Issue 13 giveaways announced :: findmypast - SBS WDYTYA

And the winner is...... Congratulations to G. Muth of Salisbury Downs, SA you've won our Issue 13 giveaway with findmypast. Good luck with your search!

Win a findmypast World Collection subscription valued at $249.95! 

Here’s your chance to win access to  the 1.5 billion records on findmypast! The prize is a 12-month subscription to its World Collection, which means you can search records from across Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK and Ireland, all from one site! Read about how findmypast can help with your research on page 48.

To go into the draw for this terrific prize, simply tell us the year your earliest ancestor arrived in Australia or New Zealand. 

Send your answer by 31 December to cass[at]insidehistory.com.au or post it to findmypast giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043.

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And the winners are......... Congratulations to the 5 winners of the WDYTYA Series 4 DVD sets:

[1] K. Gaspari, Chadstone, VIC

[2] M. Kemp, Ashmore, QLD

[3] L. Walker, Deception Bay, QLD

[4] J. Wright, Narre Warren South, VIC

[5] J. Purnell, Rochedale South, QLD

Win Series 4 of Who Do You  Think You Are? on DVD!

It’s the television series we all love, and if you’re like us you’re already counting down the days until Series 5 debuts on our screens in early 2013. In the meantime, here’s your chance to relive all the detective work, drama and emotion of Series 4. See comedian Shaun Micallef discover his Maltese connections, journalist Kerry O’Brien learn about his Irish links!

To go into the draw to win one of five DVDs of series 4, valued at $29.95 each, simply tell us which celebrity episode you loved the most from any  of the Australian series so far. 

Send your answer by 31 December to cass[at]insidehistory.com.au or post it to SBS giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043.

Author Q&A :: Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood

From time to time, we'll be talking to great Australian authors about their local history and what inspired them to start researching and writing their stories.

This week we talk to Kerry Greenwood, author of the Phryne Fisher novel Unnatural Habits released by Allen & Unwin and we're giving away 5 copies of her new book over on our facebook page. Click here to enter!

The Phryne Fisher series includes Cocaine Blues, Flying too High, Murder on the Ballarat Train, Death at Victoria Dock, Blood and Circuses, The Green Mill Murder, Ruddy Gore, Urn Burial, Raisins and Almonds, Death Before Wicket, Away with the Fairies, Murder in Montparnasse, The Castlemaine Murders, Queen of the Flowers, Death by Water, Murder in the Dark, Murder on a Midsummer Night and Dead Man's Chest.

The Phryne Fisher series (pronounced Fry-knee, to rhyme with briny) began in 1989 with Cocaine Blues which was a great success. Kerry says that as long as people want to read them, she can keep writing them. Find out more about the series at: www.phrynefisher.com and follow the brilliant ABC TV series, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

Below we asked Kerry about her writing and happily she answered. You can also find more from Kerry Greenwood in our Issue 10: May-Jun 2012 edition, where Emma Sutcliffe spoke with Kerry about Phryne Fisher and her adventures. Click to buy Issue 10.

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Image courtesy: Andre Elhay Photography

IHM. Q. What inspired you to start researching and writing?

• Kerry: I have always loved stories, and history is a collection of fascinating stories, so I combined the two - and when I have researched enough, the story demands to be told. It's intoxicating.

IHM. Q. Which resources did you find most helpful?

• Kerry: Newspapers. Extra information. What Umberto Eco calls the 'relished inessentials'.

IHM. Q. Favourite website? Kerry: Trove
IHM. Q. Favourite library? Kerry: State Library of Victoria

IHM. Q. What resources did you come across when researching your books that hasn't been widely used by others?

• Kerry: People. I got to interview people who were around in 1928. So I listened to the voices, the accents, the slang, and I also had the privilege of asking questions.

IHM. Q. Was there any information you uncovered that stopped you in your tracks?

• Kerry: I found a brave policeman in Castlemaine who stopped an anti-Chinese riot. He had no name, just a number from a system of which all records were lost, but I found him, gave him his name, and he has a plaque on the wall at the new Castlemaine police station. Until I found him and named him his courage was forgotten...

IHM. Q. Which stories affected you the most in your research?

• Kerry: The miserable cruel lives of the women in the Magdalen Laundry. Reduced me to pulp, and I had to keep on reading.

IHM. Q. Which stories amused you the most in the course of your research?

• Kerry: I really laughed at the method of producing ortolans en brochette in Australia. And I found a minties ad of one man hanging on to another man's shoe which is coming off as they both dangle from a girder high up above the ground. The caption is 'Stop laughing, this is serious!' There's something very Australian about it.

IHM. Q. If you could track down one thing you haven¹t yet managed to find out, what would it be?

• Kerry: I won't know until I start researching the next Phryne. There is always something... Do I get a wish?

IHM. Q. What¹s your best tip for people wanting to write a history book of their own?

• Kerry: Read novels set in the time, then read all the newspapers and magazines you can find, before wandering in and out of a few museums... and see how many voice/oral history tapes you can find. Voices are important. And if you are writing your own memoirs, consider what your audience wants to know ie. what you had for breakfast, who cooked it, what was your school uniform like, how did you get to school, who were your friends... all that sort of thing - and how you FELT... rather than a potted history of your time. There are plenty of them but only you know how you hated wearing gloves, and how that starched collar scored your neck.

IHM. Q. How did you go about bringing the characters to life?

• Kerry: They tell me how to write the book. Imagine them well enough and for long enough, and they'll start talking to you.

IHM. Q. How do you know when you¹ve written a good book?

• Kerry: Someone else tells me and people buy them. I have no judgement at all about my own books.

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"The attack came suddenly. Out of the hot darkness in the notorious Little Lon came three thugs armed with bicycle chains. The tallest lashed his against the crumbling side of a building. It hit a metal sign advertising Dr Parkinson’s Pink Pills for Pale People, which rang like a drum.
‘An ominous noise,’ commented Dr Elizabeth MacMillan.
‘The natives are restless,’ agreed her companion. 
She was the Hon. Miss Phryne Fisher, five feet two with eyes of green and black hair cut into a cap. They were not the target of this assault. They were blamelessly approaching the Adventuresses Club bent on nothing more controversial than a White Lady (Phryne) and a dram of good single malt (Dr MacMillan) and an evening’s exchange of views on weather, politics and medicine. But Little Lonsdale Street was always liable to provide unexpected experiences. However, the person who was fated for a good shellacking appeared to be lone, female and unprotected, which could not be allowed. Phryne turned abruptly on her Louis heel and, putting both fingers in her mouth, whistled shrilly. 
‘Look out, boys!’ she yelled. ‘Cops!...........'"
From Chapter 1 of Unnatural Habits. Click here to read more from the Unnatural Habits, from our friends at Allen & Unwin

Issue 12 giveaway :: Ancestry.com.au 12 mth membership

Win an Ancestry.com.au World Heritage Membership for 12 months!

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!

Remember the joy of connecting to the past you felt when you uncovered your first BMD record? With the World Heritage Membership, you can relive that excitement all year round, as Ancestry.com.au’s vast collections are regularly updated. Recent additions include the England & Wales BMD Index 1837–1915 collections. The Marriage Index alone contains more than 33 million records!

All you need to do to enter the draw for this terrific prize is to send us your answer to the following question:

Q. How many records are there in the Ancestry.com.au England & Wales BMD Marriage Index: 1837–1915?

[A] Less than 5m [B] Less than 10m [C] Less than 20m [D] More than 33m

Simply send your answer, plus your name and contact details to Inside History Ancestry.com.au Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm EDST, October 31, 2012.

Terms and conditions:
Entries close 5pm EDST, 31/10/12. The first correct answer drawn at random will win and the winner notified by 14/11/12. Allow up to 4 weeks for account set-up. Prize is a World Heritage Membership for 12 months to Ancestry.com.au valued at $299.88. It is not redeemable for cash. Please indicate if you’d like to opt out of our mailing list. We won’t share your details with a third party.

Author Q&A :: Jack Cross - Great Central State

From time to time, we'll be talking to great Australian authors about their local history and what inspired them to start researching and writing their stories.

This week we talk to Jack Cross, author of Great Central State - The foundation of the Northern Territory and historian. Jack Cross grew up in the lower Flinders Ranges amid the influences of the German Lutheran community. Jack spent five years as a Research Fellow in Australian History at the University of Adelaide. For twenty years he was Head of Studies in Education at the Underdale campus of what is now the University of South Australia. He was a founder of the Aboriginal Tauondi College at Port Adelaide and the Anangu Teacher Education program at Ernabella in the APY Lands. He is now a teacher in the History of Ideas at the Adelaide Central School of Art and the University of South Australia, and was awarded the 2012 Chief Minister’s Award for History.

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1. Q. What inspired you to start researching the 19th-century history of the Northern Territory?
• A. I was challenged by my mentor Douglas Pike (Paradise of Dissent, 1957) to write one thorough history in a lifetime. At the time, I was a teacher in history in the Northern Territory. 
2. Q. You utilised over half a million pages of primary research documents over an impressive 40 years of archival research. What resources did you come across when compiling your book that haven’t been widely used by others?
• A. There are no records on 19th-century Northern Territory history on the web. Most records are held in the State Records of South Australia. Some private records relating to the territory are held in the State Library of South Australia. Only a few nineteenth-century records have survived in the Territory. Because of the time I took, I wrote numerous letters to families of interest. Their documented replies are to be donated to the Northern Territory Library as well as my extensive rare library on Northern Territory subjects. Because indexes proved unreliable I worked line by line through half a million pages of documents. I still believe that relying too much on indexes is a sloppy way of doing history. Much revealing history is in the cracks – the give-away asides
3. Q. Your publicity mentions that you were introduced to many leads and anecdotes by the strong oral tradition in SA regarding the Northern Territory. What were the advantages of using oral history in addition to documents?Could you name any specific examples where this oral tradition helped you?
• A. Up until the Second World War, many Territorians retired to Adelaide. I got the tail end of these people. They provided me with a unique opportunity to obtain leads which I could then check against records. I heard many tales about the alcoholism of J.M. Stuart. In the 1960s the Royal Geographical Society was patronised by the Adelaide establishment. One prominent family would tell tales to me about the other.
4. Q. Was there any information you uncovered that stopped you in your tracks?
• Q. Which stories affected you the most in the course of your research?
• A. I was exposed to the mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples as far back as the 1950s and it gave me a shock. The urban story that Aboriginal women would use sand to protect themselves from rape was cut out from the book in the last editorial review because we could find no documentary evidence to support it.
• Q. Which stories amused you the most in the course of your research?
• A. The Territory is full of tragic – comic stories. A good example is the first Government Resident at Darwin (Bloomfield Douglas) threatening to shoot up the police force while standing on the roof of the Residency, because he believed they were coming to arrest him as a debtor.
5. Q. If you could track down one thing you haven’t yet managed to find out, what would it be?
• A. I would like to find out more about the mystery of the Shou Lao (now held in the Powerhouse Museum). It is a Chinese statue dug up four feet under a large banyan tree in Darwin in 1879, a tree not indigenous to Australia. It could be evidence that the Chinese navy may have come as far south as North Australia.
• I am also interested in when the Macassan fishers first started first started coming to North Australia. Also when Aborigines first started going to the land of Macassar. 
6. Q. What’s your best tip for people wanting to write a history book of their own?
• A. As with most things of life, nothing can replace years and year of practice. History is a discipline which benefits from rich background experience and considerable knowledge. It also requires imagination in order to empathise with people in another time and another place.
7. Q. In your book’s preface, you mention your desire to “make the history live”. How did you go about bringing the characters and stories to life?
• A. I am a ‘raconteur lecturer’ – to quote student feedback. The way to make history live is to back up generalisations with interesting relevant stories. I believe that telling stories is archetypal as a way of transmitting culture. African proverb: God made Man so that he can hear stories!
8. Q. How do you know when you’ve written a good book?
• A. I doubt if you ever know. Early feedback is important. Soon after reading the text Michael Bollen of Wakefield Press said: ‘The kind of book that will be read 300 years from now.’ As a result Wakefield Press spent 6 ¼ years editorial work on the text. The book was launched in Government House Darwin in March 2011 by the Administrator Hon. Tom Pauling – who had seen an earlier version of the text. His detailed analysis was extraordinary – like a judge summing up a complicated case. It was re-launched in Adelaide in June by Dr John Bannon – former premier. Nicholas Rothwell wrote a two-page essay in The Weekend Australian. Philip Adams interviewed me on Late Night Live. In May 2012 I was awarded the Chief Minister’s Award for History, awarded in the Great Hall, Parliament House, Darwin. The cover by Liz Nicholson and rare nineteenth-century visuals have been applauded by the art school lecturers with whom I work. I have now been lined up to write three short histories.

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Click on the image to read a free extract from Great Central State

"The Northern Territory's first European decades were an extraordinary mixture of grand vision and human folly, peopled with larger-than-life characters.

In Great Central State, Jack Cross tells the story of South Australia's ambitious - or foolhardy - plan to become the premier colony of Australia using its own unique experience in planned colonisation, and its bid to develop the north coast as an integral part of South-East Asia. Bitter feuding abounds alongside admirable efficiency, while tales of courage and sacrifice are matched by episodes of sad ignorance and abuse. This is a history strange but true.

Great Central State is a result of the most sustained historical research on a South Australian subject since Douglas Pike's Paradise of Dissent published in 1957. In his wry, meticulously researched book, Jack Cross demonstrates that already before 1911 when the Northern Territory was ceded to the Commonwealth, it had a sophisticated history of its own. He looks forward to the day when it will become the seventh Australian state". From our friends at Wakefield Press.

Issue 11 Giveaway: Win 2 VIP tickets to NSW History Week

The entries have gone into the Inside History hat and the winner is... Congratulations to:

• Jenny Cowen, Caulfield North, VIC

Who was Jenny's favourite fashion icon?

• "The Womens Weekly of course! It headlined fashions, showed us how to make them, gave us the confidence to wear and feel “it” in them". 

For more on History Week and to plan your event calendar, visit www.historyweek.com.au

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Join us on 9 September when history meets the catwalk! The final fittings are being made for History Week NSW 2012 and this year it’s all about fashion. The theme is Threads: long before the fashionistas of today decided “the look”, dress was an important element of human expression.

From 8 to 16 September, there will be events across the state celebrating the history of dress. A highlight will be “The Muses” on 9 September at the State Library of NSW. In the stunning vestibule of the Mitchell Library, leading Australian fashion designers will exhibit original pieces, created using historical muses as inspiration.

The muses have been selected by the History Council of NSW (HCNSW), and their stories shine a light on the history of dress and fashion in Australia. How will Bennelong, the first Aboriginal diplomat who insisted on the highest standard of European dress or Annette Kellerman, an Olympic swimmer whose form-fitting attire shocked the world, inspire today’s leading designers? How will old become new?

This special event will fuse the glamour, the champagne and excitement of the catwalk with evocative images of the past. And we have two VIP tickets to the “The Muses” to give away, thanks to our friends at HCNSW!

To go into the draw simply answer the following question in 25 words or less:

• Q. Who is your favourite fashion icon?

Send your name and contact details to Inside History, History Week Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass[at]insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, 15 August, 2012.

Members of hosiery and gloves depts Messrs Horden Bros., 23’2’46, Image courtesy RAHS Photo collection.

For more on History Week and the program, visit www.historyweek.com.au

Terms and conditions: Entries close 5pm, 15/08/12. One name will be drawn at random and the winner notified by 20/08/12. Travel to the event is not included in the prize and is the responsibility of the winner. Entrants must be aged 18 and over. Prize is not redeemable for cash. Please indicate if you would like to opt out of our mailing list.

Winners of our Issue 9 giveaways!

In Issue 9 we had a bumper crop of giveaways and now winners! Find out who won all the history below, maybe it was you! 

[1] Government House and WA Society 1829-2010, from UWA Publishing

1. Margaret Morfitt, Mandurah WA
2. Kevin Evershed, Noranda WA
3. Katrina Cowen, Caulfield VIC
4. Kay Weaver, Moss Vale NSW
5. Tracey Cosier, Angle Vale SA

[2] Government House Sydney, from Historic Houses Trust NSW

1. Fiona Archinal, Botany NSW
2. Gloria Hough, Lavington NSW
3. Ian Stewart, Elermore Vale NSW
4. Lyn Brennan, The Gap QLD
5. Valerie Marshall, Glen Waverley VIC

[3] Writing A Non Boring Family History, from Hazel Edwards

1. Tony Wright, Kenmore QLD
2. Judith Russell, Lilyfield, NSW
3. Philip Benstead, Epsom VIC
4. Marjorie Morkham, Apollo Bay VIC
5. Beryl Patullo, Lalor, VIC

[4] A Very Short War DVDs, from Madman Entertainment 

1. Kerryn Dixon-Ward, Parkdale VIC
2. David McAndrew, Alexander Heights WA
3. John Sparrow, Eumundi QLD
4. Elizabeth Pardy, Cootamundra NSW
5. Roslyn Allan, Paddington NSW 

[5] Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? DVDs, from ABC TV

1. Glenys Hatch, Marangaroo WA
2. Robert Hocking, Abbotsford VIC
3. Daniel Anderson, Canadian VIC
4. Julie Regan, Inverell NSW
5. John Sutton, Bathurst NSW

Thanks to all our amazing supporters for making our giveaways possible!

Don't forget our Issue 10 giveaway! Our friends at Gould Genealogy are giving away a Flip-pal mobile scanner. Click here to find out more!

ISSUE # 9 COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

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

[1] A Very Short War, from Madman Entertainment 

1. Kerryn Dixon-Ward, Parkdale VIC
2. David McAndrew, Alexander Heights WA
3. John Sparrow, Eumundi QLD
4. Elizabeth Pardy, Cootamundra NSW
5. Roslyn Allan, Paddington NSW

[2] Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? from ABC TV

1. Glenys Hatch, Marangaroo WA
2. Robert Hocking, Abbotsford VIC
3. Daniel Anderson, Canadian VIC
4. Julie Regan, Inverell NSW
5. John Sutton, Bathurst NSW

Thanks to our amazing supporters - ABC TV, Madman Entertainment and CONTI Bros Films - for making our Issue 9 giveaways possible!

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Our Issue # 9 giveaways! Win one of 10 DVDs!

[1]  A Very Short War - Madman Entertainment & CONTI Bros Films

Cliff Carpenter was a pioneer Australian aviator, a young man who lost his life in a Sunderland aircraft over the skies of Norway on the first day of the German invasion. Through his letters home we are exposed to a fascinating and intriguing insight into the spirit of the times as World War II beckoned. A Very Short War follows Cliff’s nephew as he unravels the story of an uncle who made the ultimate sacrifice so far from home. The DVD also features an extended interview with Nancy Bird-Walton and a slide-show of the construction of Cliff’s homebuilt aeroplane. Read more of his story on page 42 of Inside History Issue 9; Mar-Apr 2012 - our ANZAC edition.

We have five copies of A Very Short War, valued at A$24.95 each, to give away. To enter the draw, simply tell us the answer to the following question:

• Q. What type of plane was Cliff flying in over Norway?

Send your name and contact details to Inside History, A Very Short War Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, April 29, 2012.

[2]  Who’s Been Sleeping In My House?  ABC TV

We loved the series on ABC recently, but if you missed  it now’s your chance to fall in love with house history!

Journey around Australia with archaeologist Adam Ford as he delves into public records, cellars and even mangroves to uncover the real story of beloved family homes in  Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. Each of the eight episodes is a fascinating detective story  — a combination of Time Team + Grand Designs + Who  Do You Think You Are? that will have you wanting more!

ABCTV is giving Inside History readers the chance to win one of five DVDs of Who’s Been Sleeping In My House?, worth $19.95 each. To enter, simply tell us the answer to the following question:

• Q. How many episodes are there in the series?

Send your name and contact details to Inside History, ABCTV Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, April 29, 2012.

Thanks to our amazing supporters - ABC TV, Madman Entertainment and CONTI Bros Films - for making our Issue 9 giveaways possible!

ISSUE # 8 COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED

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

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

• Peter Frick, Parafield Gardens, SA
• Heather Stapleton, Wyndham Vale, VIC

[2] Professional family tree presentations, from GENP

• Lilian Magill, Panania, NSW
• Grant Aldridge, Porirua, NZ

Thanks to our supporters - National Library of Australia and GENP family history software - for making our Issue 8 giveaways possible!

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[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.

ISSUE # 7 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

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 # 6 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

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.

Perfect for Father's Day - bonus offer!

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

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.

Issue # 5 Giveaway Winners Announced

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.

Byron Bay Writers Festival Giveaway

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.

ISSUE # 4 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

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

Celebrate Mother's Day with Inside History!

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.

Win a luxury stay in Canberra!

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.