Inside History blog :: Explore your past, enrich your future

Love letters from Ireland 1799. We #loveheritage

2012-02-13T22:07:00.000+11:00

Joseph Davis (c1760-1823) was a convict found guilty of high treason on Dublin in 1798 and sentenced to transportation for seven years. He was one of a large number of men who had been apprehended for administering an unlawful oath (considered a rebel offence by the authorities) on 1 October 1797. The group were given time to put their affairs in order before leaving the country. While on board the Minerva in Cork harbour awaiting transportation to Sydney, Davis penned an emotional love letter to his wife. The letter survives to this day.

My dear Mary,
This day I received your letter and it gives me great satisfaction to find in the post circumstances that you, my mother and the four children are well. I hope little young John will get over the cough. I am myself tolerable well in health.… I often think of our mutual attachment to each other and my children but them times are over. I am very sure we will soon sail. Every preparation denotes it. However let me be in my part of the world, you, your mother and the children will be my chief concern. I wish I could in some measure think my health be better. I am exactly nine months on board this day and 18 months in confinement. …I hope you have fortitude to withstand this great trouble and distress for tho we may be separated in this life, we should get happiness. Pray keep up your spirits we may meet again. I am extremely sorry to hear a complaint of [my daughter] Sally, I thought she promised to have better times and I strictly desire for her to mind her schooling and every other thing you or her grandmother desire for her to do. She must know how such things put me in my present situation. Not being with her, therefore inform her if she has any respect for her father, that she will mind his direction or she will repent when it’s too late.I have not a sufficiency of words to acknowledge the kindness of your mother to you and the children, she has my prayers. I don’t know what might have been the consequences only for her, and I request she will continue her kindness and to pay a strict attention to the morals of the children.…The complaint of that lump in my belly is much the old way, no tenderness here will do any service. The reality I can’t say I got my health very bad but is entirely unable to bear hardship, sometimes weakness bordering on fainting attacks but wear off again.When you have an opportunity, give my best respects to Mr and Mrs Spencer, your sister Anne… Give my respects to the two Goodmans and Mr Donney with them, let them know Brady and Mulhall [also on board the Minerva] and the remainder of us seven are well. It gives me great pleasure to hear from you and often wonder at your neglect (I forgive you) and your mother has me affection with you the same as ever…Show this letter to my friend and cousin, [he] is next to your mother and the children… grant him peace in this life and happiness in the next. Give my duty to your mother, my love and blessings to the children and I hope Sally will be an ornament not a discredit to me. Many times I think of them, therefore I desire that they will take your advice on every particular and mind their education, particularly if in any way able to give it them and the blessing of God almighty be with you and mother is the wish of your ever loving husband. Jos. Davis.

N.B. If anything comes relative to my pardon or any attention in the family send me and if we go away too suddenly I am afraid you or your mother will not survive to see the children provided for but I pray God you both may… I would be contented if you write, don’t forget the directions, Capt Cox, Minerva, love from me.

This is an extract from the forthcoming book by Barbara Hall on the convicts of the Minerva, which arrived in Sydney in 1800. The book is scheduled to be published by Irish Wattle in 2012. Stay tuned for more soon!

ISSUE # 8 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

2012-02-02T20:18:00.001+11:00

Don't miss out on our Issue # 8 giveaways! There are 2 prizes up for grabs!

[1] Selected Letters of Hans Heysen and Nora Heysen, from NLA

One of the latest beautifully produced releases from the National Library of Australia (NLA) focuses on two of our prominent historical artists: Nora Heysen and her father Hans Heysen, one of Australia’s most recognised landscape painters. When Nora moved to London in 1934, she wrote home to her father in Hahndorf, South Australia, describing her travels abroad, and her thoughts about life and art. Their correspondence over the next 34 years, now part of the NLA’s collection, reveals an affectionate relationship, and a mutual admiration and respect for each other’s work.We have two copies of Selected Letters, valued at A$49.95 each, to give away.

To enter, simply tell us what decade Nora moved to the UK, and send your name and contact details to Inside History, NLA Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, February 28, 2012.

[2] Professional family tree presentations, from GENP

Presentation-quality tree charts are the standout feature of the new release of the family history software program, GENP. These charts can be used to help you visualise your research to date, be pinned up at a reunion, shown to family and friends, published in book form or placed online. GENP offers registered users a graphics pack featuring 100 background images, ornaments, corners, borders and name plates. And if you’re not sure of how to go about creating your family tree, there are 14 online training videos.

The software starts from $33, and there are three editions to choose from. For more details, visit www.genp.com.au. GENP is giving Inside History readers the chance to win one of two GENP 4 Platinum packages, worth $55 each.

To enter, simply tell us how many training videos there are on the site, and send your name and contact details to Inside History, GENP Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, February 28, 2012.

Thanks to our amazing supporters - National Library of Australia and GENP family history software - for making our giveaways possible!

The day my ancestor met Charles Darwin

2012-01-26T14:59:00.003+11:00

By Cassie Mercer, editor of Inside History magazine

Above: Table Land Blue Mountains, 1826, by Augustus Earle. This painting depicts the road and

country Charles Darwin travelled between Sydney and Bathurst. Courtesy National Museum of Australia

My 4 x great grandparents were farmers and cattle drovers in the central west of New South Wales in the mid-1800s. Between the present-day towns of Warren and Nevertire they built cattle yards to hold 2000 head, and bred draught and thoroughbred horses. But it is their occupation in the 1830s – one that allowed them to meet one of the most influential figures of the modern world no less – that I’d like to focus on for my Twigs of Yore Australia Day blog.

My 4 x great grandfather Tom Readford was a petty criminal in York, England. On Christmas Eve 1813 Tom and a friend stole four hides of leather, were caught, and handed a sentence of transportation for seven years. In the same year, and on the other side of the world, the first crossing of the Blue Mountains by white men was talking place – an area that was to be Tom’s new home two decades later.

Tom arrived in the colony in 1815, and a few years later married “cornstalk” (that is, she was born in the colony) Jemima Smith. Fast forward to 1833 and Tom and Jemima were landholders northwest of Sydney and employing two convict labourers. At a time when liquor licences were not required, Tom sold alcohol at a weatherboard dwelling call the Bathurst Traveller, but known locally as the Weatherboard Inn. The name Weatherboard was also given to the village that grew there; now this is the town of Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains. Pitt Park in Wentworth Falls today covers the site of the Weatherboard Inn. The inn was a popular stopover with people travelling between Sydney and Bathurst, and kept the couple, already parents to a large family, extremely busy. In 1835 a James Backhouse wrote that he’d had “an excellent meal of beef and bread with tea” at the inn, but the room had no glass in the windows and so a piercing cold wind blew through them.

Decades later Tom and Jemima’s son Edward wrote of his childhood at the inn, especially how he would show the local sights to visitors and unlike his father never became lost. Edward claimed that “people were arriving from all parts daily at my father’s house for the sole purpose of beholding this wonderful place”. Edward also told the story of meeting the soldier who shot the bushranger John Donohue: apparently the soldier spent considerable time at the Weatherboard as his barracks was just opposite. Edward described him as a very quiet Scotsman. Interestingly, Edward’s brother became notorious cattle thief Harry Readford (aka Captain Starlight), and his grandfather had been a highwayman in Ireland, but this seems not to have coloured his view of the man who had shot a bushranger as part of his job.

Above: A portrait of 31-year-old Charles Darwin by George Richmond in 1840.

Courtesy of the Darwin Heirlooms Trust, copyright English Heritage Photo Library.

Even more interesting is the fact that on January 17, 1836, after tethering his horse at the Weatherboard Inn, Charles Darwin walked to the Wentworth Falls along the wooded track (now known as Darwin’s Walk). On January 23 on his return from Bathurst to Sydney, Darwin stayed overnight at the Weatherboard Inn. And so my 4 x great grandparents waited on Darwin, served beef and bread to him and probably ensured his room was the “good bedroom” with glass in the windows!

Their occupation as innkeepers continued for many years: in 1837 the couple sold the inn to Abraham Joseph Levy, and they moved to the Woolpack Inn 25km closer to Sydney. Then in 1842 Tom obtained a licence for the Old Westwood Inn at Cunningham Creek, near present-day Ilford, 50km south of Mudgee.

Tom began life in Richmond, North Yorkshire, found home life and Richmond problematic, committed a minor crime and found himself flung to the other side of the world. But this new place allowed him to build up considerable wealth through leasing land, buying and selling property, running cattle and managing inns. And through his toil, he met the famous Mr Darwin.

When Tom died, it is not entirely ironic that he was buried in Richmond, not in North Yorkshire, but in New South Wales.

I would like to thank Barbara Hall and Neil Hall for their time and toil in researching the story of Tom and Jemima. More information on the Readford family can be found in One Family History: 220 Years in Australia (Irish Wattle, 2010).

ISSUE # 7 COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED

2012-01-25T17:39:00.003+11:00

The entries have gone into the draw and the winners are! Congratulations to:

[1] Ultimate FMP subscription package winner:

C. Sackville, Canterbury, VIC

[2] Little Branch gift set:

N. Rigney, Alexandria, NSW

[3] Double conference pack to In the Shadow of War - Australia 1942:

G. Annand, Yarrawonga, VIC

Thanks to our supporters - find my past, Little Branch and Military History and Heritage Victoria - for making our giveaways possible!

For more information on giveaways, click here. Stay tuned to our facebook page, over the coming weeks we'll be featuring some of the photo entries submitted to the ultimate find my past package competition. I know we loved receiving the photos and the hearing the amazing stories behind them!

Love history, love books? What's your favourite history book?

2012-01-16T12:09:00.000+11:00

To celebrate 2012 being the National Year of Reading, we want you to nominate your favourite history book!

Inside History magazine is delighted to share in this year-long celebration. We’re one of the partners of the National Year of Reading 2012, a campaign about children learning to read and keen readers finding new sources of inspiration. It’s about supporting reading initiatives while respecting the oral tradition of storytelling. And it’s about helping people discover and rediscover the magic of books. Read more about the initiative at www.love2read.org.au.

Over the next few months, we’ll be asking you to nominate your favourite history and genealogy books! It’s a big call we know, so get thinking about publications that made you love history, or that contributed to your research. Enter as many titles as you wish. Then, in mid-2012, we’ll publish the top 10 nominations and ask Inside History readers to vote for their favourite, to be announced in late 2012. A few rules: the book must be non-fiction, and published in Australia or New Zealand in English.

To nominate a book, you can post on our facebook wall , tweet us or as with all our competitions, email cass@insidehistory.com.au or write to Inside History PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043. Entries close 5pm, April 24.

Photo credit: Image Gosford Library 1951. Courtesy Gosford City Library

Issue 8; Jan-Feb 2012 now available on iPad!

2012-01-05T18:49:00.001+11:00

Like new fangled ideas, do you go for gadgets? Now you can find Inside History on the iPad app store. Just like print, it's packed with photos, tips and tools for all historians.

At the moment, Issue 8 and Issue 7 are available. All you need to do is download our free app and then you can buy individual copies at A$8.49! That's a 20% saving on the print copy price! Plus you get to save on bookshelf space and you always have your Inside History with you.

All of our back issues will be available soon, so stay tuned!

Issue 8: Jan-Feb 2012 is now available!

2011-12-31T12:13:00.002+11:00

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our Issue 8; Jan-Feb 2012:

We celebrate 2012 as the National Year of Reading by asking: what’s your favourite history book?
Our photo expert helps solve a family mystery
Discover one home’s genealogy in Tasmania
The experiences of Australian mothers since 1788
Darwin 1942: eyewitnesses before and after the bombings
Was your ancestor in the theatre? We look at how to find them
The life of a ship’s surgeon in the 1800s
Why Norfolk Island’s world heritage listing is so well deserved

And much more – in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews.

Issue # 8 is available in newsagents nationally from Monday, 2nd January. You can also request us at your local newsagent, and we'll make sure that the next issue - our ANZAC issue [Issue # 9] is sent there for you!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 8:

Author :: John Bailey
New Zealand genealogist :: Christine Clement
Museum manager :: Anthony Curtis
Author :: Hazel Edwards @muirmoir
Journalist :: Miranda Farrell
Journalist :: Paula Grunseit @PaulaGrunseit
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall @Irish Wattle
Author :: Jenny Robin Jones
Journalist :: Alice Johnson @Alice_Johnson88
Personal historian :: Annie Payne @annie_histheart
Local and family history librarian :: Liz Pidgeon @Infolass
Historian :: Leann Richards
Historian :: Jayne Shrimpton @JayneShrimpton
CEO RAHS :: Maria Walsh
New Zealand genealogist :: Mark Webster @macnzMark

Have a sneak peak inside our new magazine; Issue # 8; Jan-Feb 2012.

Sands Directory - Researching your house's history

2011-11-28T18:27:00.001+11:00

I know you're enjoying the new ABC series, Who's Been Sleeping In My House, and want to find out more about your house! I know we are and do!

The essential sources to assist in your investigation of the history of your property are the Sands Directories. These were the city-wide address book of the day in use in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. In Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia a similar directory was in use, and were published by either the Post Office or H. Wise & Co.

Sands Directories | Source: Royal Australian Historical Society Library, Sydney

Sands Directories: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia, 1858-1932
Each issue of the Directory listed householders, businesses, public institutions and officials of the entire Sydney area. The two major components of the Directory were the 'Alphabetical' and the 'Suburban' sections. The first consisted of a single alphabetical sequence of the names of householders, business houses and major organisations, with the address of the associated premises attached. The suburban section provided similar information arranged variously by suburb, locality or local government area as the Directory developed.

The street-by-street listing of householders in Sands is useful for undertaking research on the history of properties. The type of information included is:

Householder's name and title,
Street number and house name,
Householder's occupation or type of business

They are useful in listing the residents of a building, although they may not necessarily be the owners of the property. They also help confirm the date of the house. The easiest way to do this research is to simply take a later volume of the directory and go back until your house no longer appears. You may come across a reference to the property being "vacant" or "house under construction". If so, it's likely your house will appear the following year. The first year in which a property appears in Sands may be considered an indication of when a piece of land was first developed but be cautious, the first listing may in fact be after a period of omission e.g. if the property was vacant for some time.

However, directories are not without their problems. Information was often a year behind and inclusion in them was not compulsory - the fee for being listed putting many off. Other problems identified by the Royal Australian Historical Society, says the society's librarian Donna Newton, include:

Street names may change
Street numbering sometimes absent in the early Directories
Street numbering may change
House names could change regularly
Listing may not indicate a change of use or redevelopment
Sands is not a legal document - the information was collected by Sands' agents who called door to door - and is open to error
If a property was vacant, then the Sands' agent could not collect information for the site

Where do I find a Sands Directory?

As with all research, start with your local library. These fine institutions may have hard copies or microfiche of the originals, and will likely have free access to Ancestry.com.au or findmypast.com.au, which both have Sands records from various states as part of their collections.

Use the amazing Trove to find a library near you stocking the directory.

Beautiful hard copies of the Sands Directories are available at the Royal Australian Historical Society, at History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney and of course, you can find the Sands at:

State Library of New South Wales
State Records NSW, see Archives in Brief 116 - Researching your house or property

Directories across the states:

Queensland. Post Office Directories. Published 1868 - 1949
South Australia. Sands and McDougall's. Published 1884 - 1973
Tasmania. Post Office Directories. Published 1890 - 1948
Victoria. Sands and McDougall's. Published 1862 - 1974
Western Australia: Post Office Directories. Published 1893-1949

The staple sources for most family history research should also not be overlooked in house history research. And while census returns, electorial roles and birth, death and marriage certificates may repeat a lot of information you'll find in the rate books and directories, they may just add that detail which brings your house to life. Good hunting!

Show us your Hairy Mancestor - Winners announced!

2011-11-27T10:09:00.002+11:00

It's MO101 here are Hairy Mancestors - we've raised $101! We'll be back in 2012 - bigger, hairier and ready to search the land for Hairy Mancestors! It's been a hairy month, all that's left now is to announce our competition winners!

[1] Winners - Ancestry.com.au subscriptions

Congratulations Gillian Mauchan and Vivienne Graves!

[2] Winners - Inside History magazine subscriptions

Congratulations David Murray and Sharon Fritz!

Thanks again to our friends at Ancestry.com.au for offering such an amazing prize!

====

Post your moustached ancestors to the Hairy Mancestors facebook page by November 30 and you’ll be helping to support Movember Australia and Movember New Zealand. Plus, you’ll go into the draw to win one of 4 fantastic prizes perfect for the family historian!

Two Ancestry.com.au Annual World Heritage Subscriptions
Two 12 month subscriptions to Inside History magazine

How to enter:
Like the Hairy Mancestors facebook page then post up to five photos of your ancestors, who sport moustaches. Remember, no beards allowed!

Each post will then go into the prize draw.

Plus, with each entry made you’ll be helping to support Movember, which raises money for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression. Inside History will donate 50c per photo submitted with name, approximate date and story. Each person posting is allowed 5 eligible photos.

We would like to thank our friends at Ancestry.com.au for their generous support of Hairy Mancestors and Movember!

Terms and conditions:

The “How to enter” instructions form part of the terms and conditions. Entries close 11.59pm EDST on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Three entrant names will be drawn at random and the winners’ names posted to the Inside History page on December 7.

Libraries :: Where to find Inside History Magazine

2011-11-26T23:48:00.013+11:00

Remembering the attack on HMAS Kuttabul

2011-11-23T15:01:00.000+11:00

Next year is the 70th Anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul. On 31 May 1942 three Japanese midget submarines launched an attack on vessels in Sydney Harbour, shaking the Australian population to the core. This audacious attack struck the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul with a torpedo and 21 men were killed.

It is believed that the 21 Naval Ratings whom lost their lives aboard the ill-fated HMAS Kuttabul were unwitting victims aboard a target, not of the Japanese choosing. The intended target of Midget Submarine M24 during this Japanese raid was the American Heavy Cruiser; U.S.S. Chicago which had been spotted by a Japanese observation plane launched by the ‘mother’ submarine I-24 the previous day. Unfortunately any other large allied vessel was fair game. However a former harbour ferry, converted into a Naval Depot ship would not be worth wasting a torpedo on, especially when each midget sub only carried two torpedoes each.

Findmypast.com.au is looking for the descendants of the men that perished on this vessel. On 31 May 2012, a commemoration ceremony will take place to remember the 21 men who lost their lives on this day. We would like to connect the descendants with the organisers, so that they can be involved in this special event.

Gary Traynor, Project Officer of the Kuttabul Commemoration Project commented: “The loss of any serviceman during a time of war is tragic, and no single sacrifice deserves to be classed as more important than another. What sets this small group of men apart, is the fact that their loss took place in what was considered at that time, to be a relatively safe haven in Sydney Harbour. The names of these 21 sailors have been recorded on a few small memorials, however very little else is known about them. On the 70th Anniversary of their death, it is hoped that their unwitting part played in this attack upon Sydney Harbour will be remembered and their story told. Making contact with the descendants of each man is a fundamental part of this commemoration, for nobody can tell the story of their ancestor, better than the families who still remember and mourn their loss. We have been so pleased to work with findmypast.com.au to help us to make contact, and have already had some success”.

Emma Kelly, Marketing Executive at findmypast.com.au: “This commemoration is such a wonderful opportunity to honour these brave sailors that lost their lives serving their country. We are so pleased to support this event and find as many descendants of these fallen men as possible.”

With the support of the Royal Australian Navy, this special ceremony will honour the lives lost during this tragic event. The proceeds of this commemoration will go to Legacy Australia, who cares for widows and orphaned children of servicemen and women who have lost their lives as a result of military service.

Please email findmypast, if you are a descendant of one of these men or if you have any information.

HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney Harbour after the Japanese midget submarine attack

Who's Been Sleeping In My House :: Starts Monday, Nov 21

2011-11-17T20:02:00.007+11:00

Have you considered tracing the family history of your home? Who’s Been Sleeping In My House?, is a wonderful new series from the ABC that does just that. Archaeologist and presenter Adam Ford uses the tools of his trade – public records and a good spade – to discover the histories of eight houses around Australia, and the generations of families who've called them home. Think Time Team + Grand Designs rolled into one show! In the first episode, Ford travels to the heart of Ballarat in Victoria. Here, he tells Inside History why he loves digging up the past.

Inside History Magazine: It’s fascinating to see where the trail of clues leads you once you start digging. What is your highlight from the series?

Adam Ford: One of the great things about this show is that I get to do what I do! That is - go on an adventure into the past, which I have done for the past 20 years in various parts of the world. While that sounds a bit romantic, the past is (to paraphrase L.P. Hartley) a foreign country and to explore it is to go on an adventure. The highlight of this show is that the past histories of the houses are completely unknown and I get to dig them out of the records and, in some cases, the buildings themselves.

IHM: It must have been rewarding to discover the story of the 1860s dining room in episode 1 (airing Monday, November 21, 8pm).

Adam Ford: The question of the dining room was really unusual and I wasn’t certain that we were going to find the answer so, yes it was very satisfying. More satisfying and rewarding was being able to reveal the histories of the houses to the owners. In every case they were amazed and quite moved by the stories.

IHM: How and why did you choose these eight houses for the series?

Adam Ford: In a way the houses chose us. We had a look at a lot of places but these eight stood out. Not only are they beautiful, but also all had a fascinating story to tell.

IHM: What’s the first thing someone should do when researching their house?

Adam Ford: Well apart from dropping us a line - www.abc.net.au/tv/whosbeensleeping - the first port of call should be those champions of history keeping, the local libraries and local historical societies. Not only will they be able to point you in the right direction, they will probably provide you with the right questions to ask to get you moving.

IHM: Is there any hidden history about your own home in Victoria, that you’re wanting to dig up?

Adam Ford: Unfortunately not. My house was built in the 1980s – it’s a beautiful mud brick barn of a place but not very old. Mind you, we are bringing up our two daughters in it so we are creating history every day.

Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? starts, November 21 at 8pm on ABC1.

Related stories: Find out how to research the history of your house in issue 5 of Inside History. Go online to read here.

ISSUE # 7 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

2011-11-10T21:40:00.003+11:00

The traditional present for 1st anniversaries is paper, so we’re giving away a gorgeous writing set, military conference tickets and subscription vouchers to findmypast! Help us celebrate our first birthday and don't miss out on our Issue # 7 giveaways. Hip Hip Hooray!

SO, WHAT CAN YOU WIN?!

[1] Win the ultimate findmypast subscription package

Here's your chance to win access to the millions of records on findmypast, as well as feature in Inside History! The findmypast subscription package is valued at $315, and includes a 12-month subscription to findmypast.com.au, 12 months access to its UK sister-site, findmypast.co.uk and 12 months access to the newly launched findmypast.ie. That's a total of 750 million records at your fingertips! Plus, just by entering, your family photo could feature in the "One Picture" section of Inside History in an upcoming issue.

To enter the draw for this great prize, simply send us your favourite family photo, and 100 words on why it's a treasured image. Either send it to us by email to cass@insidehistory.com.au or send a photocopy to findmypast Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 by 5pm December 27, 2011.

Remember, don't send original photos as they will not be returned. If your family photo is selected to appear in Inside History, we'll contact you to arrange for a high-quality scan of the image.

[2] Little Branch gift set

The very talented ladies at Little Branch are inspired by romantic poets, bleached summer dresses, over-blown roses and water-stained novels, just to name a few. Recycled and upcycled materials are key to their collections, and their cards are the ones you want to save in a shoe box for generations to come. To celebrate our birthday, Little Branch is giving one lucky reader a writing set, 10 sheets of wrapping paper and 10 matching gift cards, all in the wildly gorgeous Rosette design, valued at $116!

To enter, simply tell us the name of the design they're giving away, and sent your name and contact details to Inside History, Little Branch Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm December 27, 2011. For more beautiful designs, visit Little Branch.

[3] Double conference pack to In the Shadow of War - Australia 1942

In the Shadow of War - Australia 1942 will bring to Melbourne prominent Australian, Japanese and American military and social historians to examine the critical period from 1942, when it appeared that Australia was under direct threat of invasion. The conference, organised by Military History and Heritage Victoria [MHHV], will be held in Melbourne over April 21 and 22, 2012 and will initiate the inaugural Military and History Week in Victoria. MHHV and Inside History are giving away a conference pack valued at $540! The winner will receive 2 x two-day passes to the conference, plus two tickets to the gala conference dinner. For more information about the event, visit www.mhhv.org.au.

To enter, simply tell us what capital city the conference will be held in, and send your name and contact details to Inside History, MHHV Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm December 27, 2011.

Issue 7; Nov-Dec 2011 is now available!

2011-11-02T01:04:00.001+11:00

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our Issue 7; Nov-Dec 2011:

Our preservation special looks at how to care for mementos, and how you can help conserve a piece of Australia’s history
It’s our first birthday! You could win up to $970 in prizes, including the ultimate findmypast subscription package
Looking for the lost grave of an ancestor? Read our guide first
What heritage roses in cemeteries can reveal about your family
She has my face! How award-winning author Hazel Edwards caught the genealogy bug
Plus, take a tour around Tasmania’s stunning – and historic – Maria Island

And there's so much more – in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews. On sale now.

Missed an issue of Inside History? Our back issues are now on sale! Just $7.50 per issue (plus $2 postage). Sale ends December 31!

Issue # 7 is available in newsagents nationally from Friday, 4th November. To find out where in your state, click here. You can also request us at your local newsagent, and we'll make sure that the next issue - our summer issue [Issue # 8] is sent there for you!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 7:

Genealogist :: Jill Ball @geniaus
Historian :: Mark Dunn
Author :: Hazel Edwards @muirmoir
Academic :: Alison Elliott
Journalist :: Miranda Farrell
Historian :: Karen Filewood
Genealogist :: Megan Gibson
Journalist :: Paula Grunseit @PaulaGrunseit
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
Family historian :: Neil Hall
Journalist :: Alice Johnson
New Zealand genealogist :: Helen Leggatt @GenealogyJourno
Historian :: Jayne Shrimpton @JayneShrimpton
Military historian :: Neil Smith
Journalist :: Kirsten Wade @kirstenwade
New Zealand genealogist :: Mark Webster @macnzMark

Have a sneak peak inside our new magazine; Issue # 7; Nov-Dec 2011.

Show us your hairy mancestor

2011-11-01T17:19:00.002+11:00

Support Movember, share your photos of your moustached ancestors on our facebook page, Hairy Mancestors, and for each hairy mancestor posted, Inside History will donate 50c. Don’t forget to tell us the date taken, names and story if you know it. We want to see your hairy mancestors!

Or grow the mo yourself and join the Inside History Movember team :: Hairy Mancestor! Remember, beards are not allowed! Mow & leave the mo!

What is Movember? In the month of November, the month of Movember and the mighty moustache, the aim is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. Find out more moustache moments and news, follow Movember.

Source: Powerhouse Museum, http://ow.ly/7f0xQ

Conditions:

Inside History Magazine will donate 50c per photo submitted with name, date and story. Each person posting the hairy mancestor photos is allowed 5 eligible photos. Otherwise the hair bank will go bald!

International Council on Archives Congress Brisbane 2012

2011-10-27T15:21:00.001+11:00

National Archives of Australia

The Ancestors' Geneameme

2011-10-16T17:04:00.004+11:00

My contribution to "The Ancestors' Geneameme" - another great meme challenge from Geniaus, Jill Ball!

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents [No, I wish - one day!]
Can name over 50 direct ancestors
Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents
Have an ancestor who was married more than three times
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist
Met all four of my grandparents
Met one or more of my great-grandparents
Named a child after an ancestor
Bear an ancestor's given name/s
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland [Irish & proud!]
Have an ancestor from Asia
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe [Denmark]
Have an ancestor from Africa
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer [Diary & wheat farmers, Orange to Inverell, NSW, Australia]
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi
Have an ancestor who was a midwife
Have an ancestor who was an author
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones [Smith alias Fitzgerald]
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z
Have an ancestor born on 25th December [I have a brother-in-law & 2 on Australia Day!]
Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day
Have blue blood in your family lines [Related to William the Conqueror but isn't everyone?]
Have a parent who was born in a country different from that of my birth
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [Bournemouth and Islington - London, England]
Can trace a direct family line back to the 18th century
Can trace a direct family line back to the 17th century or earlier
Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents [GGGGG grandparent - Edward Turley Smith]
Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X [Jane Maher, partner to Edward Turley Smith]
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence [Many, 7 convicts all up. Crimes ranging from fraud, theft, receiving stolen goods, brothel madam, bushranger, highway robbery etc etc etc]
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime
Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine [AFTC, regional daily newspapers, SMH, Inside History, Irish Wattle]
Have published a family history online or in print [One Family History: 220 years in Australia - http://irishwattle.com/products]
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries [Cunningham Creek , home of Thomas Readford in Ilford, NSW. Thomas was father to Harry Readford, the bushranger Captain Starlight]
Still have an ancestor's home from 19th century or earlier in the family
Have a family bible from the 19th Century
Have a pre-19th century family bible

Cascades Probation Station Heritage Protected :: Tasmania

2011-10-15T22:58:00.004+11:00

Cascades Probation Station, Tasmania

A rare part of Tasmania’s historic heritage in the form of a probation station has been protected forever. The Cascades Probation Station on the Tasman Peninsula has been entered in the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

Chairperson of the Tasmanian Heritage Council Michael Lynch said the Cascades Probation Station is one of the most intact probation stations remaining in Tasmania and therefore shows a rare aspect of Tasmania’s historic heritage.

“The probation system of managing convicts replaced the assignment system where convicts were assigned to private individuals. The probation system provided stages through which convicts arriving under the probation system would pass, depending on their conduct,” Mr Lynch said.

“In the first stage, convicts were in gangs without wages or allowances, in the second stage they worked on public works for wages and in the final stage they worked for private employers on a wage basis. “This system of managing convicts was unique to Van Diemen’s Land and was introduced in 1839. Work on the Cascades Probation Station began in 1842 and by 1845 at its peak, the convict population reached 442. “While it operated many buildings were constructed including convict accommodation, the superintendent’s quarters, hospital, cookhouse, bakehouse, cells and school, officers quarters (known as Rotten Row), and workshops. Some of these buildings still remain.”

The Cascades Probation Station was closed in 1855.

“The Cascades Probation Station has several owners, but the largest single section of it now operates as a tourism accommodation venture, directly showing the economic value of Tasmania’s historic heritage through tourism. “The owners of this rare piece of Tasmania’s history recognised the significance of the place and actively pursued heritage listing, and in so doing have recognised the contemporary value of this heritage place,” Mr Lynch said.

The current owner of the largest chunk Cascade Probation Station, Don Clark, said that it had been in his family since the early 20th century. “Before the family bought it in 1915 my great-grandfather, Moses Clark, worked here for the then owner, Henry Chesterman a timber merchant, so we have a strong association with this place,” Mr Clark said. “We farmed this land initially, but since the early 1980s have also run it as a bed and breakfast, and function centre. “We actually initiated the group heritage-listing of this place, as we wanted to ensure it was protected into the future.

The Clark family have converted many of the remaining convict buildings into accommodation, including Rotten Row which originally housed the married officers.

“When we first bought the farm we were orchardists, but with the declining export markets of the 1970s we pulled most of the orchards out and developed a long term future which capitalised on the terrific convict heritage we have here. “We have also created a private museum which tells the convict history and the later orcharding history of this beautiful place,”

Tasmania is rich in heritage and there are many other sites worth travelling for. Discover Tasmania today!

Tuesday, 11 October 2011 - Press Release

[For more information, contact Tasmanian Heritage Council; enquires@heritage.tas.gov.au]

Maritime Heritage - A nation's start and source of its diversity

2011-10-04T23:36:00.004+11:00

Ship "James Craig" - Sydney, 2011

"on opening the scuttle in my cabin, I perceived an aromatic odour, as of spicy flowers, blown from the land" - Welcome Wall, Australian National Maritime Museum [ANMM], Sydney.

Last Saturday we were walking away from a farmers market in Prymont Bay Park and we decided to walk along the shoreline of the city of Sydney. We didn't go far before we saw the ANMM's Welcome Wall and it has way of stopping you from walking past. The names of immigrants to Australia and snapshots of their stories holds you, and takes your mind to another time from the 1970s to the start of our nation in the 1790s.

If you're in Sydney, whether as a resident or visitor, then definitely visit the Australian National Maritime Museum and make sure you follow them on facebook or twitter for exhibition updates.

Or sail around Australia with the ANMM! The HMB Endeavour is circumnavigating Australia from April 2011 to May 2012, and you can join the journey! In April 2011, the magnificent replica of James Cook's HM Bark Endeavour started its historic circumnavigation of Australia. Built as a gift to the Australian people, Endeavour will follow in the wake of our earliest European explorers, visiting major and regional ports right across Australia. Find out more and sail away!

Other maritime museums in Australia:

Photos :: Life's travels kept

2011-09-30T11:02:00.000+10:00

We're taking a break today from Issue # 7 - our 1st birthday edition. It's my birthday! Have a wonderful day. One step further on in life ::

Issue 5 :: Tracing your Chinese Ancestor - Additional details

2011-09-19T18:29:00.000+10:00

Do you have a Chinese ancestor in your family tree? Or just curious to know more about this fascinating part of our history?

Here, historian and Inside History contributor Kate Bagnall offers some reading suggestions to get you started:

Kate Bagnall, Golden Shadows on a White Land, PhD thesis, University of Sydney, 2006. Available online.
Dinah Hales, ‘Local histories: Chinese-European families of central western New South Wales, 1850–80’, Journal of Australian Colonial History, vol. 6, 2004, pp. 93-112.
Morag Loh & Christine Ramsay, Survival and Celebration: An Insight into the Lives of Chinese Immigrant Women, European Women Married to Chinese and their Female Children in Australia from 1856 to 1986, Melbourne, 1986.
Sandi Robb, ‘Myths, lies and invisible lives: European women and Chinese men in North Queensland’, Lilith, vol. 12, 2003, pp. 95-109.
Pauline Rule, ‘A tale of three sisters: Australian-Chinese marriages in colonial Victoria’, in K. Pookong, C. Ho, P. Macgregor & G. Presland (eds), Chinese in Oceania, Melbourne, 2002, pp. 65-76.

Remember your local library can help with interlibrary loans, or you can use the National Library’s Copies Direct service. And you can read Kate Bagnall's brilliant article on tracing Chinese-Australian families from the 1800s in Issue 5 of Inside History.

ISSUE # 6 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

2011-09-19T17:26:00.000+10:00

Don't miss out on our Issue # 6 giveaways! There are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Also, don't forget the My Heritage Family Tree Builder CD free inside every Issue 6; Sep-Oct 2011!

SO, WHAT CAN YOU WIN?!

[1] Win an Ancestry.com.au Membership for 12 months, worth $299!

With a World Heritage Membership you will have unlimited access to all Ancestry.com.au records from around the world including the US, Ireland and the UK, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Who knows, your family research could take you all over the world!

One of the latest collections to be added online is more than 20 million New Zealand records. Including Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981, Canterbury Provincial Rolls, 1868-1874, military records including New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) Nominal (Embarkation) Rolls, NZEF Casualty List, New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, schools, directories and church histories, Jury Lists 1842-1862 and Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980, to name a few.

To see how to go into the draw to win this 12 months subscription, worth $299, grab a copy of Issue 6 from us www.insidehistory.com.au, or your local newsagent.

[2] Win a beautiful set of diamond-cut crystal glassware!

All we know about this wonderful crystal pitcher and matching four glasses is that they were made in West Germany by Astra, and have been wrapped up carefully for many years. There the story ends, but we think this exquisitely crafted glassware deserves a second lease of life and a home where they will be loved and used.

To see how to go into the draw to win this little part of history, grab a copy of Issue 6 from us www.insidehistory.com.au, or your local newsagent.

Darwin 1942 :: 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin

2011-09-14T11:42:00.000+10:00

Tuesday, 13 September 2011 - Press Release
[For interviews email Domonique Young on domonique@creativeterritory.com]

Darwin will remember the anniversaries of a series of bombing raids that took place during 1942 as it approaches the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 2012. The bombing raids during WWII continued for nearly two years across Northern Australia after the initial attack on Darwin in February 1942.

September 25 to 27 marks the anniversary of five bombing raids on the city, Livingstone and Bynoe Harbour. Darwin city was attacked twice in the early hours of 25 September 1942, Livingstone Airfield on September 26 and both Bynoe Harbour and Darwin city on September 27.

Former Adelaide River army nurse Alva Curtis, who now resides at Esperance in Western Australia, clearly remembers the raids, which coincided with a full moon. “Planes didn’t have the technology then that they do now so the pilots relied on the light of the moon to know where to bomb. “Darwin was bombed every full moon. Whenever the siren went off, it was lights out, under our beds and no one was allowed to smoke - everyone smoked back then.”

Alva had more than a couple of close calls during the 21 month-long raid on Australia’s north and recalls one time where she spent more than five hours in a dugout trench. “We were travelling back to Adelaide River when we were stopped at Winnellie by troops who said the planes were coming. It was only 6:30 in the evening but boy those planes came.

“They (the Japanese) were dropping ‘daisy cutters’ and it lasted hours. When we thought it was safe we got back into the jeep and had another go, but we didn’t get too far before we had to make another run for it. “It was easily midnight before we made it home and the matron was very pleased to see us safe. We weren’t in trouble as we thought we may be, but we weren’t given the next day off either!” Alva affectionately recalls.

This month’s remembrance is in lead up to a series of commemoration events that will take place from February 11 to 26 next year.

The main event will mark the 70th anniversary of the first bombing of Darwin to be held at the Darwin Cenotaph on 19 February 2012. The two-week program will include commemorative ceremonies, a schools competition and exhibition, historic talks, tours and movie screenings, the release of a commemorative coin and an AFL football match.

For more information visit www.frontlineaustralia.com.au and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Issue 6 is out! Our military issue; Sep-Oct 2011

2011-09-07T21:32:00.001+10:00

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our Issue # 6; Sep-Oct 2011 edition:

Read the remarkable discovery of a WWI soldier after 93 years, and how his belongings will be shown for the first time in Australia
Learn why some Aussie soldiers rebelled during the Boer War
We look at why more of us are trekking Kokoda
A family historian in Queensland makes a fascinating find
Win an www.Ancestry.com.au membership valued at $299
Plus there’s a free Family Tree BuilderTM CD from MyHeritage for every reader!

And there's much more – in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews.

Issues # 1, # 2, # 3, # 4, # 5 and now # 6 are available online now! Order now online and collect the complete set.

Issue # 6 is available in newsagents nationally from Wednesday, 7th September. To find out where in your state, click here. You can also request us at your local newsagent, and we'll make sure that the next issue - our birthday issue [Issue # 7] is sent there for you!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 6:

Journalist :: Melinda Farrell
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
Family historian :: Neil Hall
Australian genealogist :: Jane Harding
Social historian :: Jo Hawkins @MyKokoda
Australian genealogist :: Shauna Hicks @HicksShauna
Journalist :: Alice Johnson
New Zealand genealogist :: Helen Leggatt @GenealogyJourno
Health microbiologist :: Helen Smith @HVSresearch
Military historian :: Neil Smith
Journalist :: Kirsten Wade @kirstenwade
New Zealand genealogist :: Mark Webster @macnzMark
Dictionary of Sydney historian :: Garry Wotherspoon @DictionaryofSyd

Have a sneak peak inside our new magazine; Issue # 6, Sep-Oct 2011.

Vintage Spring Fling Ball :: 10th September

2011-09-07T08:38:00.000+10:00

It's NSW History Week and that puts us in the mood for dancing! So, dust off your vintage frocks – we’re having a ball!

You are cordially invited to the inaugural Vintage Spring Fling Ball at the classic Marrickville Town Hall on the 10th of September. It’s time to dust off your vintage frocks and shine your dancing shoes for a night of food, dancing and entertainment.

Featuring the 1950’s musical stylings of the Ellipsis Swingers, you will be transported back to a time when full skirts were in and Grace Kelly was a style icon. The night will include a delicious three-course meal and all wine, beer and soft drinks included for $100 per person.

Marrickville Town Hall has been open since 1922 and was used as a dance venue throughout the 1920s-1950s. Its high ceilings and marble staircases make it the perfect location for a vintage themed ball.

The Vintage Spring Fling Ball is an event for singles, couples and friends to come enjoy an evening purely dedicated to having a good time. We encourage you to bop till you drop and twirl your poodle skirt around the dance floor, glass of wine in hand.

Vintage Spring Fling Ball:
When: 7pm – midnight, Saturday 10th September, 2011
Where: Marrickville Town Hall
How much: $100 pp - three-course meal and all wine, beer & soft drinks
Rules: Strictly over 18s

For more information or to book your tickets, please visit Blossom Media. See you there!

Perfect for Father's Day - bonus offer!

2011-08-29T22:17:00.000+10:00

It's Dad's day this Sunday! Here are Inside History, we're all about family and history! To help you celebrate, we'd like to offer a bonus free copy of our launch issue, if you subscribe to Inside History for 6 or 12 months before 5pm Sunday, 4th September.

Issue 6, our military special, is out this week and we think this issue is the perfect starting point for your Dad's Inside History subscription. He'll love Inside History magazine's range of family history, military history and heritage stories in every issue.

Purchase a gift subscription by September 4, 2011, and we'll include a bonus copy of Inside History! Simply subscribe for 6 or 12 months and your dad will receive a copy of our launch issue delivered free to your door!

Terms and conditions:
Offer ends 5pm September 4, 2011. All new subscribers will receive a copy of issue 1. Valid for Australian and New Zealand subscribers only.

NSW History Week - Dine with Tony Bilson Giveaway

2011-08-24T13:01:00.001+10:00

Inside History magazine is a proud sponsor of the 2011 NSW History Week. We love history and one of our favourite things is food. Happily, you can combine both during History Week, with this year's EAT History theme!

To help History Week celebrate, we’re offering two tickets to dine with Tony Bilson at his famously brilliant Bilson’s Restaurant on the 9th September, at the History Week event: 'The Art of Living in Australia: A Special Event with Tony Bilson".

All you have to do is name Tony Bilson’s first Sydney restaurant and send your answer in an email to cass@insidehistory.com.au, with the subject: “Tony Bilson Giveaway” and you’ll go into the draw to win this fabulous fine dining prize, courtesy of History Week and the NSW History Council! Entries close 5pm EST Monday, 29th August 2011.

'The Art of Living in Australia: A Special Event with Tony Bilson"
At this event, Tony Bilson and Darren De Bortoli will discuss the development of Sydney’s food and wine scene with Simon Marnie from ABC 702 Sydney, while guests savour a specially created menu inspired by recipes featured in Philip E. Muskett’s book, The Art of Living in Australia.

Friday 9 September 2011, 7:00pm to 9:30pm.
Bilson's Restaurant, Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney, 27 O'Connell Street, Sydney.
Free for our lucky winner, your tickets get you a gastronomic dinner and De Bortoli wines.

‘It is curious to see the inhabitants of a semi-tropical country like Australia living in wilful contradiction to their climactic necessities, and eating the same kind of food as did their fathers in the old land, with its dampness, its coldness, its ice and its snow,’ wrote Philip E. Muskett in 1893.

Muskett, a public health reformer, advocated the consumption of seafood, fresh produce and Australian wines. Eighty years later Tony Bilson transformed NSW dining with his first Sydney eatery Tony’s Bon Gout.

NSW History Week runs Saturday, 3rd September to Sunday, 11th September. Go to the NSW History Council site for more information or follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Terms & Conditions:
Entries close 5pm EST on 29/08/11. The first correct entry drawn at random will win two tickets to the "event" on Friday, 09/09/11 valued at $440, courtesy of History Week 2011. The winner will be notified on Tuesday, 30/08/11. The prize is not redeemable for cash.

New Zealand Family History Fair :: 26 - 27 August 2011

2011-08-16T08:38:00.000+10:00

Inside History magazine is proud to be supporting the New Zealand Family History fair and can't wait to visit Hamilton next week!

The New Zealand Family History Fair 2011 is at the Claudelands Events Centre in Hamilton. Exhibitors, seminars, New Zealand Society of Genealogists branches and interest groups, help desks and look-up services will all be returning along with an internet cafe, where you can try out some of the key websites focused on researching your Whakapapa.The recently revamped centre has plenty of free parking and there will be a cafe and coffee cart open throughout the show, if you prefer not to bring your own food and refreshments.

2011 is the International Year of the Forest, so the Fair will focus on Growing and Conserving your Family Tree.

National bodies such as NZBDM and Papers Past will be present, as will the international organization FamilySearch, regional groups such as the Central Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries and commercial entities such as findmypast.com.au, Ancestry.com.au, Guild of One-Name Studies, Unlock the Past.

Where: Claudelands Events Centre
Address: 2 Brooklyn Road, Hamilton
When: Friday 26th and Saturday 27th August, 2011
Parking: Free, enter through Gate 4
Tickets: Available through Ticketek

To find out more about the fair, go to the New Zealand Family History Fair site or follow the fair on Facebook and twitter for updates. The NZFHF team have also answered FAQs on their site. See you there!

Sydney's Crown Street Hospital

2011-08-15T13:35:00.002+10:00

The Next Chapter History Group runs on the 4th Thursday of every month and uncovers the history of the local area with special guest speakers. Inside History Magazine is the proud sponsor of the group and supporter of Randwick Branch Library.

This month's subject is presented by:
Speaker: Dr Judith Godden
Title: Researching the history of Crown Street Women's Hospital

When: 10.30am - 11.30am, 25th August 2011
Where: Randwick Branch Library
Address: Level 1, 73 Belmore Rd, Royal Randwick Shopping Centre
Bookings: Bookings are not required
Cost: Free
Contact: For more information, call Jane on 02 9314 4888
Email: contactus@randwick.nsw.gov.au

Dr Judith Godden is a professional historian who is writing a commissioned history of Crown Street Women's Hospital. Her book Lucy Osburn, a lady displaced. Florence Nightingale's envoy to Australia (Sydney University Press) was short-listed for Australia's 2008 National Biography Award. She will have two books published this year: Australia’s Controversial Matron: Gwen Burbidge and Nursing Reform (The College of Nursing, Sydney) and, with Carol Helmstadter, Nursing before Nightingale 1815-1890.

Her illustrated talk will be on her work in progress writing the first comprehensive history of Crown Street Women's Hospital in Surry Hills. Her talk will focus on the reasons for writing its history and why people protested so vigorously against its closure in 1983. An important theme is how the surviving records, and gaps in that record, determine our understanding of the past. She especially welcomes the opportunity for discussion and to hear any memories you might have of Crown Street.

Are you researching relatives that worked or were patients at the Crown Street Hospital? Here is where we would start our research:

State Records NSW: Archives in Brief 88
State Library of NSW
City of Sydney Archives , or direct your query to
The Medical Records Manager, Royal Hospital for Women, Locked Bag 2000, RANDWICK NSW 2031 | (02) 9382 6111

Photograph of Crown Street Women’s Hospital courtesy of State Record

Korean War :: Australian War Memorial

2011-08-15T11:53:00.001+10:00

Event: Korea: In From the Cold
When: International Conference, Thursday 6 – Friday 7 October 2011
Where: Australian War Memorial, Treloar Crescent Campbell ACT 2612
Contact: Alissa Gabriel
Phone: (02) 6243 4238
Registrations: Close 28 September 2011
Parking: The Memorial has two free car parks.

The Korean War was one of the most significant conflicts of the twentieth century. Coinciding with the 60th Anniversary of Australia’s landmark battles in Korea, at Kapyong in April, and Maryang San in October 1951, the Australian War Memorial is convening a major international conference including leading international military historians.

Professor Robert O’Neill, Australian Official Historian of the Korean War and former Chichele Professor of History at Oxford University is keynote speaker. The conference includes a reception at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Canberra and an optional dinner on the first day of the conference. A must for Cold-War history buffs!

Want to know more about the Korean War? Search the Australian War Memorial site or follow them on Facebook and twitter.

Have you got a WWII Red Cross story?

2011-08-13T15:34:00.004+10:00

Throughout World War II the Red Cross sent millions of care packages to soldiers in POW camps. Author Mark Webster reported in our Issue # 2 on how important these parcels were to New Zealand troops serving on the other side on the world, and the risks people took to ensure their safe arrival.

What was in a Red Cross care parcel?

Every aspect of a package was recycled: string was used for binding, cardboard was made into paper for writing and cloth came in handy for repairs to clothing. Food-wise, a typical parcel, such as the one pictured to the left, might contain:

8 ounces (225g) of chocolate
6 ounces (170g) of tea
14 ounces (395g) of jam
10 ounces (280g) of brown sugar
14 ounces (285ml) of Highlander milk
13½ ounces (385g) of Nestlé coffee and milk
6 ounces (170g) of sultanas or raisins
16 ounces (450g) of cheese
16 ounces (450g) of canned mutton
12 ounces (340g) of lamb and green peas
Some parcels also contained honey

Total cost: 13 shillings and sixpence

The statistics at a glance:

At the outbreak of World War II, NZ’s population was 1,632,000
Around 205,000 served during World War II
Ozf those, around 135,000 served overseas
N suffered 36,038 casualties, of which 11,625 troops died
There were 9140 NZ Prisoners of War in World War II

Mark Webster is writing a history of Red Cross parcels sent from NZ in World War II. He is very keen to hear from anyone who experienced packing or transporting the parcels, and also from anyone who received them.

Please email Mark and tell your stories of the Red Cross's brilliant work.

Don't forget that back issues of Inside History magazine including Issue # 2 are available online.

Barani Barrabugu - Sydney's Aboriginal Journey

2011-08-11T16:57:00.001+10:00

Barani Barrabugu - Yesterday Tomorrow is a beautifully illustrated guide on Sydney’s long Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, from first contact to today's living culture.

The 84 page booklet describes over 60 significant Aboriginal sites across Sydney using stories and maps - from Bennelong and his wife Barangaroo, through to contemporary communities in Redfern, Alexandria and Waterloo.

Download your free copy from the City of Sydney council site and walk the paths that the first Australians walked across Sydney.

Several walks are described, along with suggestions for cultural institutions and organisations to visit, making this a valuable resource for Sydneysiders and visitors. Enjoy!

Issue # 5 Giveaway Winners Announced

2011-07-20T19:28:00.008+10:00

The entries have gone into the draw and the winners are! Congratulations to:

[1] Games from Historical Houses Trust NSW

L Story, Brassall, QLD

[2] John Gould & Australia: The Business of Nature

B Johnson, Claremont, TAS
E Chappell, Glen Innes, NSW

[3] 1835: The Founding of Melbourne & the Conquest of Australia

H Whiting, Coolangatta Qld
J Watson, Fern Tree Gully, VIC

All our winners will receive a confirmation email and their prize in the mail very soon.

Thanks to our amazing supporters :: Historic Houses Trust NSW, National Library of Australia and Black Inc Books for making our Issue # 5 giveaways possible!

[1] A little piece of history - games from Historical Houses Trust NSW

What better way to way to beat the winter chill than with some fun family games we all love? And one lucky reader will win all three, thanks to our friends at Historical House Trust.

There's Hopla, Beetle Game and the Educated Monkey, a bestseller at the HHT museum shops in Sydney. Invented in the US in 1916, this clever chap will help little historians to remember their times tables just as kids did in the 1920s! Just move the metal frame at the bottom, and the monkey will tell you the answer to your calculation. Clever!

How do you win all three games? Simply send your name and contact details to Inside History, HHT giveaway, PO Box 406, Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, August 30, 2011.

If you can't wait to see if you've won, order these games, and much more, by visiting www.hht.net.au

[2] John Gould & Australia: The Business of Nature by Roslyn Russell

A driven - and a self-made man - the Devon-born John Gould carved out a career in natural science which led him and his wife to Tasmania in 1838 and then the mainland to document the wildlife. Exquisite artwork by Gould's artists, alongside his own expert commentary, was the result. This wonderfully illustrated book examines the life of the man often considered to be the "father of Australian ornithology".

To win one of two copies, send your name and contact details to Inside History, John Gould Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, August 30, 2011.

A big thank you to the National Library of Australia for supporting this great Gould giveaway!

[3] 1835: The Founding of Melbourne & the Conquest of Australia by James Boyce

In his latest book, James Boyce brings to life the settlement of Melbourne, form its illegal beginnings to the conquering of the Australian frontier. With a fresh and poignant approach, he looks at the government power plays that resulted in the flood of settlers to the area, and looks at the characters who play an important in the area's history.

To learn more about Boyce and his most recent work, read our interview on page 61 of Issue # 5 of Inside History magazine.

To enter, send your name and contact details to Inside History, Unlock the Past Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, June 28

A big thank you to Melbourne's Black Inc Books for supporting this giveaway!

Terms and conditions:
Entries close 5pm, 30/08/11. Winners will be drawn at random and notified on 06/09/11. The prize is not transferable and not redeemable for cash. Please indicate if you'd like to opt out of our mailing list. Inside History won't ever share your details with a third party.

Issue # 5 is now available!

2011-07-14T11:01:00.000+10:00

Inside History magazine is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our July-August edition (issue 5):

It's census time! How can you help family historians in the future?
Discover the secrets to dating old photos
How to research the history of your house
We take a look at Tilly Devine’s neighbourhood
How to find Chinese ancestors
Tracing postcards from the 1870s
Subscribe and receive 25% off at Blurb
And much more!

Issues # 1, # 2, # 3, # 4 and # 5 are available online now! Order now online.

Issue # 5 is available in newsagents from 15th July 2011. For Western Australian readers, IHM will be available on Monday, 18th July.

Authors to look out for in Issue # 5:

Historian :: Kate Bagnall
UK genealogist :: Else Churchill
NZ genealogist :: Christine Clement
Australian genealogist :: Megan Gibson
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
Librarian :: Jenny Higgins
Journalist :: Ben James
Journalist :: Alice Johnson
Ephemera collector :: Pieter Koster
Family historian :: Neil Hall
Health microbiologist :: Helen Smith
Dress historian :: Jayne Shrimpton
Historian :: Mark St Leon
Journalist :: Kirsten Wade

Have a sneak peak inside our shiny new magazine; Issue # 5, July - August.

Libraries - find yours today

2011-07-05T20:51:00.001+10:00

We love libraries here at Inside History Magazine. Is it the smell, what we've discovered there in past visits, the excitement of the hunt, our hunger for learning and new ideas or is it the brilliant, giving people that tend to work in libraries? Probably all of the above but one thing we're very sure of, our communities and society overall would be much the lesser without them.

If you haven't been to your local library lately, then here's a taster of what they very likely have to offer to everyone in their communities, and most of it is free of charge.

Read for free - hardcopy and ebooks
Magazines and newspapers for free
Find your family history for free
Free periodical searches
Free internet and Wi-Fi
Borrow DVDs for free
Listen to CDs for free

How do you access these services? Getting a library card is simple. Just visit your local library, complete an application form, show your ID and access to these and more free services will be yours.

Find your library today, with the National Library of Australia or contact your local council.

a fine romance #12 | 2005 | Source: http://www.prudenceflint.com

a fine romance #14 | 2005 | Source: http://www.prudenceflint.com

a fine romance #21 | 2005 | Source: http://www.prudenceflint.com

Vote for Inside History - Sydney Business Awards

2011-07-05T19:50:00.002+10:00

Like Inside History? Well, we've been nominated in the 2011 City of Sydney Business Awards. Show us how much you like us. Vote for us in the City of Sydney Business Awards 2011 - you might just WIN $1500! Vote for Inside History - IHM.

Byron Bay Writers Festival Giveaway

2011-07-01T10:26:00.000+10:00

So, it's cold outside. You like reading, you like reading in your PJs, you like reading in bed with a cuppa... I'm thinking you might like escaping the cold and getting away to Byron Bay! For the Byron Bay Writers Festival in August! The main event is on 5-7 August 2011 but workshops start on 1 August. Inside History magazine is a proud supporter of the festival.

To celebrate our involvement in the festival, Inside History is giving away two 3 day [Friday-Saturday-Sunday] passes to the festival! Normally worth $215 each, they are free to one lucky Inside History follower and a friend.

All you need to do is TWEET this blog post and reference @insidehistory, or LIKE our page on Facebook, by 5pm (EST), Friday 8th July and you’ll go into the draw, for the intelligent escape to Byron. Don't forget to tell your friends to like our page to increase your chances!

The festival had its beginnings in 1997, and has now grown to include a guest list of over one hundred writers in lectures, lunches, panels, launches and readings. The festival focuses on share though and the joy of writing, and aims to provide forum for discussion and the celebration of creativity. All in beautiful Byron Bay, on the New South Wales Far North Coast. A place special to us, as my husband grew up in the area, and his family were one of the first settlers there in the 1860s, near what is now Lennox Head.

The Byron Bay Writers' Festival is organised by the good people at the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre.

Follow the festival on twitter at @bbwritersfest and facebook at Byron Bay Writers Festival to get program, ticket and other updates or just because it looks nice!

Terms and conditions: Entrants need to tweet this blog post or like us on Facebook by 5pm (EST) Friday 8th July 2011, to go into the draw. For tweeps, remember to add @insidehistory so we can see your tweet! Prize does not include transport to the festival or accommodation while in Byron Bay. Entrants must be aged 18 and over. Prize is not redeemable for cash.

Sydney Theatres & public halls

2011-06-19T18:47:00.000+10:00

We were enjoying fruit cake and tea with our nan, Rita, over the Queen's Birthday long weekend and got talking about how good Sydney's cinemas were in the "old days". It was the 1940s, Rita was in her 20s, and you would get a movie and a live orchestra for just 2/-6 in "old money".

The conversation deepened as the rain started outside; we talked about Sydney's picture halls and theatres, and settled on Rita's favourite, the Prince Edward theatre. She told us story after story of movies watched, ice creams eaten, what she wore, but couldn't recall which street it had been on, so we promised to find out when we got home.

The next day I caught up with Christine Yeats from State Records NSW and we got talking about underutilised archives in the collection and what should she pull out but "Archives in Brief 36 - Theatres and public halls". Strange how different streams collide! This collection offers some wonderful insights into the history of the stage and silver screen in Sydney, including registers of licences, inspections carried out by the Board of Fire Commissioners, seating plans and more.

It truly is amazing what your archives hold. The State Records NSW reading rooms are located at:

[1] Western Sydney Records Centre. 143 O'Connell Street, Kingswood
[2] Sydney Records Centre. 2 Globe Street, The Rocks, Sydney

How do I use the reading rooms? Find out at State Records NSW online or ask directly on 02 9673 1788. Happy reading and see you at the movies! Oh, and we found out that the Prince Edward was located between Castlereagh and Elizabeth Streets in the CBD!

Follow State Records NSW on twitter at @SRNSW and facebook at State Records NSW, we do and look forward to their updates.

State Theatre Sydney | Source: City of Sydney

2011 Australian Census

2011-06-13T20:36:00.005+10:00

Got questions about the Australian Census? Like, when is it? 9th August.

We've got one for you. What's the best thing you've found in Australian census data? We'd love to hear your success stories. Comment below or email us, if you've got an essay to share :)

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions but for more information, follow @2011Census on twitter or 2011 Census Australia on facebook. Get involved!

John Kaldor Family Collection :: Art Gallery of NSW

2011-06-07T09:43:00.000+10:00

Amazing piece of one family's history. The John Kaldor Family Collection at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Source: Art Nation | ABC TV

Winter subscriptions get Issue # 1 FREE

2011-06-06T12:29:00.005+10:00

Winter is here, with shorter days and longer chilly nights. Perfect for reading. Subscribe by the winter solstice, 22nd June 2011, and get Issue # 1 FREE to your door!

Simply go to the Inside History magazine website, subscribe for 6 or 12 months and you'll get an Issue # 1 for free. Don't forget that if you subscribe to Inside History, postage for Australian deliveries is also FREE!

Questions? Call us on 02 9590 9600, we'd love to talk to you. Serving suggestion, consume Inside History magazine with tea and something sweet. Happy reading!

The Sun in Winter. Artist: Frey Micklethwait. Source: Museum Victoria.

On the day of Winter Solstice, Earth’s south pole is tilted away from the Sun. The Sun rises north of east, sets north of west and reaches 28 1/2° above the horizon at noon. This is, usually, the shortest day of the year.

Experimental Gentlemen exhibition

2011-05-24T17:42:00.002+10:00

Discover colonial Australia through the eyes of the artists that were there. Experimental Gentlemen, is an exhibition at The Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, until 25 September 2011.

The 18th century term describing wealthy young virtuosi like Joseph Banks or Charles Darwin, who travelled the world in search of adventure and novelty were ‘experimental gentlemen. Artworks, books and photographs from the Sir Russell and Lady Mab Grimwade Collection of colonial treasures displayed at The Potter help to recreate wonder and awe that inspired explorers and adventurers from over 150 years ago.

Robert Havell and Robert Dale,

‘Panoramic view of King Georges Sound, part of the colony of Swan River’ (detail),

1834; steel engraving, aquatint and watercolour on three sheets; 18 x 271.4 cm.

The University of Melbourne Art Collection

William Strutt

born Teignmouth, Devon, England, 1825; died Wadhurst, Sussex, England, 1915

Bushrangers, Victoria, Australia 1852 1887

oil on canvas

75.7 x 156.6 cm

The University of Melbourne Art Collection. Gift of the Sir Russell and Mab Grimwade Bequest, 1973

Goodman Teale artist

born 1819; died Kyneton, Victoria, 1885

Nathaniel Whitlock engraver

active London c. 1830–1860

The city of Melbourne, Australia 1855

engraving and watercolour

29.1 x 53.4 cm

The University of Melbourne Art Collection. Gift of the Sir Russell and Mab Grimwade Bequest, 1973

ISSUE # 4 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

2011-05-16T18:15:00.004+10:00

Don't miss out on our giveaways! There are 2 great prizes up for grabs!

SO, WHAT CAN YOU WIN?!

[1] Notorious Australian Women by Kay Saunders

Read about some of our famous (and infamous) women…

Bushrangers, cross-dressers and escaped convicts — Kay Saunders’ latest book Notorious Australian Women takes a look at some of the less than conventional ladies of Australia’s past. Resourceful, cunning, ruthless or ambitious, these gals snubbed the cultural norms of the colony and forged their own paths — for wealth, equal rights or even just their basic freedoms. Inside History is giving away five copies of this fantastic book to some of our lucky readers. As Saunders explains in her interview (see page 13), when researching your family history, context is everything. Don’t miss out on a tell-tale glimpse into the colonial conditions women, and quite possibly your own ancestors, were faced with.

To enter, send your name and contact details to Inside History, Notorious Australian Women Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, June 28, 2011.

[2] Win one of five copies of Unlock the Past’s latest publication!

Unlock the Past has released the first Australian and New Zealand History and Genealogy directory — and to celebrate Inside History is giving away five copies to our readers! This inaugural annual edition features 300 beautiful colour pages jam-packed with fantastic resources, including a products, services and organisations directory, 66 new research articles and more than $700 worth of vouchers. Topics explored in this edition include practical tips for writing and researching family history, as well as a wealth of new and exciting sources available for you to access. This book is a must-have for any passionate historian’s bookshelf.

To enter, send your name and contact details to Inside History, Unlock the Past Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, June 28, 2011

Save 25% off self publishing with Blurb

2011-05-14T16:35:00.006+10:00

Subscribe to Inside History now and get 25% off at Blurb!

Want to create a book about your family tree? Or perhaps your local history society? Get creative, and save 25%, thanks to Blurb. With prices from $3.50, the possibilities are endless!

To take up this offer, simply subscribe to Inside History by 5pm, 1st December, 2011, and we’ll send you a voucher code to claim your discount! Self publish your family history today.

Learn more about Blurb at http://au.blurb.com

Terms and conditions:
Promotion code is for one use only. Voucher is for books created by you, the author. Offer not valid for non-authored bookstore purchases or gift cards. Total value of promotion does not include shipping.

Issue 4 is out now!

2011-05-14T07:09:00.002+10:00

In our May/June edition (issue 4):

We're celebrating Australia's first superstar - Dame Nellie Melba! It's the 150th anniversary of our covergirl, and we look at how she became an international sensation
Learn how to find an elusive maiden name of an ancestor
Discover how to get more information out of death certificates
How state teachers' records can be a genealogy goldmine
Read about the mythical monsters that scared our ancestors silly

And there's much more - in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews.

Issue # 4 is available online now and will be in newsagents nationally from Wednesday, 18th May 2011.

Melba as Manon in the opera, Manon

May 19 marks the 150th anniversary of Dame Nellie Melba’s birth. In issue 4, out now, Sue Thompson, from Lilydale & District History Society, looks at the soprano’s pioneering spirit in all things musical. Here, we offer a peak at some of the wonderful images that have survived of Australia's first superstar. All images courtesy Pamela, Lady Vestey and Lilydale & District History Society.

Celebrate Mother's Day with Inside History!

2011-05-04T17:10:00.001+10:00

Roses, chocolates and a cup of tea… what better way is there to spend this Sunday if you’re a mum?!

Enter Inside History’s terrific Mother’s Day giveaway, and this lovely giftbox from Roses Only could be winging its way to your house or your mum's (don’t forget grandma!) this weekend. All you need to do is tweet this blog post and reference @insidehistory, or like us on Facebook, by 5pm (EST), May 5 and you’ll go into the draw!

Terms and conditions: Entrants need to tweet this blog post or like us on Facebook by 5pm (EST) May 5, 2011, to go into the draw. For those tweeting, remember to add @insidehistory so we can see your tweet! Delivery of the giftbox will be made on or before Sunday May 8, depending on recipient's address. Open to Australian residents only, aged 18 and over.

In Their Footsteps: Sneak peek

2011-05-01T19:14:00.002+10:00

Win a luxury stay in Canberra!

2011-04-14T12:32:00.003+10:00

Hotel Realm, Canberra

Fancy spending Easter this year in Australia's capital, lapping up the great museums and galleries as well as chocolate?

Inside History has a terrific holiday up for grabs thanks to our good friends at TravelCandy. One lucky reader will win two nights' accommodation for two people at the elegant Hotel Realm in the heart of Canberra, close to everything this lovely city has to offer. Spend a day visiting the Not Just Ned exhibition at the National Museum of Australia, or commemorate Anzac Day at the Australian War Memorial.

To enter, simply make any purchase at our online shop before 5pm (EST), April 19, to go into the draw! Remember, Inside History is a great, guilt-free Easter present!

Terms and conditions: Accommodation is for two nights. twin-share and must be taken on Saturday April 23, and Sunday April 24. Transport to and from Canberra is not included. Competition closes 5pm April 19. One name will be drawn at random and the winner notified on April 20. The prize is non-transferable and non-redeemable for cash. Entrants must be aged 18 and over.

Putting a stamp on history

2011-04-04T13:59:00.000+10:00

It's amazing the response we've had to our Issue 3 competitions. Thanks to everyone who's entering.

We've loved receiving the entries and seeing the amazing array of historic stamps used. Some we haven't seen for 20 years! Here's a selection:

The prizes and closing dates for entry are below:

[1] 5pm 26th April. Subscription package to Find My Past worth $350
[2] 5pm 26th April. In Bligh's Hand by Jennifer Gall
[3] 5pm 19th April. Double passes to Not Just Ned at the National Museum

ISSUE # 3 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

2011-03-20T20:01:00.003+11:00

[1] Subscription package to Find My Past worth $350
This is an Inside History giveaway not to be missed! Valued at $350, the package includes a 12-month subscription to www.findmypast.com.au plus 12 months’ access to its hugely successful UK sister-site, www.findmypast.co.uk.

access to more than 50 million records covering Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands
650 million UK records (including the 1911 census)
the records available range from cemetery records and electoral rolls, migration and criminal reports, to military records, almanacs and government gazettes.

Competition closes 5pm, 26 April 2011.

[2] In Bligh's Hand by Jennifer Gall

Win a little piece of history. In Bligh’s Hand brings to life the events of the infamous mutiny in 1789, and the subsequent 47-day voyage taken by Bligh and 18 of his crew as they struggled to reached a safe haven. Beautifully illustrated and fascinating to read, author Jennifer Gall has reconstructed the historic events through pages from Bligh’s own notebook and his list of mutineers. Make this book on Australian history yours forever!

Competition closes 5pm, 26 April 2011.

[3] Double passes to Not Just Ned at the National Museum of Australia

The National Museum of Australia's latest exhibition explores the history of the Irish in Australia. Journey back to the first arrivals in 1788, the infamous Kelly gang, past politicans, artists and rebels, to the present-day winners of the Rose of Tralee. And we have two double passes up for grabs.

Competition closes 5pm, 19 April, 2011.

For more details on all these terrific prizes, grab a copy of issue 3 of Inside History.http://www.findmypast.com.au/

Dictionary of Sydney

2011-03-19T09:51:00.000+11:00

The Dictionary of Sydney - Sydney's history online and connected. Its amazing what you can discover on their wonderfully rich site and blog. Geographically, the Dictionary of Sydney includes the whole Sydney basin and spans the years from the earliest human habitation to the present. Find out more about the NSW state capital today!

Source: Dictionary of Sydney YouTube

Issue # 3 is now available!

2011-03-07T23:34:00.012+11:00

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand history and heritage, whether it's their family's ancestry, or in a broader social context. Our March/April issue celebrates our Irish ancestry, to coincide with the National Museum of Australia’s latest exhibition, Not Just Ned, opening on March 17. Read how to search for early Irish convicts, and learn about an emotional family reunion from the 1850s. Plus, you could win one of two double passes to the exhibition!

Now’s also the time to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day. We’re featuring our favourite photo finds from Flickr of women who stood out from the crowd.

Anzac Day is not far away, and if you’re still searching the records for that elusive soldier, we have some terrific research advice. Plus, we look at how one family preserved their grandfather’s World War I postcards, there’s new research by Michael Flynn on the early life of Governor Arthur Phillip, records for tracing Indigenous ancestors in Victoria, an expert Q&A military special from the Boer War to WWII, and lots more!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 3:

UK genealogist :: Else Churchill
NZ genealogist :: Christine Clement
Australian genealogist :: Megan Gibson
Historian :: Michael Flynn
Archivist :: Sebastian Gurciullo - PROV
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
Journalist :: Alice Johnson
Author :: Peter Macinnis
Military historian :: Neil Smith
Preservation expert :: Kay Soderlund
Australian genealogist :: Suzanne Voytas
NZ genealogist :: Mark Webster

Back issues of Issue # 3 are available online from Inside History :: www.insidehistory.com.au

Happy reading,
The Inside History team

Wragge Labs :: Trove Dynamic Graphs

2011-03-01T19:45:00.000+11:00

Thanks to Tim Sherratt {@wragge} we can now all get even more from the amazing Trove search engine, brought to us from the National Library.

Irish in Australia

Chinese in Australia

These calculations are based on the number of articles currently available through Trove. The totals were harvested using my TroveTools scraper and the lists of articles are generated using my unoffical Newspapers API. Comments or questions to @wragge

Faces from World War I

2011-02-27T19:19:00.005+11:00

Source: The Lost Diggers

In one of the greatest Australian historical discoveries for many years, around 3000 images of Australian diggers have been found in a farmhouse in France.

The glass negatives have been lying in a dusty attic in Vignacourt, two hours north of Paris, for the past 95 years. They were taken in 1916 in a village a day's march from the Western Front. The discovery was aired exclusively by Channel Seven's Sunday Night program tonight. The wonderfully informal and candid photos show the diggers relaxing with their mates, and people from the local village, away from the unspeakable horror they were facing in the trenches. Sunday Night has secured 500 of the negatives and are on the lookout for descendants of the men photographed. To view the collection and to see if you may be able to identify one of the soldiers, visit The Lost Diggers.

The remaining images are still in the farmhouse, and it's hoped a benefactor will be found for them and bring them back to the Australian public.

From Little Things Big Things Grow

2011-02-21T16:55:00.002+11:00

That was the story of Vincent Lingairri

But this is the story of something much more

How power and privilege can not move a people

Who know where they stand and stand in the law

From Little Things Big Things Grow Source: Paul Kelly

From Little Things Big Things Grow is about the campaign for Indigenous civil rights from 1920 to 1970 and tells the story of a group of Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who said 'That's not good enough' – and did something about it.

This travelling exhibition developed and presented by the National Museum of Australia, is now showing at the Historic Houses Trust's Museum of Sydney and reminds us all about how the first Australians, were made second-class citizens in their own country.

Gough Whitlam pours soil into hand of traditional landowner Vincent Lingiari, NT 1975 | Source: munii

Where: Museum of Sydney
When: Saturday, 19th February to Sunday, 8th May 2011
Location: Corner Phillip and Bridge Streets, Sydney, NSW 2000
Hours: Daily 9.30am — 5pm | Closed Good Friday

Do you want to read more about this? Check out 702 ABC Sydney or go to Historic Houses Trust NSW.

And in Issue # 3 of Inside History, due out at February end, we highlight Indigenous records at the Public Record Office Victoria.

Find your Kiwi ancestors online

2011-02-06T18:45:00.007+11:00

In a world first, more than 20 million family history records, spanning 140 years of early New Zealand history, are now available online. The genealogy website Ancestry.com has exclusively released six major digitised records, ranging from Electoral roles and jury lists to Maori Land claims and New Zealand naturalisations.

Brad Argent, Content Director for Ancestry.com.au, says, "This is a big step forward for New Zealand family historians as this is the first time most of these collections have been made available online."

Christine Clement, Ancestry.com.au spokesperson and Inside History contributor, comments that, "These records make it easier than ever before for [New Zealanders] to get online and start uncovering their family history."

Read Christine Clement's two-part series of articles on how to research your Kiwi ancestors in issue 2 (out now) and issue 3 of Inside History.

Ballets Russes :: The Art of Costume

2011-01-31T18:10:00.010+11:00

One of the world’s richest collections of costumes from the famed Ballets Russes resides at the National Gallery of Australia and its now on display. Through 140 costumes from 34 productions from 1909 to 1939, the vivid and innovative dance design of the early 20th century will be brought to life on the 100th anniversary of the Ballets Russes.

When: 10th December '10 - 20th March '11
Times: Open 10.00 am – 5.00 pm every day | 7.00 pm viewings Saturday
Where: National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra, Australia

Want more information? Go to National Gallery of Australia.

Ballets Russes Introduction from National Gallery of Australia

Solving a family puzzle from 1788

2011-01-23T23:13:00.001+11:00

Image courtesy Douglas Stewart Fine Books

With Australia Day fast approaching, our thoughts here are turning to the invitation from Twigs of Yore to post details of the earliest piece of documentation we have about an ancestor in Australia.

We've put our thinking caps on (as my nan says) and remembered that the earliest document my family has is on our ancestor William Aldridge. He arrived in New South Wales in 1791 as a convict sentenced to transportation for seven years. My cousin, Neil Hall, discovered William's original trial document at the London Metropolitan Archives. It was sitting in a musty box in the archives' office in central London, and our guess is it hadn't been looked at for decades, maybe even a century or two. The document was dated 12 September 1788, and stated that William was tried and convicted of stealing a linen sheet "with force and arms". He spent two years on the hulk Justitia at Woolwich before being transported.

Finding the original document was a breakthrough in our family research, as details of William's crime had eluded us for years!

WA Maritime Museum

2011-01-18T23:33:00.000+11:00

You can view Part 2 on the excellent Western Australian Museum site.

Inside History in newsagents nationally!

2011-01-15T15:55:00.000+11:00

Want to know where you can find Inside History magazine Issue # 2 on sale, across all states and territories of Australia?

Find out which newsagents are stocking us in your state - click here to find your local stockist.

To La Perouse we went

2011-01-06T22:15:00.000+11:00

Standing on the La Perouse peninsula and looking at Botany Bay, you are reminded of the beauty of nature and we were left wondering why more people don't explore this historically rich corner of Sydney.

The original owners of the land were the aboriginal Kameygal people, and their proximity to the coast meant that they enjoyed a plentiful supply of fish. It was fish and chips, a love of history and the Australian beach that took us to La Perouse, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Bare Island, La Perouse | Source: Inside History

Sandstone mural, Bare Island | Source: Inside History

One of the most interesting and yet beautiful parts of La Perouse is Bare Island and its 19th-century fortification in the Botany Bay National Park. The Bare Island fortification was built in 1885 to protect Sydney's Botany Bay from a feared Russian invasion. The fort is usually closed to the public but you are able to walk around the island, depending on the tide, and take in the views of the island and the surrounding beautiful beaches of Botany Bay. Entry by guided tours are available on Sundays at 1:30, 2:30. 3:30pm and you can buy tickets at Laperouse Museum, call on 02 9247 5033.

Old and new Botany | Source: Inside History

As we stood above the grave of Claude Francois Joseph Receveur, we realised just how much Botany Bay must have changed since the arrival of the First Fleet and Europeans to Australia. Pere Receveur was one of two chaplains in the French Laperouse expedition that arrived just a few days after the First Fleet in January 1788. He passed away on 17th February 1788, before his French navigator Captain Laperouse left Botany Bay and disappeared in the South Pacific. Traditionally visiting French ships lay a wreath on the grave and a mass is held annually. The 2011 Receveur Anniversary Mass will be held at La Perouse on 20th February. The NSW Governor, Professor Marie Bashir, will be in attendance.

Macquarie Watchtower | Source: Inside History

For more images, check out Inside History magazine's flickr.

How do I get there? Unfortunately, the trams don't run as they once did from Randwick but the buses - L94, 392, 394, 399 - still do and it's an easy drive from Sydney's airport or CBD. Check Sydney Buses route finder for details or use google maps for driving directions.

View Larger Map

Immigration Nation: The Secret History of Us

2011-01-01T17:46:00.011+11:00

Showing on SBS1 at 8:30pm on Sunday, 9th January

Inside History magazine is looking forward to the SBS documentary, Immigration Nation: The Secret History of Us, the untold story behind Australia’s multicultural mix.

Immigration Nation is a three part series revealing how the present day Australian multicultural society was built. The documentary describes Australia's recent social history using interviews with eminent historians and the testimony of eyewitnesses - many of whom have never told their stories before. The series explores our recent past and explains Australia’s untold immigration story; a century long struggle to overcome the White Australia Policy that resulted in one of the world’s most multicultural nations.

The show also comes with an online resource centre, created in association with The Chocolate Liberation Front, featuring statistics on immigration, profiles of key politicians and contributors, and the ability for audiences to delve into the SBS archives to find out how Australia’s views on immigration have changed in the past 30 years.

The series kicks off on SBS1 at 8:30pm on Sunday, 9th January.

ISSUE # 1 PRIZE WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

2010-12-24T13:34:00.001+11:00

All the entries have gone into the draw and the winners are!

Congratulations goes to:

[1] Convict Sydney at Hyde Park Barracks

S. Byrne, Kurnell, NSW
D. Davis, Woodcroft, SA
L. Perry, Kallangur, QLD

[2] "How To Get More Family Tree Time"

M. Pavljuk, Paralowie, SA
M. Smith, Victor Harbor, SA

[3] "One Family History: 220 years in Australia"

M. Jones, Canning Vale, WA

[4] Mid-century Trent Art Ware vase

D. Clarke, Cooma, ACT

Each of the winners have been sent an email confirming all the details. Merry christmas and a safe new year to you all, from the Inside History team!

Fancy a sneak peak inside Issue # 2?

2010-12-20T23:36:00.006+11:00

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand history and heritage, whether it's their family's ancestry, or in a broader social context.

In issue 2 we have two terrific features on Trove, the National Library of Australia's brilliant search engine. Read about the new features in the planning stages in our interview with Rose Holley. Then, Shauna Hicks shows us how the site can make a wealth of difference to your family history research.

Our inspiring articles don’t stop there. Author Mark Webster looks at the role of the Red Cross in delivering care packages to New Zealand POWs during World War II. And we're thrilled to bring you the second instalment of Michael Flynn’s work, as he continues his research on the First Fleet convicts. In this issue, Michael has been trying to discover the author of an anonymous work published in 1789. Read all about his fascinating findings.

We take a step back in time to the frightening world of colonial medicine, and visit a school in Sydney that is teaching kids — and adults — about the education of their ancestors. Plus there are tips from the experts, a book package worth $110 up for grabs, and so much more!

Issue 2 of Inside History is on sale December 22.

below: your family: Ask our experts, Issue 2: Jan-Feb 2011

Stand up for the Parramatta Female Factory

2010-12-15T20:57:00.005+11:00

In issue 1 of Inside History we brought you the story of the wonderful and unique female factory precinct at Parramatta in New South Wales.

The buildings in the precinct date back to 1819 and are an incredibly important part of Australia's heritage. It was in convict institutions such as these that the Australian spirit of mateship and comraderie, a sense of humour and standing up for the underdog were developed.

And if you think convict heritage is not part of your heritage, think again! It's estimated that one in seven Australians are descended from someone who went through the Parramatta Female Factory. That means you either are related, or you know someone who is.

It's incredible to believe, but these historic buildings are not on the national heritage list and thus protected, even though they predate other world heritage listed convict sites such as Port Arthur in Tasmania, and Sydney's Cockatoo Island.

On the state government-owned site at Parramatta are two Francis Greenway buildings, original walls dating back to 1819, and the third class sleeping quarters with turnkey’s apartment, completed in 1825. All are in need of protection and conservation. One Greenway building is now a building society, and the matron's quarters, meeting and administration rooms are used for storage and training. The third class sleeping quarters and turnkey’s apartment in recent years has been a storage facility for broken beds, then computers.

And right now the Parramatta Female Factory needs your help more than ever, especially the third-class quarters, known as Building 105.

Sydney Western Area Health Services have lodged an application with the NSW Heritage Office seeking approval for alterations to be made to this building for the purpose of housing internal computer equipment and cooling systems. The proposed changes to Building 105 will not only seriously damage the historical fabric of the structure, but it will also deny access by the public to this important building.

How you can help

Gay Hendriksen, from the Female Factory Precinct Action Group, is calling for people to lodge a complaint against the proposed work.

Post your concerns by the deadline of 5pm Friday December 17 to:
Heritage Council of New South Wales
Locked Bag 5020
Parramatta NSW 2124

Email them to petula.samios@planning.nsw.gov.au or vince.sicari@planning.nsw.gov.au

You can also help by emailing your concerns to the NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, at premier@nsw.gov.au and the State Minister for Health, Carmel Tebutt, at dp.office@tebutt.minister.nsw.gov.au

If you'd like to be involved in the campaign or would like more information, contact Gay by email at convict.female.factories@gmail.com

See why the site is so important: take a short tour of the factory by watching the video below.

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Perth's heritage gets people lining up

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Hats off to Heritage Perth, who organised a terrific weekend of heritage events in the city earlier this month. We've heard a great time was had by all, with people lining up to see Perth's historical treasures. Wish we could have been there! And if you want to know more, read our feature in issue 1 of Inside History on Perth's 14th-century heritage bells, which are celebrating 10 years in the city.

A tour of the Perth Mint building

All aboard the 1951 MTT-mobile!

Behind the scenes at Government House.

Inside St Georges Cathedral. All images courtesy of Heritage Perth.

Where does Inside History come from?

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Erskineville today is very different from the orchards and gardens covering the rich alluvial flats cultivated by the early settlers. However, due to its closeness to the city, transport and shops, as well as the colourful and varied residential character, Erskineville is a great place to live!

In 1794, Acting Governor Grose granted 120 acres to Nicholas Devine, Superintendent of Convicts. Togetherwith another 90 acres gained from Governor Hunter in 1799, Devine called his land "Burran Farm". The roughly covered the suburb we now know as Erskineville.

Devine built his home and established a large orchard and rose garden near the present site of the Erskineville Railway Station. He was specially fond of rose-gardening and developed several new species suited to the Australian climate. One of these he called the "Rose of Australia". A hotel built on the site of the rose garden is called by that name.

One day after he had retired, Devine and his wife were attacked by bushrangers. Mrs Devine died, but when Devine recovered, he was assigned a convict, Bernard Rochford, to protect him. Apparently, Rochford and his wife looked after Devine well. Before Devine died at the age of 104, he gave Rochford "power of attorney". Rochford subdivided the land and sold it in large allotments to some of Sydney's most respected citizens. They reaped a rich harvest from some of Sydney's best soil. Hired labour produced oranges, wheat, sorghum, vegetables and even a little tobacco.

The Rev, George Erskine, Superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission in the colony was one of the purchasers. With convict labour, he built a large double fronted brick cottage which he named "Erskine Villa". The road which ran past became known as Erskine Villa Road and later the suburb was named Erskineville. This home was still standing until 1961.

Source: Page 26, south sydney: shaping the future

How can I contribute to Inside History?

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The Inside History ethos:

Inside History is aimed at people passionate about history and heritage, whether it’s their own family’s ancestry, or in a broader social context. Published bi-monthly, Inside History provides insightful, interesting and practical features to its readers. Its 80 or so pages are packed with advice, articles and expert tips on genealogy, and stories on Australia and New Zealand’s varied social history, from tales about century-old houses and country towns, to heritage gardens and the biographies of our famous (and infamous) citizens.

Inside History. What do we do?

highlights and promotes Australia and New Zealand’s diverse history, to help readers interested in discovering their family’s past
provides a platform for historical organisations, societies, bookshops and anyone involved in history to showcase their work, collections and events to a national audience
provides a place to share the uplifting, fascinating and bittersweet tales that make Australia and New Zealand what it is today.

Our contributors. What are we looking for?

Inside History is open to a wide range of writers throughout Australia and New Zealand. We encourage historians and genealogists to contact us if they are interested in contributing an article, book or website review, interview or images appropriate to Inside History. If you have a great story that needs to be told, or practical advice that will help our readers in tracing, preserving and documenting their family history, we want to hear from you.

Generally articles need to be:

around 1000-1200 words in length, although this can vary depending on the subject
chatty and informal, with accurate and engaging content. References need to be included as endnotes if any archival records are quoted
supplied with high-res images or suggested images, if possible.

Articles will be edited for house style, length and clarity if need be but always in consultation with the writer.

Please contact our editor, Cassie Mercer on 0408 004090 or via email on cass@insidehistory.com.au, if you would like to discuss your work in more detail. We'd love to hear from you.

We look forward to working with you and seeing your research published in Inside History!

Happy researching!

The Inside History magazine team

Explore your past, enrich your future

How can I subscribe to Inside History Magazine?

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Our doors are now open and we're selling subscriptions and single issues to our lovely new readers.

Single issues are $10.50 [plus $2 p&p], or we have two subscription plans:

$31.50 for 6 months [3 issues], or
$63 for 12 months [6 issues]
Subscriptions are available to libraries and societies by invoice
Subscribers get FREE postage for each issue - usually $2 p&p.

Order online, www.insidehistory.com.au, or you can also call on 02 9590 9600 or email us to book direct, if you prefer to talk to us.

Or pick up a copy from your local newsagent nationally - click here to find out where.

Any queries can be emailed to info@insidehistory.com.au or call 02 9590 9600 with questions! We'd love to hear from you!

Happy reading!
The Inside History magazine team
Explore your past, enrich your future

Notes:

All figures above are inclusive of GST