what you discover! Access is within the library only, on one of our PCs or with yours using the free WiFi at Blaxland, Springwood and Katoomba libraries.
The library subscribes to a range of online resources to help with your genealogy research. Explore the Family History services we offer here.
Looking for your past?
The library subscribes to a range of online resources to help with your genealogy research. Explore the Family History services we offer here.
One of these is resources is findmypast Australasian edition (access within the libraries).
Spotlight on Queensland State Electoral Roll 1915
Using electoral rolls is an important part of the process for people researching family history. As enrolment is compulsory for all eligible voters (with the exception of Norfolk Island) there is a strong chance that a person can be located. These particular electoral rolls will help anyone trying to track down an ancestor in Queensland in 1915.
Electoral rolls are so important for anyone searching for their family history. As census data is not always available electoral rolls are certainly the next best thing to aid your search. With 889,740 records in this data set, it really is worth its weight in gold!
Start searching today and see what you discover! Access is within the library only, on one of our PCs or with yours using the free WiFi at Blaxland, Springwood and Katoomba libraries.
